Physical Fitness

For many years, I've been concerned (some might say overly concerned........maybe even anal) about staying fit.  The picture of me at the end of my first enduro reminds me of how it all started.  I had not been doing anything about fitness before then, but during that race I was so excited, but at times so exhausted, that I vowed to do something about it.  The reason why my pant legs were wet in that picture was because the course ran up Piru creek in the Los Podres National Forest.  At times we had to climb up the bank out of the creek for a ways and the creek bank was deep sand.  With the power of that little 125 in those days, that meant getting off and pushing the bike uphill in the sand.  It didn't take much of that before I was wasted.

So, I started a fitness program.  Since being able to push a bike uphill seemed to be the basic requirement, my first attempts at a program consisted of pushing my Triumph up the driveway at my house and then jumping on and coasting back down to do it again.  I would do this over and over until I had had what I felt was a good workout.  I can just imagine what the neighbors thought about the nutcase they had living in the neighborhood.

Shortly after that, though, I read Dr. Kenneth Cooper's book, which I think was simply titled Aerobics.  He was the guy who started the whole aerobics and running revolution.  His major contribution was that he came up with a way to measure fitness and ways to obtain it and keep it.  Running was the easiest way to get fit according to his measurements, and so I started running.  As most runners and fitness buffs know, it gets addictive.  I began running during lunchtime at work, and kept at it for years until my knees started to give out.  Then I switched to bicycling, and started commuting on a bike.  Even now, after being retired for 16 years, I still ride my bike year around, which means having good rain gear where I live.  I swear, if a guy could invent a pill that gave you all the benefits of exercise, he would make Bill Gates look like middle class.  Exercise helps you control weight, makes the cardio vascular system work better and stay healthy,  tones muscles, and even helps psychological well being.  And its free.....all it takes is time, discipline, and effort.....things in short supply with modern Americans.  But enough of this slacking off at the keyboard;  I've got to go for a ride.