Every day looks almost the same.
Wake up.
Work.
Train.
Eat.
Sleep.
Then wake up again.
Run, ride, lift.
Rest when exhausted.
Push hard again once recovered.
Laying it out like this, it looks remarkably plain.
To an outsider, it might raise a question: “Is that kind of life actually fun?”
Compared to traveling, going out for drinks every night, or living on spontaneous whim, it certainly looks pretty boring.
But this life keeps me pretty busy.
At 56, I still go out of my way to do things that are hard.
I run in the morning to drain my legs, do my day of work, and then get back on the bike at night and take a little more out of my legs.
And then the next morning, with muscle soreness still lingering, I catch myself thinking, “What should I do today?”
Sometimes I have to laugh at what I’m doing. (lol)
That’s why daily life doesn’t need to be thrilling.
In fact, boring is just fine.
If sleep schedules shift constantly, meals remain inconsistent, or if days are consumed by drinking too much, lack of sleep, or hangovers, serious training becomes impossible.
Pushing the body hard is already plenty of stimulation.
So everything else should stay as simple as possible.
Go to bed at the usual time.
Eat standard meals.
Run the familiar routes.
Drink the familiar coffee.
That’s enough.
Still, absolute zero stimulation gets dull, too. A little bit is nice.
Run a new route once in a while.
Take a ride somewhere a little farther away.
Try running in new shoes.
Step into an unfamiliar shop.
Have a drink with an old friend.
I think a subtle touch of novelty like that is plenty.
No need for massive doses of excitement. Just add a little, like a slow drip.
Drip load. (lol)
Life doesn’t need to be intense every single day. That would probably just tire you out.
At the same time, complete repetition can feel suffocating.
So I think the balance is:
Boredom as the default. Occasional excitement.
That feels about right.
I think this is especially true for senior athletes who want to keep training for the long haul.
Apply heavy demand to the body, but don’t push yourself to the edge in daily life.
Be a warrior during training, but once it’s over, it’s fine to just be a regular old guy.
Sip a cup of coffee and think, “Good work today.”
That’s enough.
And then tomorrow comes, and I go running again.
…Well, I end up pushing myself hard all over again anyway. (lol)
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