As the restart of the NBA season looms, my anticipation and excitement has been building to historic levels. I never realised how much I missed watching and following sports. Over the last few weeks, I have unwittingly watched hours and hours of Olympic and World Championship competition replays. Triathlons, Athletics, Cycling, Marathon, you name it, I’ve probably seen it. I haven’t just been watching the highlights, but for most of them, the entire competitions which stretches hours of footage.
Taking in the somewhat-dull-yet-entertaining commentary of a 2 hour marathon or triathlon is somehow meditative. It is just fun to watch, even if I already know the end result. I surprised myself in that regard since I usually loathe watching movies that I know the ending to. If there is a Kiwi in the field that I can cheer for, it makes it all the more exciting. But if not, I still find myself entranced. It has almost a hypnotic effect on me, like I’m watching a blockbuster.
The feeling I get is the same as when I watched Athens 2004, the first Olympic games I remember. It is just so damn inspiring to watch. It is similar to the sensation of when I eat after completing a 20:4 intermittent fasting protocol. I don’t realise I’m hungry, but when I take a bite, the food often becomes elevated into something I’d expect out of a fine dining joint. I suppose what they say it true, absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
I don’t know if this means I was too much sport pre-2020 and should therefore taper my consumption post-Covid. That is probably the case. I am just glad that sports is back, a crucial element to normal life that I am grateful for.