Tuesday, September 27, 2011

being kind of "eh" at everything

I have a wide variety of pursuits that I enjoy that include yoga, running, biking, walking and other more adventurous things when I can (skiing, water skiing, swimming, TRX, Pilates, weight training, etc.).  I'm not particularly good at any of them, even yoga.  You know the saying, "those who can't do, teach".  That's me.  I will most likely never be able to bend my body in some of the ways that advanced yogis can and some of the arm balances are just a little bit out of my reach.  We won't even discuss my evil nemesis, handstand.  I think I'm about average at it and I just happened to learn how to use my words to guide others to be able to do yoga themselves.  And then there's running.  It's equally fun and torture for me.  I love it but I more accurately shuffle or scoot rather than what most people would define as running.  I am slow and I've come to terms with that.  Same with biking.  I don't really like the hunched over stance of a traditional road bike and eventually sold the one I had in favor of a hybrid or commuter bike.  It's fine for what I do, which is not racing, but more accurately could be described as leisurely riding.  I am mediocre at almost everything that I do for fitness fun but I'm completely fine with that.  It means that I can be a part of the various communities.  I love the yoga community and even the more rigid and competitive Bikram yoga group.  I enjoy running and catching up with my friends at the finish line after they've smoked me in a race.  I get amped up when the wind is blowing in my face as I ride my bike and I can be a stereotypical snarky cyclist with the best of them (although, that is much less of a problem on the trails here in Dallas but to the lovely people that use the Lakefront Path in Chicago:  the little yellow line in the middle works just like a regular road.  Stay on your side and everyone stays safe)(and also, I think that lots of cyclists are misunderstood.  Turn down your music and get some self-awareness of what's going on around you when you're using a mixed-use trail).

Being just "eh" at a variety of pursuits gives me the opportunity to be a well-rounded "athlete (ha!) and means that I meet a wide range of people that enjoy, and may happen to be gifted at, some really cool things.  It also keeps me from ever feeling totally burned out, which doing yoga so intensively almost did for me this summer.  It was nice to take a break from it when we moved.  It took me a long time to want to put on my running shoes after the marathon.  For now, maintaining a balance between everything and not concentrating too hard on any one thing is what is working for me.  One day, I'm going to do a triathlon, which I'm sure will bring me an entirely new group of people to chase during races.  I'll probably finish in the middle to the back of the pack but as long as I'm having fun doing it, it's worth it.

1 comment:

  1. I like this post! I also really like pursuing a wide range of athletic pursuits and just wish I had more time to fit it ALL in (darn full-time job of mine getting in the way!) When I was triathlon training this summer I struggled to fit in yoga, now that I'm half-marathon training and doing lots of yoga I struggle to fit in biking. And so it goes...

    PS: Thanks for the yoga tips on my blog this morning! I am going to keep practicing headstand and crow at home and use the tips you gave me!

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