Magic

It's not magic and it's not a mystery.

There is no hocus-pocus and you need no detective. No slight of hand and you already have every clue. And despite all the smoke and mirrors, you need no new gadgets, nothing additional and no more advice from experts. You have everything you need right now. Here, today, this very instant.

I am speaking of your training as it relates to fitness, optimal health, quality of life and if you so choose, racing.

Madison Avenue has done a miraculous job of convincing us that we can never reach our potential without one, or several, of the following:

A five thousand dollar carbon fiber bike.
$150 running shoes.
Sunglasses that cost more than a weeks worth of organic groceries.
An on-line coach.
A gym membership with a personal trainer.
Something called a Scion to haul all your stuff in.
Supplements, smart water, power bars, tri-camps, boot-camps, cross-fit camps.
A power meter.
An indoor pool.
A GPS tracking system that charts your every move as well as heart rate, sweat rate, miles logged, speed, distance, output in watts, elevation gain and the latest movement of your stocks (assuming you have any left).
A video camera to record all this.
A plasma screen to watch all this on.
And of course, a big house in the Cul de Sac, to watch all this in.
You are also going to need a lawyer in case you pull a hamstring, an insurance agent to cover your assets, a massage therapist, nutritionalist, physical therapist, marriage counselor (if applicable), mechanic, private security company, a techy-geeky-nerdy friend, two mixologists and an agent.

Have I missed anything?

Yeppers, folks, according to THE MEDIA we need all this to.......what?

Run?

Bike?

Swim?

Train, get in shape, stay in shape, ramp up for an event?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Dear VBA, you honestly need none of the above. All you need to do is find something you like to do, and do it often. You like to run in the park? Do it every day, vary your speed, intensity and distance and drink plenty of water. You dig the bike? Get on one and go. You like spinning indoors? Find a like-minded group and go get 'em. You like to swim? Go jump in a lake (sorry).

You don't need toys. You don't even need tools. What you do need is the understanding that YOU are responsible for YOU, and that doing something healthy that improves all the positive things mentioned above, can (and should) be done right here and right now.

There is no magic involved. It can't be had in pill or powder form and the only mystery is why you continue to kid yourself into thinking that something outside of YOU will change the insides of YOU.

Then again, just knowing this is very magical.