Man I have been dedicated this week! Summertime is just around the corner which means it is time to trim off that winter weight so that I can strut around proudly at the pool and lake. I pre-made all of my lunches and breakfasts for the week and I have amped up my weight lifting routine. My goal is to get my cardio workout complete before work, hit the gym for weights at lunch on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and then do Body Pump classes on Tuesday and Thursday. The weekend is still reserved for my long run and bike.
Ok, ok, ok – maybe I got a little inspiration after I reviewed some old spring break pictures when I was writing my blog last week. Now I know what you’re thinking; “The Spring Break pictures didn’t make it into the blog because they were not safe for public viewing.” Actually, it is that all my college pictures are pre-digital camera and I had no desire to scan them in. Anyway – I found that I no longer have the abs of a 20 year old and I refuse to admit that I am a complete grown up.
Monday morning was a swim; Tuesday morning was a run and today was a bike ride. The ride was awesome. I bought some lights for our bikes last fall so we could safely ride in the dark and it has really paid off because it lets us leave earlier or stay out later. We hit the road around 6 am and rode out of town heading west. I am not much for the traditional on your knees hands together type prayer so a lot of times, I spend my time with God when I am running or biking. It also adds another dimension to it for me when I am in nature with the feeling of wind on my face and the air on my skin. This morning was a great time for it.
There was a tranquil serenity about the ride this morning. When we began, it was still pitch black and we chased the moon in the western sky for the first half of the ride. Once my eyes adjusted to the blackness, my light served as more of a tool for cars to see me rather than for me to see. I was riding to the light of the early morning moon, just basking in the gentle white light and feeling the cold air on my face. When we turned around, we got to see the slow transition of the sky from pitch black, to a soft pink, until it was finally red like a nuclear ray and the sun began to peek over the horizon. We pulled into our driveway to finish the ride just as the darkness completely slipped away and the new day was born.
People often wonder why we do what we do. Why do we get up so early and up our bodies through such misery when we could be sleeping in? Sure, there is a little vanity involved and the weight control is certainly welcome. However, the truth is that it is mornings like this that keep me coming back and make running, biking, swimming , whatever , an obsession. Feeling the endorphins brought on by physical exertion while being close to God, next to family or friends, and one with nature is something that words can’t do justice explaining. The feeling of cold sweat in winter or the dried residue of salt on my face on a hot morning is the best fuel to get through any day.
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