For some people, staying fit qualifies as a fun hobby. They choose to do things they enjoy, like running, biking, swimming, or rock climbing (or all of those things, and more). Other people know that they should move, so they choose activities that are convenient and effective -- even if they don’t particularly like to do them. But what makes someone go from just liking (or putting up with) exercise to saying, “I LOVE to work out?”

I’ve been through two periods of unemployment since I was 18 years old. The first was right after I graduated from college at age 25; I quit the job I’d had for seven years and moved to California. I was unemployed for six months before I found something that was a mutual fit (in other words, a place where I wanted to work and someone who was willing to hire me). The second period of unemployment was after I moved back to the east coast the following year; I was unemployed for three months before I took a job that brought me to where I am now, in northern Virginia.

It seems like I'm always hearing something about races. Someone is either thinking about participating, or is currently in training, or has just completed one. There are all kinds of options, too -- whether it’s something short like a 5k, or a 10-miler, or a marathon, or even triathlons. Even if they're not taking place right here in my geographic area, I still end up hearing about them because they’re constantly being written about online.

I used to work with a girl who was a very big fan of The Rules. Not just a fan, she would try her best to follow the book’s advice to the letter. It always seemed a little silly to me, but it was amusing to hear her read passages out loud, or to be instructed to read a chapter that she deemed instrumental. I would humor her by reading, or listening, or nodding at her advice, but in the end I knew The Rules weren’t something I planned to follow.

Once in a while, I like to take some time to explore fitness options that I haven't tried yet. While some of them are better left to braver people than I (like the trapeze classes I wrote about last week), I usually end up finding a few things that I could see myself doing. I also like reading about the experiences other people have had while trying these things -- it gives me an idea of what I could expect. Ultimate Frisbee