"Running an ultramarathon can't be good for you. I can't imagine how it's possibly good for your body," I said. 

Brian Mackenzie laughed: Good for you physically? No. But you'll recover. And I assure you: if you run 50K or 100 miles, when you finish, you won't be the same person who started."

~ Timothy Ferriss

The closing chapter of {The Four Hour Body} resonated with me incredibly well, as I was once again reassured completely as to why I am so in love with Tim. 

This year my best friend and I have been discussing a lot on physical activity and sports, and the difference between participating for the sake of doing your body good, and (not purposefully but) the opposite - "destructive leisure." For example, climbing Everest. Running an ultramarathon. Choosing "play" instead of "rest" when you've got a football game in 3 hours and achilles tendonitis. Why on earth would someone want to put themselves through that? The endless days of grueling, physical and pyschological stress and pain? Well, I can tell you that it's not to get a "good work out." 

As much as I choose most of the time to prioritize the health of my body above all things, I feel that sometimes it is appropriate to push your body's limits a bit in order to acquire some other valuable gems. 

People climb everest to become fearless. To gain undying ambition. To find a reason to say, "well shucks. I guess I can do anything now." 

And it is a life changing thing.

---

When I worked at the Running Room, there was a point where I was injured and was unable to run with my usual group. So I decided to walk instead with a crew there called "Minds in Motion" - a group of several mentally handicapped adults who'd walk their way through a route to Kitchener and back twice a week. As I was walking, I was talking to an autistic fellow named Ben. When I praised him for having perfect attendance for these walk sessions, he told me, "I don't have a choice. It keeps the cob webbs clear from my skull." And I just thought: "Me too, Ben... me too...." 

The 4HB begins by talking about a group of business men gathered to listen to Richard Bransen, founder of a billion dollar empire called Virgin Group, speak about his number one secret to productivity. He had two words to say:

Work out. 

Richard claimed that working out every morning gained him 4 extra hours of productivity a day. Tim Ferriss deems it the term Transfer. Sports and physical activity will give you life skills you won't even know until you do it - until you choose an active (versus a sedentary) lifestyle. And everyday you WILL be more and more amazed at what you can do. This I promise you.

xo Kim