Addictive Exertion is about my therapy: exercise; and my never-ending pursuit of sweating profusely. I have found nothing as relieving as getting the heart rate racing above 150 bpm and feeling the burn. Nor have I found anything as addicting as the feeling you get immediately after a great workout where your body was (cliche alert) "in the groove" and "burning all cylinders."
I didn't discover my "addiction" until after college, but in hindsight, it's always been in control of my emotions... I just hadn't taken the time off to realize it. When my son was born, I found that my world was completely turned upside down. This 8 pound 11 ounce new world order made everything else that had ever mattered to me come in a distant second to his tummy giggle. I still kept quite active with a couple activities, but nowhere near what I was used to. It didn't take very long to realize the inverse relationship between my physical activity level and my level of anxiety/tension/depression. I'd have mood swings. My wife and I would argue over simple conversations. My irritability factor seemed through the roof. I needed a change, and needed to promote exercise on my priority list so that I could fit it into my life without de-prioritizing the important things.
I continue to run, but my knees, like so many others', are starting to get a little creaky, and the pain is starting to hang around longer with my long runs. I've gotten back to playing hockey once a week in the winters, and I've noticed a huge difference with that alone. But that leaves the warm months with a void to fill.
After buying my first road bicycle last year, and logging several hundred miles on it this season, I've discovered a new method for exercise that is one of the most addictive euphorias I've ever experienced. I started the spring season with the MN Ironman Bike Ride in late April. I really hadn't done much for training or riding: started spinning on the indoor trainer while snow was still on the ground, and had gotten outside just 3 times before the ride, all of which while not really knowing what I was doing. Started the ride at 35 degrees outside temp, with a little breeze, clouds, and occasional drizzle. My friends that had signed up with me originally had backed out after looking at the forecast. I called them on my way to the ride, and within minutes guilt-tripped them into joining me. We chugged through it, making it the longest ride any of us had ever ridden (62 miles). We went out for beer and wings afterwards, and felt our muscles tighten with each bite.
But, what I quickly realized was that finishing a strenuous ride doesn't hurt like running does. No joint pain. No back pain. I could still walk normally. I didn't wince at the site of stairs. I was just plain tired, and had this warm feeling of endorphins rushing through my cardiovascular system. I couldn't wait to get on the bike again.
My next registered event on tap was a sprint triathlon back in my hometown. My training wasn't rigorous, but had some structure involved, and proved to be somewhat productive. My finish time was better than I had aimed for, and my desire to continue these races escalated exponentially.
I'm hooked.
And having a neighbor that is "extreme" when it comes to the local cycling scene is only adding fuel to the fire. He has talked me into getting my racing license next season (which consists of just signing up and paying a fee) and signing up for some races.
My sketched plan for this web log is to simply hold myself accountable for my training, and to track my progress and how an average joe like me is accomplishing (or not accomplishing) my goals.
I don't have the sparkle in my eyes to "go pro" with this endeavor, nor the interest. I just want to keep myself on the track of sanity, try something that is still new to me by diving in head first, have some fun, and share this addiction with anyone that feels like reading about it.
