Addicted?

Hi, I’m Summer and I think I may be addicted to working out. 

The days are getting shorter and we have been out of town the past few weekends.  I will also be out of town next weekend, the 10 days after Christmas, and the next weekend.  I’m finding it difficult to get in long workouts and I’m stressing out.  IMTX is only 155 days away!

This past week I missed a swim workout and 2 run workouts.  I didn’t workout Thur., Fri., or Sat.  I felt like crap and I was stressed.  Granted, I was at the deer camp and I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I will probably write a post about how much I enjoy it.  But for some reason this past weekend I just felt yucky.  I did get in a 1 hour 20 minute bike ride and 2 mile brick run on Sunday afternoon.  I immediately felt better.  This got me to questioning myself, “Am I addicted to exercise?”

Yes, there are more serious addictions than exercising but just being addicted to anything does not seem healthy.  So this week I’ve really examined my workout habits and state of mind.  Of course I feel better when I exercise but I’ve decided that there’s more to it than that.  I have no problem setting long term goals, making a plan of attack, and working hard to achieve my goal.  Actually, this is exactly how I roll.  I have a goal (Ironman Texas) and a plan (thanks Becky).  That plan includes a tough off-season.  This time last year I was blissfully awaiting the beginning of ironman training in Jan.  I just wanted to finish and become an Ironman.  This year I’m more determined to rock IMTX (my goal).  The plan is to push myself harder.   To most this wouldn’t seem to blissful, but to me it is like heaven on Earth.  I know that the hard work will pay off! 

I become stressed when I miss several scheduled workouts during a week.  These workouts are the building blocks that will help me reach my goal.  So you see, I’m not addicted to exercise, I’m addicted to meeting or surpassing my goal. 

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not an exercise addict, I’m a disciplinarian.  I’ve always been my toughest critic and I hate to face myself when I miss a workout without a good reason.  One of my favorite quotes is, “The pain of discipline is less than the pain of regret.” 

Currently, I’m analyzing my strengths and weaknesses and determining which workouts are absolutely necessary.   I’m working on being more flexible in my planning.  Hopefully, this self-analysis and flexible planning will cut down on the stress levels!