Fitness unplugged: Turning off and tuning in

If there’s one thing many triathletes and distance runners have in common it is our stubbornness, our tendency to push ourselves to (and beyond) our limits. Our stubbornness is what gets us through grueling months of training and ultimately what helps us cross the finish line — but it is also what holds us back from other aspects of life, if we allow it to. 

In training for my first half marathon years ago, I learned the importance of tracking: I tracked what I ate, how far I ran each week, how many miles I put on a new pair of running shoes. I carry the habit with me to this day, jotting in details of a particularly good swim session or taking note of aches and pains in attempt to prevent injury. I get a sense of satisfaction each time the mile marker on my GPS watch buzzes and any time I need an extra boost of motivation, all I need to do is open my planner and scan over the last several months of training logs. 

But still. 

There comes a time when the miles no longer matter. In my case, that time is now. 

Today, most of the members of my large family are traveling up to the North Carolina mountains to spend the week together. We are returning to the same lakeside cabin we stayed in last year, the first of what will hopefully turn into a many-year tradition. Our family time in the mountains is a reminder of what life is all about: Family, being together, being close.

Turning off and tuning in.

After a 10-hour drive up to the cabin, our large group (I am one of nine kids, most of whom are here this week along with our parents) is tired and ready to relax. We spend the majority of our first two days on the property: With large balconies, breathtaking views, an outdoor fire pit and a freshwater lake at our disposal, it is enough to simply be here together. 

Bringing an obnoxiously large pink flamingo float is probably my best idea (though trying to inflate it after climbing up the mountain proves to be a challenge). My siblings take turns floating around in the flamingo while our dogs bark at us from the dock, confused and quite possibly jealous. 

On our third day, Steph finds a nearby hike for us. I resist temptation to log my miles or calculate how many calories I am burning; our time here is precious and the mountains are too beautiful to focus on anything else. The hike is challenging but invigorating. The views at the top are incredible and on the leisurely descent down the mountain I feel closer to my family, closer to nature, closer to everything and absolutely full of gratitude. We each take sips of water that trickles down a low-hanging branch and I give silent thanks for this awesome family who is somehow mine.

After our sweaty hike, we cool down at Sliding Rock — a waterfall you can slide down before plunging into the mountain pool below. Sliding Rock is more intimidating now than it was when I was last here as a kid, but my fear subsides the second I splash into the waters below after a smooth slide down the mountain. I look at my family: My wife, sopping wet and grinning from ear to ear; my dad, laughter full of joy and arms raised in the air; my siblings, flexing their muscles and posing for pictures; my sister’s boyfriend, cheering us on and capturing it all on camera. 

This is family. This is what life is all about.

The rest of the week is spent in similar fashion. Slow mornings spent taking in the views over breakfast are followed by afternoon kayak trips and swims across the lake. We do a bit of sightseeing as more family members join us, but the bulk of our days are spent mountainside watching fireflies from the porch swing, roasting marshmallows over the fire pit, telling stories over dinner.

I can feel my stomach swell with the extra calories and lack of intense exercise, but for the most part I really don’t care. I don’t care that my training log will be blank for this week and I don’t care about the extra work it will take me to lose the “vacation bloat.” This is only one week of not worrying about miles or distance or duration. I know I will continue to be motivated by my goals — like a half marathon at the end of this year — and so for these seven days, I won’t push myself so hard. 

Because fitness is essential, but family is everything.

This article appears in Aug 10-17, 2017.