Not sure why, but I have grown increasingly dubious about fitness campaigns. I know, I know. I used to jog, and I often hike, but the idea of heading out and doing XYZ to get fit, bores me. I once read that Mohammed Ali had “an athlete’s disdain” for exercise. He could work out to get in shape for a fight, but to run for no real reason left him cold. I spent so much time as a kid getting in shape for sports, that it sometimes feels a little empty to run around in circles. I get Ali’s point.
Lately, though, I’ve started mountain biking. I don’t go down cliffs, or hop logs, but I have an old woodland trail near my house and I can ride ten miles in perfect quiet. I’m a fan. My bike is nothing special — my bike was nothing special as a kid, but I sure put miles on that, often over dirt roads — but it goes along and seems dependable. I ordered a bike helmet on line and I am looking into studded tires for tackling the snowmobile trails this winter.
It’s fun to ride a bike, a fact that I had forgotten. You move along, you see the scenery, and you get exercise. I have an old Schwinn road bike, too, but I don’t care for road riding. Cars zoom by, the speeds are greater, and the potential downside for injuries increases. I hardly get above ten miles an hour on the mountain bike, but that seems like enough. Going much faster would blur the scenery.
I spotted a black bear the other day and stopped to let him pass. Otherwise, I see birds and squirrels and chipmunks. The main thing is, I don’t hear any noise…and when I return my body has been exercised, but I don’t feel the drudgery that running sometimes brought on. So, that’s my little compromise with the world of fitness. Now, if I could just cut down on the carbs….
Fantastic post, Carrera are the ultimate bikes.