more photos on flickr >>

 

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

It seems like I’m always hearing something about races. Someone is either thinking about participating, or is currently in training, or has just completed one. There are all kinds of options, too — whether it’s something short like a 5k, or a 10-miler, or a marathon, or even triathlons. Even if they’re not taking place right here in my geographic area, I still end up hearing about them because they’re constantly being written about online.

Sometimes I’ve met these race participants in person; others I know only through blogging. Although I also know plenty of people who’ve never taken part in this type of organized event, it’s certainly not due to having a lack of options.

What tends to catch my interest are people who have participated in one of these events for the first time. I like hearing these stories because there’s always so much clarity in the details. Everything is new and exciting — you’re not sure exactly what to expect, and most people experience a sense of accomplishment and pride no matter what their final result.

You’d think — since I enjoy hearing about other people’s experiences — that maybe I’d like to add a story of my own. But I’ve never participated in a race. And I’m not sure when, or if, I ever will.

The reason goes back to certain things I’ve said in the past. Like…I’ve never been a big goal-setter. And while I’m not a late riser, I don’t like getting up earlier in the morning than I have to. I also have this personality where I really don’t like feeling like I “have to” do something.

Another thing is, I’m not a big fan of competing against other people. I like games that I can play by myself. Yes, I know that races don’t have to be competitive unless you want them to be. But when I think about doing something I enjoy, I think about jogging through my neighborhood. Alone. I don’t think about strapping myself to a heart-rate monitor, and I don’t care how long it takes me to run a mile.

Taking this approach to fitness is my choice. I work out because I want to work out, not because I’m being forced to or feel “like I should.” I don’t always find it fun, but it’s always my decision. If I were to specifically start training for something, I worry that I might start to resent it — and I don’t want that to happen.

Is that a silly reason not to do something? Maybe. But at least when I’m looking for inspiration, I know where to look for it. Here are a few posts about first-ever race experiences:

Sarah at Recipes, Reviews, Running and Rants ran her first race this month.

Wow. What an amazing weekend. I ran my first ever race and can’t wait to run another! Haha, I guess I’ve caught the racing bug. I’m not gonna lie, I thought I was going to puke, or keel over, or die when I was running, but afterwords…it’s the best feeling EVER!

I ran [the 5k] in 25:58 and am SO HAPPY! I placed 2nd in my age division (20-29 years) and 4th in the women’s overall (out of 209 women!) and 27th out of all 381 runners!

When Angela at Oh She Glows ran her first race, it helped to think about her reasons for running.

I chatted with a couple runners during the 1st km to try and relax myself. I talked with a couple women and told them about the fundraising and it instantly reminded me WHY I was running the race. Not to win, not to run the fastest I have ever run, but to run it for Chris and for Cancer. It really was as simple as that.

Running with High Heels On has a detailed report of her first marathon.

The Running Bug gives advice for preparing to run your first race.

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

Of all the random activities I could see myself enjoying but haven’t yet tried — horseback riding, for instance — flying through the air on a trapeze has never been included in that list. While it certainly sounds cool, it’s just not something I can picture myself signing up for. I think I’ll stick to reading about it, and also…watching it. Because, you see, a new trapeze school has opened in Washington, DC and their temporary location is outdoors (9th and H St NW), not far from my workplace.

It officially opened last weekend, but there wasn’t anybody there when I walked by yesterday morning and afternoon. The schedule is posted on their website, though, so I’m totally planning to walk by and check it out.

From what I’ve been able to tell, most trapeze classes are located in large metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. Even if you don’t live near any of those places, though, it’s something to keep in mind if you’re vacationing in one of those areas. It’s definitely not your normal tourist-type experience.

The price for a class in DC is between $45-$55 for a two-hour session, plus a one-time $20 registration fee. That could get pricey if you’re taking classes regularly, but it’s not bad at all if you’re just looking to try it out.

Apparently (and understandably), the most nerve-wracking experience is grasping the trapeze bar and leaping off the platform for the first time. The Trapeze School website has a good description of what to expect — and I must admit, they make the first swing sound pretty good.

It’s only the first time once. You’re finally standing on the platform 23 feet above the ground. You have the safety lines securely fastened to your belt, the instructor is holding you, and you are holding the bar. Leaning out over the edge of the platform, you may be eager to go or be wondering what the heck you’re doing up there. [...]

There may be one moment of fear just as you commit your body to the task. Once you’re off the platform it’s all bliss. You’ll swing back and forth a few times, perhaps swinging your legs a bit, but mostly enjoying the pleasure of flight. It is a feeling like no other and one that you will expand upon in future jumps.

In the Washington Post, Petula Dvorak says the Trapeze School Flies in the Face Of Capital’s Button-Down Ways.

The temporary location…will provide a sidewalk show for four months, during which time passersby will be able to watch Washingtonians scream for their lives as they swing high above an asphalt parking lot — and a safety net, of course.

[T]he school has already received calls from several white-shoe D.C. law firms interested in having their lawyers spend some non-billable hours fighting their demons en plein air.

Liebchen attended a trapeze class in Baltimore. She wasn’t happy with her first performance, but she’s looking forward to trying it again in DC.

Flying through the air, check. Greatest of ease, not so much. First, there was the little matter of climbing to the top platform, holding on to a deceptively heavy bar while leaning over the edge, and trusting the instructor to hold on to you by your belt. (Oh, hey trust issues. Haven’t seen you in a while — how’s it going?) [...]

Now that trapeze school is practically down the street (and a few metro stops away), I’ll be able to brush up on my maneuvers. My knee hook was getting a little rusty. Plus, it’s a great upper body workout (i.e. you’ll feel sore as hell the next day, but it’ll be completely worth it).

Angela was a little too comfortable with the supportive, burly arm of her instructor around her waist to want to let go for the first swing.

As I stood there trying not to ponder the abilities of a human body to withstand a fall from this height, I fancied myself floating gracefully and twirling effortlessly from bar to bar, a modern day Georgina of the Jungle. Then came the commands from the teacher below, “Ready… Set…” And next he would soon say “Hup” — but I didn’t want to hear the “hup” because “hup” meant burly arm would be gone, and it would be me, my death grip, a lot of momentum, a poor knowledge of physics but a keen understanding of what gravity does to a human brick. [...]

Then came the next command, “Let go with your hands.” To which I actually responded “I don’t want to.” The teacher repeated the command. I repeated my refusal. This went on for a while until I finally complied. I think I tasted my spinal fluid in the back of my throat.

JC Kwok tried a trapeze class on her 30th birthday. She was nervous, but she found the experience “amazing.”

My first swing on the trapeze was so much scarier than I thought it would be. I felt silly because I screamed the entire time I was swinging on it! They had us jump off the platform, swing through the air, and then hook our knees onto the bar. After that we had to let go of the bar with our hands so that we were hanging upside down, and then grab on again, take our legs off the bar, and then do a back tuck dismount!!

When they first told me I would be doing all that I was like “HUh? Excuse me?!” But after getting over the initial scare and shock of flying through the air, it was actually not as bad as I thought it would be and it felt really fun, free, and liberating!

Miss Bleeker attended a class in New York City. When asked why she did it, this is her response:

trapeze class you ask? what are [a] bunch of wedding nuts doing flying through the air? i know, our mothers said the same thing. but what can we say? the weather in NYC has been outrageously, criminally, ridonkulously gorge. and when you’ve been on your feet for four days straight, nothing feels better than losing the shoes and relying on your hands and gravity to do the work for you.

Erin Abrams at The Glass Hammer said, “the experience was totally worth it.” And then afterward…

I left the trapeze school feeling vaguely smug and empowered, as if I had a secret super power. You better believe I ordered the photos, at 20 bucks a pop. The next day, I woke up with solid black bruises across the backs of my legs that looked like I had been beaten with a baseball bat.

(Also, Flickr user LaTur took this amazing photo at the DC Trapeze School opening weekend.)

Would you try a trapeze class? Have you?

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

Like many people, I have a desk job. Except for a few months at a fast food restaurant when I was 16, and a year working as a hostess at The Olive Garden (both of these positions required me to stand for long periods of time), I’ve had a desk job since I was 18. For the most part, this has worked in my favor.

These jobs have provided me with healthcare benefits, retirement accounts, and comfortable salaries, in addition to teaching me many things I didn’t know. I’ve met friends who have lasted for years and continue to be instrumental in my life, long after I left that workplace for something new. I guess it’s fair to say that my desk jobs over the past 11 years have contributed to the person I am today.

Not only that, desk jobs are pretty much the opposite of strenuous (unless you’re looking at it in terms of mental fitness, or stress levels, or how fast you can type). And, you know, this is often okay with me. It’s nice to know that no matter how I’m feeling on a given day — barring some sort of ailment, discomfort, or injury — I can go to work and do what I need to do. I often send up a silent thanks that I’m lucky enough to work in a temperature-controlled environment, especially when it’s super cold outside, or on those miserable, oh-so-humid summer days.

The downsides? Oh, there are many of those, too. You have a valid excuse to be sedentary for most of the day. Feeling like you’re stuck indoors on those beautiful days when you just want to romp around and soak in the sunlight (totally distracting). Not to mention, spending eight hours on a computer can make people feel like they haven’t accomplished very much at the end of the day. Even if you’ve fulfilled everything that was expected of you, technically your results are located on a hard drive somewhere.

That’s why I have a lot of respect for people who do physical jobs for a living. They have to get out there and do their job regardless of whether they feel like it or not. When I get to work, I sit down in my chair and drink a cup of coffee. When those people get to work, they…well, they do actual (physical) work.

When I think about physical jobs, I’m not just thinking about people in the fitness industry, like personal trainers and group fitness instructors. Look at workers who clean hotel rooms; daycare teachers who run after kids all day long; nurses; professional landscapers. These people are active because they have to be. Sure, some people are more hardworking than others, and some people get the job done faster and better in a shorter period of time. But in general, those people work physically harder than I do during the day. They put my small efforts — taking a lap down the hall to talk to co-workers, purposefully printing to a faraway printer — to shame.

Sometimes I get those feelings like, “I’m not doing enough,” and “I’m tired of sitting here,” and I wonder if I couldn’t be doing something more action-oriented and physical. But on the other hand, I feel like I shouldn’t complain — there are probably a lot of people who have to stand on their feet all day who wouldn’t mind sitting behind a desk like I do. So, at least for the time being, I’ll sit during the day and continue to try to move around as much as I can.

What do you think are the pros and cons of a fitness-related career?

Related Reading:

Kelly at Fitness Fixation lists the advantages for her of choosing a career in fitness.

I get to learn new things all the time. I love learning, it’s responsible for so much of the dork in me. Exercise probably saved me from being one of those people who hangs around grad schools and community classes forever. I get to learn new things all the time, and I have so much to learn about the things I even know something about, and it’s great. There’s always sports and athletic shit I want to pursue, and now I have the baseline fitness level and confidence to try it, and if I had my way, I’d probably take seventeen different classes a day, and probably drop dead of sweaty exhaustion in a week, but die happy.

I read this post of Becca’s some time ago, but sometimes I’ll go back and read it again just because I like it so much. She quit her profitable day job to work as a CrossFit instuctor. My favorite quote:

Opportunities are not luck — opportunities are rewards we are handed because we earn them.

Sagan knows the importance of having a good fitness teacher.

When I used to go to the YMCA, I would faithfully attend step classes and kickboxing classes almost every day of the week because I grew so fond of my teachers and the classes that they taught. All of the instructors were volunteers so they were there because they wanted to be there (not the case with many university profs, I might add), and this in turn caused their energy and enthusiasm to rub off on the rest of us.

Tiffany at Swata Young Professionals is an athletic trainer, and volunteered for one of the breast cancer 3-Day 60-mile walks last year. She said she’s proud of her profession and was glad she was able to help.

Almost every walker asks, what do you do for a living, and it is great to answer back “I’m an athletic trainer.” It all makes me proud to be a part of this profession and to surround myself with those who work tirelessly (and tired!) to help out those in need.

Bev Sklar at That’s Fit sometimes dreams about becoming a bicycle messenger.

Mun Fitness Blog: The Story Of an IT Programmer Who Made a Career Switch to Fitness World

New York Times: The Case for Working With Your Hands. (Tired of working behind a desk? You’re not the only one.)