Tuesday, October 20, 2009

ROADS NEED TRAFFIC


Have you ever seen the state of a tarred road which had been closed to traffic for a couple of years? It's condition is like that of a ancient sunken sea vessel. The whole surface is covered with cracks resembling varicose veins and the structure has grass and weeds growing straight through it. It is covered with dirt and looks like some scene from a horror movie. It is a sore eye to see and it is just unbelievable to come to the understanding that constant traffic would have kept this road 'healthy' and would also have extended it's life span.

Are we any different? Aren't we all like little roads designed to convey whatever we have chosen our cargo to be? I am totally convinced that this holds some truth, however ridiculous the comparison might be. The main truth in this whole picture we have just seen is this: Traffic is to a tarred road what healthy living and training are to the human body.

During the last three months during which I was plagued by injury and sickness, I was just dumb struck by the speed at which I in 'flesh' became the closed tarred road! I am over weight, unfit and while in this useless condition, I just started beating myself up over how I let it all go this far in the first place! When we as muscle driven vehicles stop doing what we do, then we become dusty, cracked and broken. We are susceptible to sickness and we open ourselves to depression and all sorts of ugliness.

All a road needs is a car or a truck or a bike to cruse over it every now and again. Not all are freeways carrying 10,000 cars per hour. Not all are quiet roads running through a neighborhood. But all roads have this in common: they need traffic.

I will never ever totally 'close my road' in the off season. I will close some lanes for 'maintenance', but there will always remain an open lane or two for some traffic to flow. Whether I just do easy gym sessions or whether I just go for relaxing swims.

When a road has been ruined by being closed for too long, then it takes a LOT of money and effort to recondition it back to tip top form. That is where I am at now...LOTS of effort and time to recondition my body.

Never again.....and that is a promise! Let the road begin.

Be strong and live hard!

TriJackal

1 comment:

Johan Stemmet said...

Hi Jakkals
Very interesting post, never thought of it that way.
Thanks it is a very motivational post, appreciate it.

Another week of maintenance on the Skillie freeway so most lanes are closed, not all but most lanes will be reopened next week.

Good luck and just keep it constant on your way to be an Ironman again
Skillie