On the other hand, isn’t personal enjoyment the main purpose of recreation? This is supposed to be fun, right? Adult life is filled with plenty of “have to’s” – why turn my hobby into one more thing on the to-do list? Must every activity be a personal challenge and lesson in endurance? Yet I pride myself on being a person who follows through on things – when I say I’ll do something, it gets done. Is stopping 88 miles into a 107-mile run the beginning of the end for me? Will it become easier and easier to give up on projects and goals as soon as the going gets tough?
I’ll admit that I still haven’t figured out the answers to these questions. In any situation, there are as many ways to justify quitting as there are reasons to persevere. Do I regret that decision made on a hot late-spring day in Virginia? Maybe. Would I make the same decision again? Not sure. But you can bet I’ll be back out there before long, tackling some unfinished business.
