Taking a [brief] holiday from events

There are fabulous events each and every weekend, especially in and around Joburg. If it isn't an AR sprint, orienteering event or trail run, it's something else. This past weekend I resisted all temptation and spent an indulgent weekend at home. The only place I went was out to lunch.

Actually, I did this two weekends before too... the weekend after Swazi Xtreme there was a trail run on the Saturday and a distance orienteering event at one of my favourite venues. I passed on both of these, needing the weekend to catch up from my week away. And after so much driving during Swazi I just couldn't stand to be back in the car. Attending these events would have meant driving 1hr or more - each way - for activities 1-2hrs in duration.

The weekend before this one just past I drove to Mnweni Marathon in the Drakensberg. A 4h40 drive each way. That topped up my vehicle saturation levels again.

This weekend I passed on the Montrail-Capestorm trail run (Saturday) AND the MTB O at Groenkloof (Sunday). Aside from these events being some distance from where I live, I needed the time and R&R at home. In addition to my day job, I also freelance so my weekend was put to good use to meet deadlines. I also had lunch with family, something I don't often get to do; and I headed out for a lovely run.

I'm going to continue this trend of skipping events for a few weeks. I do enjoy taking part but to drive for an hour, participate for 1-2hrs, wait before, wait after, chat for a bit and then drive home again means that I get back after noon; that's a good chunk of the day gone. I get home harrassed because of deadlines hanging over my head. Far easier to exchange an event with a 90-minute run to keep my stress levels lower.

If you, like me, are feeling the effects of a fast-paced year that has been a non-stop merry-go-round, I can highly recommend taking ONE weekend all for yourself. Email friends, visit family and paint your toenails. You'll feel way more refreshed for having spent the time at home.