I didn’t really mean to fall off the face of the earth for two years. There is plenty that I could have said, but somehow I didn’t.

When COVID first hit I used it as something of an excuse to give up on my running. Everything just seemed too hard. I was afraid to interact with folks outside. The gym was a terrible idea AND it was closed. I had no interest in running with a mask on. Etc, etc. So I bought a Peloton bike and stopped running.

I am happy to say that the bike was not a passing fancy. I know many folks buy exercise equipment that sits in their homes either gathering dust or becomes a fancy clothes hanger. Not so for my bike. It has some quieter weeks and others that were non-stop. But I think my overall stats are quite respectable.

On November 20th I added a Peloton tread to my home gym and have been since working my way back to running. Yes, I can run outside. And no, Covid isn’t as scary as it was in March of 2020. But I have always been quick to make excuses to avoid workouts – too hot, too cold, too dark, too wet – you name it and I’ve probably used it.

Part of what has worked so well for me about the bike is that none of those excuses work. It’s in my house. It’s only steps away from wherever I am. And I can 100% control the environment. The other thing that has worked well for me is the community. There are a crazy number of Peloton groups one can join. The Power Zone Pack and Mileage Maniacs have been the two that I can really credit with keeping me on track. Each of them provides team based, structured challenges that keep me working out regularly and push me to try new things. These challenges have also made clear to me just how hard I will push myself not to let others down. I need to keep working on the idea that pushing myself not to let myself down is just as important if not more so.

My COVID time has also been filled with lots of wine and not enough knitting. I think I’ll save those stories for another day.