Last weekend Jon and I went to Banff to share in a 30th Birthday celebration with one of his closest friends.
We stayed in Canmore with an old Backroads friend of mine, we hiked on Saturday and mountain biked on Sunday. We drank beer and wine with every meal and we watched the Alouettes game at a pub. We stayed up late, slept in, and lounged around. When we were driving home Sunday from our third weekend in a row of adventure in the month of August, I was struck by the thought that this is what summer must be like for others.
"Others" being the friends, family and neighbours who have nothing to do with triathlon (or earlier in my life, football). "Others" who see summer as leisurely, vacation-forward, calm time. Others who do not "lean out" for race season, who don't see value in 6 hour bike rides or 9pm bedtimes. It's this group of others I most seriously resent when we are in the thick of discipled living, clean eating, and long training.
Ironic then, as I participate in these August weekends (with two more full loaded weekends of fun on the horizon) that I admit to myself I miss it a little. The early morning workouts. The early to bed on Friday routine. The clean eating and lack of drinking that makes me buzzed after just one glass of wine. The endorphin rush of long runs, the satisfaction of finishing swimming at 7am, the good feeling of wearing my skinniest jeans. Planning a weekend around workouts and football games.
We are living this August what I always thought those elusive "others" did, and I can't help but miss (just a little) what our usual summer feels like. I try not to compare and simply to enjoy- dessert and beer, unscheduled days, decadent meals. Our August of being "others".
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