“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” -Thomas Merton
In the past I've been guilty of leading an unbalanced lifestyle. It's one extreme to the next with swings in between. Work hard at lab, then miss a few days. Lose 10 lbs, gain 10 lbs. Live frugally, then buy $150 worth of wine. I'm sure there are many reasons for this on the cellular neuroscience level, but on the behavioral level I think it's a mix of wanting too much too quickly and losing sight of reality.
In order to be honest with myself, I have to ask: are my recent changes in my lifestyle real?
I have made some drastic changes: drinking a glass of wine a day to no alcohol in nearly 3 months. Eating poorly and not exercising to a strict diet and training regimen. These are just a few.
So perhaps this is just one of my wild rides. Maybe it will last a few months, or maybe even through the Ironman next June. But then what? Will I be burnt out and decide I miss eating poorly and drinking? How can I prevent this from happening?
One way is perhaps to keep balance in perspective. Maybe Thomas Merton was right...happiness is contingent on balance. To be truly happy is to keep both the good and the bad in perspective, take things in stride and do everything in moderation. One of my reasons for publishing this blog is to ensure that I am spending time every day to reflect on my new lifestyle and allow myself to take an honest look at my changes. By sharing my progress and failures with the internet I have a system in place to serve as 'checks and balances.' Before I started this blog I was using my journal and it was working just as well. But those of you who know me, are aware that I like to share my personal life with my friends, family, strangers, enemies and anyone else who wants to listen. So the blog was just a lot more fun to do than my traditional journal!
This was a tough week as far as training was concerned. Today is a rest day according to Crossfit.com and I will 'almost' rest. I think the huskies could use a short run, so I'll do a 5k with them which is a nice warmup. We'll finish our run at Wyman park for a quick dip in the creek and some playtime with the other dogs. But as far as training goes, it's basically an off day. A day to reflect on the week, let my muscles recover and most importantly, a day to balance out the intensity that is crossfit.
Crossfit.com Workout: Rest Day
Image from wikipedia commons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Model_Balancing.jpg
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