Gone fishin'

We are what we repeatedly do; excellence is a habit, Aristotle said.  But to every time there is a season, the runner would think.  And there is a time to take a break from running. Or is that a good thing?

For me, it was time to take a week off from work and running to go fishing with two great friends from college. Tim has graciously provided a place in the Wisconsin north woods, and Phil brings his large countenance, local wisdom and various culinary delights direct from the land of his dairy farm. 

The three of us start dreaming about the whole thing in January, and when the time comes to get away it seems only right to put away all the things of routine daily life–including the running shoes.

Travel only a about marathon deep into the woods gets you off the beaten path.  In one area of our retreat, I  bet you could boat through some fifty square miles of lakes, streams and flowages without much interference.  You can spot eagles, beaver, bear and rare warblers and maybe catch a bunch of nice fish, if you’re lucky. 

In that world of woods and water I never felt too badly about not running. In fact, I rarely thought of it. It’s good enough exercise standing up in the front of a modest fishing boat, running the trolling motor and trying to flick a perfect cast toward the shore.  A couple times I practiced some tai chi exercises on a dock while watching a bobber and worm in the water.

After five days on the water I can still feel that pleasant rocking of the boat in my bones, and the effects on the leg muscles.  It works, getting away for a week and not a taking a single run.

Back home today running felt fresh, and I’m eager again to do what I repeatedly do.