And here's why

A couple of days ago I was in the garden. Two of our CrossFit-ers ran past me and just a minute or so later came back in the opposite direction. That was weird enough but then they repeated the sequence a number of times. Today another of our CrossFit-ers did the same thing. I was cleaning out drains at the time so working away outside the kitchen as he passed first in one direction, then back, then out again, must have been half a dozen times. Apparently this behaviour is governed by the CrossFit handbook in some way, with prescribed other activities between these very short runs.  It is something they have to do. They talk about it when we gather for morning or afternoon drinks, discussing together what weights they lifted, how fast they ran, and so on. If one had more interest than one does, one might feel left out!

Then it dawned on me why I find all this so alien to my way of thinking. During the working day my work is understandably dictated by what my clients want. But I don't want someone dictating to me what I must do in my spare time. My morning runs are idyllic (once I drag myself out of bed) for the very reason that I am free of all (well, most) constraints. To have to religiously follow some fitness regime would be contrary to all I know as good.

Perhaps it is my age. The CrossFit-ers are all much younger than I am and maybe, when young, you don't mind being bossed around so much. After all, if you enlisted for the Army you'd expect to be bossed around.

Here's another thing - this fixation some folk have with football or other ball games - this link sees football as a religion, I suppose because of the irrationality of either adherents, and this makes a lot of sense. I cannot think of any other reason why an intelligent person should want to watch a number of men kicking a ball around.