Why I love cycling and running, now more than ever

I've thought about this a lot recently, and why it's taken me the best part of 25 years to return to them. Think I've worked it out.

Throughout the 90s I was obsessed with fitness. I used to go running and mountain biking daily/weekly. Looking back I can honestly say I came to hate both, especially mountain biking. It seemed to be the *in thing* to do back then. But it was hard and painful, not to mention scary! The damage to the environment it often seemed to cause always troubled me too. So much so that I eventually did my degree thesis on the fine balance between recreation and conservation in the Peak District National Park.

At the time I couldn't understand why I hated cycling when I'd loved it so much as a child. It made me feel sad. It was the same, to a lesser extent, with running. I used to run so hard that I sometimes threw up... so in the end I started dreading going out running. Eventually I stopped doing both and concentrated on tennis, swimming and weights which I absolutely loved.

It wasn't really until I bought my Tern folding bike in 2019 and rediscovered cycling that I realised what the problem was. I enjoy tootling, like kids do on bikes. They just tootle about having fun. It was the same with running. When I was little I used to run about a lot, but then I'd walk for a bit, or stop and look at a butterfly or something and then set off running again. And it made me happy. I didn't even notice all the exercise I was getting and the excess energy I was burning because I was just enjoying being out. So that's exactly what I've returned to. I'm a "jolker" and proud of it hehe. I run for a bit, then walk for a while, or stop to take photos or look at birds. And like cycling, I now enjoy going out running again.

I sometimes think this world would be a better place if we looked more to children and followed their example, rather than vice versa.

Took today's blip on my evening jolk. The eagle-eyed among you might just make out the huge Irish wolfhound in the garden. I see him/her a lot - what a gorgeous dog. I also saw a kingfisher which made me happy.