"I Broke My Wind"

So gasped The Fool as he staggered out of the gym yesterday morning.

The Fool foolishly joined a new health club about two months ago for all the obvious reasons and a couple that are not so obvious. You see, The Fool began working from home late last year. This arrangement provides a great commute, a convenient refectory, and the ability to wear slippers all day. The downside is that the boundary between work life and home life becomes sloppy and vague.

"I'll just leave the laptop on," thinks The Fool, "in case I want to check email after kids are in bed."

"You know, I'll just knock this pesky project out on Sunday. That'll make my upcoming week easier," he tells himself.

"Yes, I have been sitting here and typing for 12 straight hours," he admits, "but I'm getting a lot done."

And so, in early June, the new health club was visited and joined.

The Fool has been diligent. Mixing up the workouts and going regularly. The Fool could feel his fitness improving. His legs didn't hurt quite as much as the day before. He no longer coughed from breathing deeply. He could exercise longer. And, strangely, work wasn't suffering. In fact, The Fool felt even more productive than before.

And then came a burst of travel. Four cities in four weeks.

Oh, The Fool tried. He went to the hotel health club when schedules permitted. But by the time he returned, he had exercised only once in the previous ten days. So, when The Fool attempted to negotiate the treadmill, he could not even run as far as he did the previous time.

His wind had left him.

The Fool laments how much easier it is to lose fitness than to gain it. Like so many other things in life.

The Fool will be at the gym today.