The point of fitness

I hate blogs that apologize. No apologies. I do what I want.

I have been slowly getting out of shape over the last few months. My diet isn't as great as it should be (although I have been sticking to 100% vegetarian... about 60% vegan which is not too bad), and I haven't been running much at all. There have been a few hill workouts with the track girls, but being a head coach has been pretty demanding and there were only a few days that I could actually sneak out with the athletes. But anyway... I dragged myself out of bed this morning and went for a run as the sun came up. My lungs hurt a little more than they should have and my legs feel a little bit like jelly even though they really shouldn't... but I made it through the run. I may be out of shape physically, but I haven't lost any of the mental strength I built up earlier this year. With the shape that I'm in, I never would have been able to convince myself to run for that long a year ago... but this morning it was just another run.

Anyway... aside from the results of my run, right now I'm thinking about the point of fitness... the point of working out. I guess I get caught up on the fact that working out seems to create an unnatural state of being. If I worked out every morning I would be lean, muscular, and in great cardiovascular shape... but how do I need that in my daily life? It's not as if being stronger is going to make me more productive to society, or does it? Lets assume, because there are so many benefits of being active, that we were built to lead active lives. Why is it that that activity is so separate from our productivity and liveliness? It's a hobby rather than a necessity.

I know there are a lot of ways to argue with what I've just said. Runners would especially have a lot to say about it. Once you're a runner, you don't have a choice, it is a necessity. Being active definitely increases the amount you contribute to society because it gives you a clearer head. I know these reasons, I just feel there are some contradictions in the way we are built to live and the way we actually live. I wonder how to rectify these.