I Need Exercise Like a Fish Needs Water, Part 1

During college I spent half of my time reading biochemistry books in the back corner of the library, and the other half enveloped by the training, eating, dreaming, and racing world of collegiate Cross Country Ski racing.  But this last weekend, as I finished college last year, I got to step over to the other side of the fence and watch my teammates push for the podium.  The first day was beautiful, with sunny skies and fast snow–a great combination for short skate races.  The second day (the mass start day) was cloudy, windy, and fluffy snow–a not so ideal classic day.  To top it off, thirty minutes into the boy's mass start, snow started dumping.  Literally, four inches fell before the girls went out in the almost white-out conditions.
Maybe it was my excitement to cheer on the girls race in ugly conditions that made me so zealous to be at every part of the course for them.  Or maybe I knew that cheers here in there may make a difference for them so they know that they are not alone in this struggle.  What resulted from our interaction was not only witnessing them perform their best races yet of the season, but also a re-spark in my own enthusiasm to push my limits.  The following day I was inspired to do running intervals for the first time in four months.

I remembered how I approached skiing and exercise as a junior racer (rather than the mentally full college skier).  Exercise was fun to clear my mind, to unwind, and let the little problems in life disappear.  It's my reset button. That one thing I can always go back to, and feel good after a hard effort.  Exercise allows my heart to open, to taste the world and not let it's beauty pass by.