The One Constant....Training At The Gym

Life is a straight line for many people.  Whether it's their career, their personal life and relationships or their place in the world.  Mine has been anything but a line...straight or otherwise!  I don't hold that against them.  Life is different for each of us.  Not just our paths but our desires.  I've had many passions and interests in my life and I have chosen to pursue a number of these.  Sometimes in my career choices and other times as a personal interest.

The one constant over the last few years though has been my fitness training.  When I was younger....much younger....I 'dabbled' at the gym.  And I think dabbled is probably being very generous.  A few months here...a few months there...and never really any long range focus or even a sincere purpose in the workouts.  But then....a few years back, I got the obstacle course racing (OCR) bug.  And the rest, as they say, is history!

Since then, I've been focused on my training goals.  Soon afterwards, I started to realize, I really enjoyed the gym...enjoyed the training for itself.  Ok, not every minute of it...I mean, how many times do you drag yourself there because you know you should.  But once you start, all your focus is on the workout.  You're thinking about what you need to do...why your doing this particular workout...and the rest of the world just sort of...goes away for a while.  

Not to say though, that the training has always been precisely consistent.  Some periods I was at the gym six, even seven days a week.  Other times I was only there once a week...doing other training outside the gym for different reasons.  But I never gave it up!!  Through all these years.  And with all I've been through...professionally and personally...during this time, I'm actually amazed at that.  And thrilled about it at the same time.

The training, and the thoughts of the OCR races, has become a light in the darkness for me.  Not that I've developed those relationships and camaraderie that I read so much about...at least not yet anyway.  And that's for a number of reasons I'm well aware of.  But the training has become part of me.  Something I choose to do, and want to do, as long as I'm able.  Even when the prospect of racing is months away.  Even if I'm only doing one or two races a year.


So now, the gym has become many things for me.  Peace of mind...Being in shape (the shape I always thought I was in!)...Most importantly, a feeling of being at home, when that feeling had all but disappeared.  

You know...it's good to be home!

How  do feel about your training...your gym?  I'd love the hear how being at the gym has become a place that people want to be now.