Panda Rambling, Paying your dues

[windwalker]

Becoming and being an endurance athlete isn't free. It costs more than many who don't lace up the runners and suit up in the tech armor realize. We pay in loss of time out of our day when we train. We pay with sore muscles and little aches and pains. Sometimes we pay with injuries that make us limp around and sometimes even go under the surgen's knife.

We have to pay our dues several times a week and we never have enough saved up that we can take a long vacation from training and keep our strength and endurance. We pay with commitment and determination. We make deals with our bodies that if they will just go a wee bit further we will reward them at the end.

We make sacrafices in other areas of our lives so we can support our habit. We want gear for our preasents instead of stuff. New shoes every 3 or 4 months are a nessary expense just like food and the house payment. We plan our vacations around races.

Is it all worth it? I think so. How about everyone else.

Dave

 

[dragitoff]

That's really such a valid point. I said this in another thread but running really is a lifestyle. Now, when I travel (which I do quite a bit for work), I check to see if there are any local races I could enter or search for running routes near where I'm staying. DW (thank God I've got a spouse that runs too) get up an hour earlier Monday-Friday to log our daily 5k and then we get up early on Saturdays (which is our only day to sleep in since we usually have to be at church early on Sundays) so we can log our weekend run as well.

The funny thing is, for me anyways, it's just like any other part of my day. If I don't run for whatever reason, I feel like something is missing in my day. Like I had forgotten to put on pants or something. It's been raining likes cats and dogs here (thank you Lord for the rain) the past few days and I've had to run on the treadmill and even skipped this morning because I was absolutely exhausted from work and church this week. I feel more tired today, even after getting an extra hour sleep, than I do when I get up and run.

There's really something to it. Maybe it's a sickness. Maybe it's in my head. Whatever it is, it works and I'm glad for it!

 

[crewmatt]

IDK, I kind of like that little persistent soreness

 

[John VN]

Becoming and being an endurance athlete isn't free. It costs more than many who don't lace up the runners and suit up in the tech armor realize. We pay in loss of time out of our day when we train. We pay with sore muscles and little aches and pains. Sometimeswe pay with injuries that make us limp around and sometimes even go under the surgen's knife.

We have to pay our dues several times a week and we never have enough saved up that we can take a long vacation from training and keep our strength and endurance. We pay with commitment and determination. We make deals with our bodies that if they will just go a wee bit further we will reward them at the end.

We make sacrafices in other areas of our lives so we can support our habit. We want gear for our preasents instead of stuff. New shoes every 3 or 4 months are a nessary expense just like food and the house payment. We plan our vacations around races.

Is it all worth it? I think so. How about everyone else.

Dave

I pay for product but invest my time and energy with the return being health and yes, soreness. Got to love it.