I was never the best athlete in school, but, I did do my best.
I was consistently the third or fourth runner on my team, I’d finish something like 25th or 30th overall, and the third in my group of peers who also went to school in Leadville. I was always very average, but I was very happy as a runner and skiier in high school.
For some reason, I had an absolutely insane routine which involved exercising three times a day, with weightlifting in the morning, xc skiing or xc running in the afternoon, and squeezing in some biking at night.
Here is my routine from when I was 16 and 17.
5:30 am - wake up and drive to the gym
6:00 - 7:00 - lift weights
7:00 - 8:00 - jazz band
8:00-3:30 - school
3:30 - 5:15 - xc running or xc skiing
5:30 - drive home + shower + dinner
6:00-7:00 - stationary bike while reading
7:00-9:00 - free time, art, videogames, college prep
9:00 - sleep
Looking back at this routine, it looks absolutely bananas. As a 36 year old, I ask myself… why? Why on earth did I do all of this?
The answer to the ‘why’ question is simpler than it sounds. It would be possible, in a moment like this, to be self-aggrandizing and to take credit for being a total unique person who did all of this completely on her own.
That would be false. The real reason is that I did all of this because I had good influences in my life.
My parents were always doing outdoor activities like skiing and hiking, and the friends I had in high school were also very athletic. Remember when I said I wasn’t the best, and I saw myself as average? It’s because even though Leadville was and still is small, there were still many others who were better than me at everything. That’s why I put in the time. It wasn’t because I wanted to be the best. I knew my friends would always beat me and be faster. I put in the time because I wanted to be the best possible me.
For me, there’s something relaxing about doing my very best. If I do my best, I never feel like I want to go back in time or do something differently. I rest well at night knowing my time was spent perfectly.
This is also why I still pursue art and make art - I think it’s something that I can always do better at. There’s always something interesting to find out, a new discovery, a new place to excel. I may not be the best at it, but I can be better than I was last year. In art, I can be the best possible me. Art and running are interconnected because everyone is running a bit of a different race. There’s no ball or time outs, there’s only a course, and all of us.
What seems to be the same about my life as a teenager and an adult is my habit of using every scrap of time for something. Every moment continues to matter to me. I don’t wake up to lift weights anymore, but I do wake up and lift my baby and carry him all around my place! If I ever have a routine that is more intense than my high school routine, I’ll keep you posted.
Until next time, see you, Space Cowboy…