Switching Lanes

What did you do differently today?

Life can become predictable. Routine can affect your flow. It can create stagnancy and sloth, and smother spontaneity. That is why our habits have to be monitored or they can consume us totally. Habits that are coupled with discipline are another matter entirely. For this weekend, do consider adjusting your schedule and train of thoughts.

1)    Sleep in without the clock, because you can.

2)    Stretch for 10 minutes your major muscle groups.

3)    Do a different sport or physical activity.

4)    Shop for a gift for a friend (in advance).

5)    Read a chapter of a book that you abandoned.

6)    Write a blog, review or comment (on a website/blog).

7)    Have coffee with friends who you have not seen for some time.

8)    Go to the botanical gardens, museum, art gallery or concert.

9)    Help out with a charity, nursing home, or hospice.

10) Teach youths about life skills.

This afternoon, after cleaning a friend’s car (on loan to us for three weeks), I meet triathlon bloggers Matthew Wong and Teo Hui Koon at an endurance sports retail outlet. We met Hui Koon’s lovely wife and two daughters, and exchanged news. I suggested to Hui Koon and his wife that our coach, Craig ‘Fox’ Holland looks like the actor Mel Gibson – they unanimously agreed! Seems that I have a few friends who are dead-ringers of celebrities. Thereafter, I collected my rarely-seen-these-days ZIPPS 202 wheels from the shop – my possible wheels for Ironman Lanzarote 2011. By today’s count, there are already 1446 participants!

Then, it was another trip to my first bike shop where I purchased my first Orbea (Vitesse) bike. I met up with the owners and staff, and traded stories. Matt and I then had tea and chatted about bike fitting, bike mechanics and training methodologies. It was certainly an unusual way for me to spend an afternoon, as I would normally submerge myself in my library of books and films. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

So, what did you do differently today?