A time and a place

Phew, made it to Monday.

I would like to say that the house move that consumed the weekend was done and dusted, but that would be a big fat lie. A lot of it has been done, and we are still making good progress through our to do list, but it is a very long list. As is the way with these things. Still, we are in our new house and it is pretty awesome. I am starting to move though the, 'we are borrowing somebody else's house and at any minute they will come home and politely ask us to leave' phase and am gradually moving into the 'this is our house' phase. I am looking forward to graduating to the 'this is our house and we have put away enough stuff that we can sit and relax for five minutes' phase, but I will take that as it comes, work to be done first and I am okay with that.

In line with the move progressing, we are also trying to return to some semblance of normal life, trying, where possible, to get into normal routine. For me that means trying to get in a bit of training, after more or less throwing that idea out of the window last week. I was out on the river for a paddle this morning, and I just completed my first gym session for two weeks, I am sure I won't be sore in the morning...

I am completely happy with my decision to prioritise moving over training last week, however, it is good to get back into some regular exercise. Since I have stopped racing, I have become a big believer in the idea that exercise should enhance life rather that detract from it. Yes some sessions might be a bit of a hassle, and you may not be loling the entire time, but on the whole you should be glad for the experience. If exercise isn't doing that, but is instead causing you stress and/or distress then it isn't doing its job. It might be time for a change of routine, or to try a different activity for a while. This idea goes bit wonky when you are pursuing a sporting goal, because during those times there will definitely be times where you wish you were doing something else, but in order to chase your dream you have to persevere. That is fine, because in the end the goal will provide the life enhancement and reward. However, if you are doing exercise for fitness, or stress relief, or to just plain get outside and be active, then I think you should be doing something that you like doing at a time and location that doesn't wear you out. If life gets hard, ease back on the exercise for a while so that it isn't overstretching you.

Being active and exercising shouldn't be a burden, in fact it should be the opposite. If what you are doing doesn't make life better, then make a change and try something else, there are plenty of choices out there. The important thing is that you are getting out and getting active in some way, shape or form.