An Entire Week.
To begin, I have prodigious loads of energy and it is exceedingly difficult for me to slow down. This is the simple truth about me, so, when someone suggested that I really needed to take an ENTIRE week off with no riding, I might have panicked a little. I felt like a hedgehog who was just awoken from a peaceful slumber, quills set to maim the offender. At least I can swim laps, I thought. No, I couldn't even swim easy. Now I turned into a porcupine ready to stab anyone who dared come near me and suggest such nonsense.
An entire week. Yes, seven days of no riding, no swimming, running or even power yoga. To any individual addicted to exercise, seven days feels like an eternity and I might have balked a little, but the rational side of my brain knew it would make me a stronger athlete. So, telling my deranged side to pipe down and listening to my rational side, I decided to go for it.
When I am not riding my bike, I engage in an array of different jobs and volunteer work. These different activities act as a small restrainer to my overwhelming bicycling addiction, but do not even begin to match the time consuming colossus that is my small farm. Now, let me be quite frank, this is only a hobby farm and I am by no means dependent on it for my existence, but it still requires a lot of work and upkeep from my husband and I both.
The farm, and starting this blog, is where I decided to put most of my energy during the exercise fast.
In the end, I'm thankful for the fast. It is one of the best practices that all serious athletes should undertake. I honestly do not know why I was apprehensive and so defiant. The truth is, deep down I really value myself and always want to take care of the body that I have been given. We only get one chance at life, so it is important to make it count.
One last thought. During the fast, I also read two different novels. There was a simple yet substantial saying in one of the books that stuck with me: Choose happy. I'm glad I took the time to slow down and consider that thought.
