On group Activities that Challenge Me Physically

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Two days in a row I participated in activities that pushed me physically. On sunday it was a 60km ride with 900m of climbing and a 25km/h wind and the next day it was a 9.4km walk which is pushing my endurance further than usual. I found myself thinking that I should participate in hikes because hikes are easy. I’m used to walking. Walking and hiking were my specialities.

Regular Challenges

By cycling on Sunday, despite the wind, and running on Monday despite the fatigue I pushed myself, and I remained true to my word. I saw on Whatsapp that the group that organises sedentary activities were complaining about no-shows in activities that involve sitting, drinking and talking.

I was one of the “ghosts”. I had to choose between going to an event for extroverts who like to drink in bars and miss the bike ride, or remain fresh ahead of what would be a tremendously demanding bike ride. I will always choose sports over pub crawls for a simple reason.

Extrovert Centric

Group activities that favour extroverts, like pub crawls, are fun if you want to drink, and if you’re the extrovert getting the attention, but a complete waste of time as an introvert. As an introvert I have been out every night for months, or even seasons, and come home as lonely as if I had not been out at night.

One of the reasons I pivoted from hiking groups to cycling groups last year, and running this year, is that I found that hiking groups leave me feeling lonelier, and more solitary than if I had walked alone.

The Daily Walk

No matter how exhausted I am from cycling, and running, recently, I still make the effort to go for a walk. My rest walk is from 6-10km, whether it’s raining, snowing or windy. It never snows so I rarely walk when it is snowing.

The Desire to Vegetate

On Sunday I was so knackered I felt a strong desire to get home. It’s rare that I get back from a ride and don’t sit at a computer. Monday I felt knackered too. Today I plan to rest and tomorrow I will go for another group ride.

## The Desire Not to Drive

When I was hiking, enjoying via ferrata and scuba diving I would think nothing of driving two to three hours. Two summers without a car, and several weeks without my scooter taught me to appreciate things locally. I love the local walks, and if it wasn’t for my fear of dogs, and aggressively driven cars, then I would still be enjoying the local walks.

The fact that I have two cycling groups within six minutes of home by bike, and a running group, within half an hour’s walk from home, enables me to socialise without ever being part of car based traffic. If I’m willing to cycle an hour to join a group then I have many more groups.

The Opportunity to Hike

If I was willing to drive an hour and a half, or catch the train, then I’d have groups to hike with every single weekend, all year long. I finally found groups that are active year round, other than diving. If I could find the desire to drive for two to four hours I could join a group on Sunday in Haute Savoie.

Of ‘Ghosts’ and Rainy Weather

It rained on Saturday, which meant that the ride that was meant to take place on that day was cancelled. Another group organised a ride on Sunday so that’s why I signed up for it. If the ride had taken place on Saturday I would not have cycled on Sunday, and if I had not cycled on Sunday then I would have gone for the pub crawl event. It’s because of the weather, and seeing what effect dehydration has on a bike ride that I chose to stay home instead of being social.

It’s the weather that turned me into a ghost. Not laziness.

And Finally

Every time I say that I walk three kilometres for social drinks, and that I walk the same distance home people are surprised. They prefer to take the bus. When I’m too lazy to go out it’s because I already walked ten kilometres and I don’t feel like walking six more. They take their cars, and their buses.

A few days ago I sat with someone as she waited for her bus, and saw how regularly buses could take me right next to where I live. The excuse that buses are too irregular turned out to be untrue. I learned about that option by accident.

On Sunday, when I felt tired I made the choice to continue. I could have been lazy and headed home with the group that had a shorter ride. I didn’t. I feel that I’m suffering more now, partily because it’s winter, but also because I chose to ride with the “lazier” group, as I think of it, rather than riding with the people fitter than me. I think that affected my fitness. Of course winter plays a role. These riding conditions are not as easy.

And Finally, tomorrow I will be pushed again on the morning ride.