Fitness is basically a lease with zero option to buy—and if you skip a few payments, the repo man shows up faster than it will take you to read this newsletter.
For years I’ve been mulling over this paradox in running that’s a bit wild. You know when you’re at your peak fitness —everything’s flowing, running faster times than you’ve ever imagined with a low heart rate and feeling great at the end? I always think that feeling’s gonna stick around forever and that I can maintain it forever. So, what do we do as runners? We push even harder, add extra volume, sneak in another interval session, and skip the rest days. I mean, why not keep the ball in rolling, right?
But here’s the thing: I realized fitness is very similar to paying rent. You never actually own it. There’s no mortgage finance option for holding peak fitness.
No matter how long you’ve been on top of your game, you gotta keep putting in the effort and progressing/fatiguing yourself. Miss a few “payments”—like neglecting recovery or skimping on good nutrition—and… your fitness starts to fade. It’s not a one-and-done deal; it’s an ongoing commitment.
So the next obvious thing is to just keep progressing and smashing yourself into oblivion, right? Well, that’s where my other sister idea that holding fitness is also like putting everything on your credit card and maxing that bad boy out!
Feels great in the moment—you’re swiping away, stacking up those “gainzzz” and not knowing (or caring) what the bill is. And before you know it, the bill comes due. Overtraining is like the interest piling up and injuries are the debt collectors knocking at your door. Push too hard, and you’ll end up owing more than you can repay.
Let’s play red team and devil‘s advocate this mofo.
On the flip side, if you’re too cautious—never pushing yourself, always playing it safe—it’s like hoarding all your cash money without ever enjoying it. Sure, you’re secure, but are you really living? Also, to stay consistent with our finance metaphor – inflation will happen. If your cash money (fitness) is sitting in the bank, not doing anything, you’ll actually lose buying power. $100 worth of fitness not being used this year out in the real world might be worth $97 or even $90 or less the next year. And it keeps spirally down. You need to invest your money (fitness) into the market and take the risk.
Reminds me of that saying, “I’d rather wear out from too much use than rust out from never doing anything.” Or like in Home Alone 2, when Kevin keeps those skates that don’t fit anymore or the pigeon lady who’s afraid to open her heart. Holding back means missing out on life’s experiences.
So here’s the kicker: the very idea of stability can make us do unstable things. When everything’s smooth sailing, we get overconfident and start taking risks—upping the intensity, ignoring those little aches, and skipping rest. It’s ironic, but those calm periods can actually set us up for the next setback. I love how that works.
It’s all about balance. Think of your training like a retirement fund—you need consistent deposits, some high-risk moves, and a long-term strategy if you want to cash out strong.
