When I do count the clock

I had week of sports that if I were to fall into a mind trap, would be a week measured purely by the clock - or other such numbered gauges like my weight, podium finish, training mileage, or calorie intake.

The week began with three time trials in the swimming pool.  Numbers galore: the total time, the splits, stroke count, heart rate, plus comparing times from before.  My face was always facing the pace clock – measuring, counting, measuring, counting.  Right after, I did a 10k easy run – yet again checking my watch to see if I wasn’t killing too much time.

I had my blood pressure taken to be sure all the training was paying off (the numbers were good, so I ordered beer and a fatty steak for lunch).  In the following days, I swam again, biked once, and ran twice before “race weekend” – Saturday’s 6.4km open water swimming competition in Cebu, followed by Sunday’s mini-sprint triathlon in Ayala Alabang.  

I try to convince myself I haven’t just counted and measured, but I know I am consumed by numbers.  

What I must count now are hours of sleep.  Recovery is the most underrated training strategy (for me, diet is the most ignored).  All the above “workouts” have to work for my body, so next on my list of activities:  a session with my chiropractor then acupuncture.  How many needles will he use, and how many of my joints and soft tissues are misaligned?  Arrrghh!  Stop counting!

“Denmark’s a prison,” Hamlet proclaimed (Act II, Scene 2).  Hamlet’s tragedy was that he couldn’t find satisfaction in anything.  Even if he was heir to the throne, and possessing extreme intelligence and charisma, he felt imprisoned in his own kingdom, and locked up by his own thoughts.      

I must not be imprisoned by self-consciousness lest I start asking to bike or not to bike questions.  There is a lot more satisfaction in action than in ambition.  During my 6.4k open water race, I felt so free even as I got trapped by a powerful current - imagine the world’s most perfect swimming treadmill!  I simply believed that the deep blue water, and the big white clouds, the jelly fish, my muscles together with my unfettered mind were living as one, and were all beautiful.

“What is this quintessence of dust?”  The answer is: don’t count the particles.

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