What’s fun got to do with it?

Faced with constant disruption and an unknown future, managing anxiety stemming from uncertainty can feel daunting. For me, the solution requires a consistent and thoughtful mix of mental and physical activity. Here’s how I stay grounded, level-headed, and energized:

I work out.

My household is currently training for a half Ironman. To be clear, it’s my husband who’s doing all three sports; I’m doing the running on a relay team with friends and swimming as cross-training. The kids are gearing up as our cheer squad. There’s no such thing as an individual sport. It might be an individual performance, but it still requires a team.

Training demands focus, which means:

• tracking mileage and strength sessions
• meal planning and prep
• stretching, foam rolling, and massage gunning
• dialing down stress
• opting out of events that start after 4 p.m.
• sleeping instead of binge reading
• coordinating schedules, vacations, and work travel

A former mentor of mine used to say, “If you want performance to go up, you have to tighten the boundaries.”

The physical workouts take time. The cognitive load takes up head space. Both require energy.

Being in the “master’s” bracket means less room for error. It’s also brought up my fears of injury and objections. In short, training has been more of a mental game than a physical one. Come to think of it, that’s been the case with all my exercise pursuits.

While motivation got us started, it’s discipline, commitment, and community that keep us going.

While motivation got us started, it’s discipline, commitment, and community that keep us going. Times get tough. Muscles get sore. Heads get foggy. Decisions made months ago look insane today. Quitting would be easier than doing the work.

And yet we find ourselves trudging toward this goal of 70.3 miles.

Why?

Because it’s fun.

You heard that correctly. It’s fun to bump up against my comfort zone and actively expand it. It’s fun to talk about how grueling the workout was over bagels and coffee. It’s fun to be outdoors, try new routes, experiment with different snacks, and stretch whilst watching the latest rom-com.

Between now and race day, we’re likely to see at least three or four disruptions to our routine. We don’t know what the conditions will be like or how we’ll feel when it’s go-time. But that’s not what we think about.

We keep our attention on today, influence what we can, and look for joy along the way. Doing so is exactly what helps us stay ready to face an unknown future.