Excesses & Excessiveness

Training for triathlons and endurance sports can be deemed excessive for those around us. Perspectives differ, as we choose to wear a diversity of lenses that focus and filter our images. We are constantly comparing both our internal pictures, with those on our outside. These comparisons are relative in strength, so preparing for a double-Ironman triathlon may be seen as more hardcore than a single, or an ultra-marathon is more intense than a standard (?) 42.195K run. Enough versus excessive: how do you assess that? Who determines the yardstick of enough and inadequate?

In anything that requires endurance (a long-term project, lifelong commitment, It can be excessive, however you look at it. If it exceeds the norm, then it can be interpreted as too much. The benchmarks for normalcy have shifted positions and gears, so we tend to be more adventurous in our life and lifestyle. Nearly everyone wants a chance to play ‘hero’ or ‘heroine’ for a day. The event may have passed, yet the memories remain as a strong part of us. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger?

The indulgences we allow ourselves to immerse in may affect those around us. Be mindful of how our actions impact on them. Learn to hold back, decelerate, refocus, and re-align ourselves to our real sense of purpose. When our indulgences become hard to control, and we do not know when to hold back, then it may have morphed into an addiction. Addictions are mostly beyond our control, and when we are out of control we are inviting insanity, recklessness, and inconsideration.

Aerobic activity, and that includes endurance sports, have been linked with serious health disorders. Some scientific evidence points towards the stresses it places on our heart. Other sources indicate premature aging. However, if something that you enjoy provides you more benefits than risks, would you continue doing it? John Cooke writes an amusing piece about the lifestyle of an E-Lite athlete.

Leadership Lessons: When you are time-crunched, how do you integrate your priorities? When does a priority cease to be your priority? How often do you stop to show appreciation to those who indulge in you, and allow you to indulge in your excessiveness? When do you know when to reduce the risks?