One Can Tri Too Much
Fe-Lady often reminds us to take care in how much of our lives we invest in triathlon.
On various (non-tri) blogs I've seen links to the story of someone bailing from the World of Warcraft Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG).
As I watch my countdown clock tick down toward the commencement of real (Base 1) training, it's a good story for me to keep in mind. Tri isn't my profession. Any time that I put into it beyond that required for good physical health is devoting a scarce resource to a hobby. Perhaps I can justify a bit more time on the basis of the meditative benefits of endurance training on mental state, but maybe that's stretching.
There are other benefits, though. Practicing the habits of goal setting and achievement increases my ability to be effective in my entire life. Being part of group exercise activities may help motivate others (as they motivate me). Public displays of healthy living, as well as the habits of goal setting and achievement, can be useful to others. Finally, my own involvement with tri encourages me to do a bit of community service: assisting at kids' races and minor committee work.
Although it's an individual sport, it doesn't have to be just about the individual.
Note to self: avoid MMORPGs like crack.
On various (non-tri) blogs I've seen links to the story of someone bailing from the World of Warcraft Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG).
As I watch my countdown clock tick down toward the commencement of real (Base 1) training, it's a good story for me to keep in mind. Tri isn't my profession. Any time that I put into it beyond that required for good physical health is devoting a scarce resource to a hobby. Perhaps I can justify a bit more time on the basis of the meditative benefits of endurance training on mental state, but maybe that's stretching.
There are other benefits, though. Practicing the habits of goal setting and achievement increases my ability to be effective in my entire life. Being part of group exercise activities may help motivate others (as they motivate me). Public displays of healthy living, as well as the habits of goal setting and achievement, can be useful to others. Finally, my own involvement with tri encourages me to do a bit of community service: assisting at kids' races and minor committee work.
Although it's an individual sport, it doesn't have to be just about the individual.
Note to self: avoid MMORPGs like crack.
posted by Brent Buckner at 10/21/2006 08:54:00 am
11 Comments:
Yup. Those MMOROG's are gamer's crack, for sure!
Community. It may be the best part of sport.
I think there is also an intrinsic need in many of us to be the best we can, to find ways to excel.
Just don't ask me how to find balance!
Should I try to blame the laptop that I can't spell MMORPG? Nah. Ooops!
did you see that dude got 804 comments!
i don't think there's any need to compare the two personally.
i've played both first person games, and MMORPG.
it's generally accepted that a person needs one hour of exercise a day... the ADA included it this year into their food pyramid for example, advising americans that in addition to eating right, an hour of exercise a day is required.
THAT IS FOR THE AVERAGE AMERICAN!
triathlon, perhaps even Ironman, could be considered a drug. but, really, that's all in the genius of their marketing...
now blogging, there's the drug.
Wendy: yeah, there's the type A thing. Still, it would be nice to keep the number of hours contained!
Bold: even as you descend into the delirium of tapering, I'm sure you recall the squeeze of 16+ hours of training for IM versus 7 hours for health.
We can overdo anything. There may even be a family trait involved....
Family trait? Type A? My, Brent, whatever do you mean???
Bold, just a point of interest -- do they mean exercise like triathletes do, or physical activity? Because I'd fail.
I don't exercise per se for an hour every day. What I've noticed is that a lot of what's billed as exercise in such recommendations is actually what I'd call activity.
A lot of folks I see at the pool are doing activity. 20 lengths of side stroke in my addled little brain is more activity than exercise. 4 by 50 kick on 1:15 -- to me that's exercise.
Just wonderin' ...
Any time you put into tri training beyond that required for health may be detrimental to health. Although death during marathons is estimated at less than 1 in 50,000, there is risk of exertional rhabdomyolysis and hyponatremia. This of course ignores longer term health consequences such as osteoarthritic changes to knees...
However, as you correctly point out, there are benefits in the contemplative state reached as well as community benefits.
Stll, if you can find time for tri training, you could find the time for golf and have similar contemplative and community benefits with the added plus of the 19th hole.
Thanks for the link...I hope I am being used at the "good" model here- but like everyone, can go off the deep end as I can become way too focused on whatever it is I am doing at the moment. It's kind of an OC trait...
I had NO idea that this wargame stuff was even going on. So I guess I am not addicted quite yet to computers...but the blogging thing is quite time consuming and reinforcing!
Fe-lady, my brother's away for a couple of days, so I'm being bold and commenting for him. You're definitely a great example for us all!
I'm back now, having only looked in during my travels to make sure that there were no blog emergencies. Wendy did well responding to Fe-Lady in my absence. And for Nigel, IIRC there's an increased mortality rate from heart causes *during* marathons, but that one particular risk for marathon runners seems to be balanced out by decreased mortality outside of actual events.
I note that Brent neatly sidesteps the issue of golf being suitable therapeutic, taking up sufficient time, and having other benefits.
Just sayin....
Nigel, I ditched it too. On purpose. On account of compared to tri I don't think it rates on the exercise scale. Plus, at least in my case to gain meditative benefits I have to be not chatting.
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