First, is that doing endurance sports are hard even when you train really well for them. I think people often see endurance athletes or people who are very fit and imagine that it is somehow easy. Make no mistake as I have gotten better in shape I can 'fake' it looking really easy, but I know from internal experience that it is indeed very very hard. If you are giving it your all you are tired at the end. There is tendency to try and look super cool as you finish a race and act like it was no big deal, but even those people are tired.If you are a fit person who does this or if you are person who envies and idolizes those who are fit remember that appearances aren't everything. It may be true that a elite athlete could do my race at my pace and it would be easy for them, but if they are performing at their peak it will be hard.
We can often get this idea that it will get easier as we go along and in some senses that is true. What was hard today will get easier tomorrow, but as you continue to become more fit the training stays hard. Even maintaining a level of fitness over a long time takes dedication and effort so remember that you have to find the joy in the exertion. Whether that exertion is a Olympic distance triathlon or a jog around the park. It's about enjoying the benefits of putting your mind and body to work. Fitness like life is about the journey As an ancient Buddhist saying goes the path is the fruit.
