Crosstraining

July 3, 2008

About three years ago I got my first gym membership. I mean, really, first. Although I've been sort of semi-active my whole life, I've never worked out at a gym and lifted weights.

I've walked a lot. Played tennis when I was younger. Rode my bike a lot until I graduated from college. Swam well enough to become a lifeguard, although I never worked as one. In college I ran some off and on, took karate for about a year, then turned into a human version of the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

So, I lift weights three days a week and I like it. I started doing "cardio," which for me meant exercise bike, some running on the treadmill. Then, after about a year of that, I started taking long bike rides on my non-weight lifting days. That got to be a big deal for me (and still is). I love riding my mountain bike. 

Also, right around the time I started freelancing full-time, I started studying Sanchin-Ryu karate. My sons were taking it and now that I had time, I thought it looked like fun. I'm currently a first degree brown belt. The next level is black. My wife and oldest son also study. My youngest, who is 10, and a second-degree brown belt, has more or less quit, although sometimes we drag him to classes and have him workout. I hope he'll get back into it someday, but it's up to him.

Off and on over the last couple years I've tried running. I ran cross country in high school one year and although I was considered slow at the time, I look back at those "slow" running times when I was 16 with a longing that I know I'll never, ever reach again. Ever. My fastest 3-mile run was 19 minutes and 8 second. My first mile in that race was 5 minutes 12 seconds. That seems dazzlingly fast to me now, but even then I was slow. (And you can see how my mile-splits dropped off significantly if I ran a 5:12 mile).

Every time I've started running in recent years I start to get my mileage up to a 2 or 3 (slow) miles and I get injured. Usually it's a pulled or strained calf muscle.

I recently bought a new pair of running shoes and am trying it again, telling myself to take it easy and not push things.

All of which makes me sound like the biggest jock in the world. I really don't think I am. I just hit my 40s and have struggled with my weight all my life and my triglyceride and cholesterol and blood sugar levels caught up to me. Also, I have time to exercise and I also have a job that involves sitting on my ass all day typing. Getting out and getting exercise helps me stay at the desk, interestingly enough. Also, you know, if you look down the road and think about your 60s or 70s, I'd rather have some fitness to help carry me into that period. (I also started playing guitar. I'm apparently having some thoughts about how I want to spend the back 40).

I do a lot of different sorts of things so I won't get bored and also because the cross-training helps keep me from getting injured. They also do different things for me. Weight liftings works on strength and muscle mass (you lose something like 1% a year after you turn 40 if you don't exercise). Biking works the cardio but keeps the strain off my knees and ankles. Sanchin-ryu primarily helps with flexibility, range of motion, agility and balance, although depending on how I work it it could have cardio and strength benefits as well. Running, in particular, helps me keep the weight off, but it plays hell with the joints, so I can't do it every day, even if I wanted to.

This post, though, isn't about exercising (although I recommend it. You'll be more energetic and it'll be good for you). 

It's about writing.

I write a lot of different stuff. Over the course of my writing career I've written short stories, novels, poems, technical articles, magazine articles, online articles, white papers, web content, business reports, market survey reports, straight journalism, features, ad/sales copy, even the occasional ransom note (just kidding). Book reviews, Q&As, and I've even tried my hand at a screenplay (it sucked, but I should probably try it again someday).

Now, to re-emphasize the point of this, I want to mention some authors you might have heard of before.

John Sandford.

Under his real name, John Camp, Sandford won the Pulitzer for his work as a journalist. He's also written several teleplays and nonfiction books, as well as his bestselling novels.

Karl Hiaasen.

Started as a journalist, became a columnist, and, I believe, remains one. Has also recently wrote a nonfiction book about golf.

Lee Child.

Before becoming a novelist, Child was a script and telewriter in England, as well as producer, etc.

Randy Wayne White.

Before becoming a nonfiction writer, White was a fishing guide, but he spent years writing nonfiction pieces about travel, then wrote some novels under a pseudonym, before becoming the novelist he is today.

Sue Grafton.

Started out writing scripts for TV and film before becoming a novelist.

Paul Levine.

Started as a journalist, then became a lawyer, then wrote novels, then wrote for TV, then went back to writing novels.

Robert B. Parker.

College professor, then technical writer for an insurance company, then novelist and telescript and script writer.

Lee Goldberg.

Prior to his success writing for TV, Lee wrote nonfiction pieces (he put himself through college as a freelance writer). He's also written nonfiction books, TV scripts, novels, etc.

I'm sure I could go on and on.

I'm a writer first. The various other subgenres--novelist, report writer, magazine writer, etc., all come second. I'm a writer first.

The point is, try to write different things. It's a good exercise, if nothing else. If you write fiction all the time, take a crack at writing a script for your favorite TV show. Or write a magazine article. It uses different muscles and helps make you a stronger writer overall.

And for those of you whose first reaction was: "Oh, I just can't write that stuff, it just doesn't work for me." I have this to say: I used to say that, too. And then somebody encouraged me to write a magazine article and it sold and I got paid for it and I did another one and the rest is history. Nothing encourages you like a little success.

And two things might happen. One, you might find you like writing other things. And two, you might make some money writing other things.

Cheers,

Mark Terry