Fair Weather Runner, The New Year

I love to train hard and keep in fit shape all year long. I also love to go out for a run down the road or especially thru the hills and hollers in our local state parks. Then there are times when I hop on a bike and hit the roads or trails also. It all really clears my mind and gives me a sense of being free that I don’t feel sitting at my desk all day at work. But I can’t say I am die-hard enough to be out there when the temps are freezing with the wind blowing your frozen in minutes. When the wind does die down and the sun pops out, I am usually out there.

As spring finally arrives, the clock springs forward and the days are getting longer, the itch to get out and get more active is there more than ever. This is when my time becomes very limited. That’s the main reason people don’t exercise? Besides being lazy and fearing the pain, it’s the actual time it takes. I know all about all of those excuses from when I was of the larger variety myself. You just have to learn to make time.

So how do I get myself started this year? How in the world do adjust my schedule to give myself time for myself. I think about all the things I do every day. I work 8-9 hours, got two kids with homework, have this website called Average Hunter, sit on the board for two separate non-profits, organize multiple fundraisers every year, operate a small European mount business, and oh ya, sneak in hunting, fishing, or camping trip whenever I can. Wow, typing all that out makes me wonder why I get myself involved in so much. Oh well, I love helping out and I am happy about all that I do, so I am not changing any of it. So I need to fit my me-time into my schedule.

A schedule like mine isn’t really that different than most of yours. We all just do different stuff. You may come home from work and have chores on the farm all evening or spend all day in school only to have to work at night plus do homework. It’s all part of the Average Hunter lifestyle we all live every day. The “Average Hunter” is the one that puts their life on hold to support others that they feel need it more than they do. I applaud all of you for doing that. This wonderful world of ours needs more like you. But don’t let it be the excuse to let your health go to waste. Don’t let all that stress build-up to the point where it will only take a deer walking by your stand to put you down for good. Your presence in life is important to all of us.

This is the beginning of a long series of articles about how the Average Hunter can manage everyone else’s lives and still have time for their own.  I will be focusing a lot this spring and summer on helping friends including you on getting motivated to get fit. Just remember all the things you do for others in your life, this one thing is just as important. Just think about all those people who depend on you. It’s just another safety harness you can put on every day of your life.