How many times have I asked people how things are going since they started their fitness routine?

How many times have I heard, “It’s going well, but I’m not losing any weight!”

“Are you noticing any other changes.”

“Yes, my pants are looser and I’m sleeping better and I’m not as breathless anymore — but I’m not losing any weight.”

Argh.

I know we are a goal-oriented society and I agree goals are what we need to keep us focused and motivated, but why does the number on the scale become the goal and focus.

I suppose it’s not different even with people who aren’t focused on weight goals.

For instance, take the athlete who works and works to get faster or stronger, but never quite achieves the maximum goal they had set for themselves.

“How did your triathlon go last weekend?”

“Great, but my swim time didn’t get any faster and I felt like I should have pushed harder on the bike.”

“Weren’t you second in your age category?”

“Yes, but I could have been first if I’d just trained a little harder.”

Again, I think it’s great to aspire to higher heights.

If we didn’t keep looking forward to the next milestone, we wouldn’t push ourselves quite as hard and achieve our full potential.

But, along the way, I want to appreciate each step a little more, perhaps stop for a moment, turn 360 degrees and admire the view from my latest vantage point before pushing on to the next peak.

“How did your race go last weekend?”

“Great. I was nowhere near winning anything, but I felt strong.

“I had fun and, next time, I might try adding some speed work to see if I can get any faster.

“Considering I wasn’t running at all this time last year, I’m thrilled to have gone out and crossed the finish line. The mountains were breathtaking while I ran and my family was cheering at the finish line.”

OK, fine, look ahead to the next time and what you’d do differently, but enjoy the present and what the experience had to offer for life lessons and character building.

Forgetting to savour the present feels kind of like wishing your life away. The days rush by too quickly as it is without strapping on the blinders and charging forward without pause.

Last month, I completed the Ridge Runner’s Duathlon in Kamloops and I’m still high from the experience.

I felt amazingly strong in comparison to past years. Even the running, which usually feels pretty cumbersome, felt pretty decent.

The bike ride, including the blasting headwind on the way back, put me right in my element.

As I was cranking into the wind on the way toward the second run, I was practising my mantras.

“Bring it on,” seemed to want to float though my thoughts and I tried to remember why this sounded so familiar.

Suddenly, I remembered six years ago when I took my son to get his vaccinations.

As I was driving away with my three-year-old in the back seat, I heard from behind: “It takes more than that to get ‘ol Ethan down — bring it on!”

Where have the last six years gone?

Did I enjoy them to their fullest?

What a ride — and what a view.

Calendar of Events:

Sunday, July 12 — Desert Half Ironman, Osoyoos

Saturday and Sunday, July 18, 19 — Race the Rockies 18-hour adventure race, Golden

Last week of July — Intermontaine Mountain Bike Race, Kamloops

Saturday, Aug. 8 — STORMY 50-mile or 100-mile trail ultra-marathon, Squamish

Shawn Wenger is a BCRPA-registered

personal trainer

and weight-training instructor.

She runs her own

business called Fitness For Mortals.

E-mail wenger@telus.net for information.

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