Back on the wagon...

One of the hardest things that we're dealing with here in NZ is the fact that we're not in the shape we were before we left the States. For 6 months, we did nothing regarding training. We traveled, ate, drank, got food poisoning and other fun bacterial infections, but, aside from a few random days in Europe, did nothing that one would deem a workout.

Not that there's anything wrong with that - I'd do it again in a heart beat to experience what we did, but what we're left with now, as we start getting into running and biking again, is a mere shell of our former selves. Our base of fitness, usually in the above average to high range, is gone. For me, there's not been a chunk of time more than a month or so that I've been inactive.

Fortunately, and unfortunately, the part that's stuck with us is the mindset that helped push us to workout quite frequently. Jesse and I make a great workout team, constantly pushing ourselves and each other to new heights of fitness. However, this mindset is a huge stumbling block for us right now, as we frequently forget our current shape and try to workout "like we used to." This habit leads to overtraining and frustration. We know what we're ultimately capable of, and the fact that we can't achieve it right now is maddening.

Funny, but this lesson has strong parallels to a common theme that's been present for the last year: becoming ok with where we are currently, or being "present." I believe that this is a strong theme that we've picked up on in Buddhism. If one lives in the present, and appreciates it for what it is, they can't dwell in the past about the way things "used to be" or worry about the future, about what might happen. I believe that this lesson will continue to be important as we come back to the US and reintegrate back into society.

Cheers,
~S