Finding Yourself Through Fitness

Recently I had a front desk staff member ask me a somewhat personal and conceptually based question. I had just finished a great speed workout on the treadmill and sweat was still beading up on my arms as a result of the effort. As I walked into the snack bar to make myself a smoothie she looked at me almost like she was trying to visually measure my personal drive and asked a simple question..."What drives you?"

Immediately I knew she was referring to my dedication to fitness, yet some how I felt like she was trying to tap into a deeper level of my being...potentially contemplating that if I gave her the answer that she could discover that same level of "drive" for herself. Not to say that she does not have her own drive...the things that push her to achieve what she may want to achieve in life. But I knew she was curious to understand the twinkle in my eye that is evident after most of my own training sessions.

Of course my answer was less than elaborate, composed and stated like the answer of a grade school boy I said, "I'm not sure." But after some reflection over a day or two I knew it was not an honest answer. Maybe I was afraid that my answer would not be the one for which she was searching or because many people would find it as an empty promise.

But since that question was posed to me, over a month ago, it has been a reoccurring theme in my own mind. I decided to blog it. As a prelude to my answer, I will let you know that it is MY answer, MY reason for fitness, and it is something much deeper than just a swim, a bike, or a run. It has to do with my relationship with this world, with God, and with the very reason I was put on this earth. OK...so if that didn't turn you off and you might be thinking, "Hey...I can relate." Then read on!

In my childhood I struggled with health. I was a severe asthmatic and had horrible allergies. As a result I was limited in athletics and was never a top athlete. But this did not deter my efforts. I never stopped trying and never stopped fighting to achieve something that at that time was not meant for my body. Over time my health improved. I was told that I was growing out of it, but I also felt there was something besides just the simple answer of growing out if it. All through that time I was as active as I could be.

In the late 90's I discovered running. In some way I became connected with it at a deeper level. I developed a relationship with my running and improved my health. My state of condition improved beyond my greatest expectations and running provided numerous benefits. When I would run (and even still today) a sense of peace came over me. Strange as it might seem, even when running fast, things (i.e. life) slow down, they become transparent, and I "see" more clearly...understanding the simplicity of my my being, my existence. Fortunately for me this sense also translates across other realms of fitness, carrying over into swimming and biking. Honestly I have better communion with God during these moments in my life than I do when sitting in church on Sundays. As Christopher McDougall writes, "We are born to run." I take it one step farther...we are born to move.

There is nothing more beautiful than a body in movement within the world around us. Without hesistation I can say this is truly a tribute to God's creation of man and earth. Interestingly, I see this concept in motion with many endurance athletes. They are drawn to a pre-dawn run where a cool breeze brushes their face as they watch the sun rise and chase away the mist across a waking wheat field. They find their "rythym" as their heart beats in concert with each pedal stroke as they ride across the country side or through the silent woods. They find joy in the weightlessness offered when swimming through the open water, almost as if you are being held up by the water...as if it's thanking you for your presence there.

So what drives me? Probably the same thing that drives most people. The desire to find meaning in life. The difference? I believe finding meaning does not come through some book, some job, or some status among my peers. It comes through my relationship with God, my body, and how I fit into the world around me. I find myself each time I swim or bike or run. We were designed to move. Through movement in God's presence it is apparent to me what I am here to do...and that is celebrate life, to celebrate existence through movement across the face of this beautiful world.

So the next time you are out, take a look around. What do you see? What do you hear? Can you hear the voices of the world when you are out celebrating your life through swimming, biking or running? I believe it is there for every one. You just have to open your heart and let it in. If you do this your training will never be the same again!

So take time to find the love in you run...