Motown Johnny, I'm probably going to say stuff you don't want to hear.

First, I'm a gym rat, weight trainer and have been for years. I consider it an essential part of my mental and physical health program. I've been doing it for decades and I've seen many people come and go. I switch up my routine every six to eight weeks so I don't get bored and don't plateau.

In my opinion, what you're contemplating would be a very big mistake because you're forgetting the basic reason you hit the gym, worked out with weights, did cardio, improved your nutrition, lost weight and improved your health.

It was not because you are a competitive athlete.

It's because you were suicidal, depressed, in crisis, suffering PTSD and you decided that instead of killing yourself you'd do some radical reinvention. That was a good choice. It worked. Why the hell would you kick that program to the curb and risk losing everything?

Well, I can tell you why. Ego. Grandiosity. Maybe what Dr. Jung would have called the Trickster archetype whispering sabotage in your ear, telling you to forget your MI and to only think of about the glory of crossing the finish line in a tri event.

Hankster had some good suggestions. If you want to bump things up a bit, there are probably 5 k and 10 k runs every weekend in your town. You could join a cycling or hiking club for social interaction and still keep up your basic program that you started when you almost committed suicide.

We're not talking about your athletic performance here. We're talking about your mental health and your life.

I'm sorry to speak so harshly ... well ... no I'm not. I'm not sorry because in the past I was too polite to speak up when I saw a gym pal going off their tried and true program of health in search of glory and ego-gratification. Instead of speaking my mind, I offered luke-warm encouragement as everyone else was cheering them on to reach for the gold ring.

And every single one of them fell flat on their face because they had gotten too extreme, too obsessed, too far away from the real issue -- their health. They weren't athletes. They were people with mental and physical problems who'd found part of their recovery in the self-discipline of strength, fitness, nutrition and healthy lifestyle.

When someone with MI falls flat, it gets ugly. Suicide attempts, hospitalization, big weight gain, eating disorders, complete emotional chaos.

You're probably not going to listen to a word I've said. It's hard to hear anything when the Trickster God is tempting us away from what works for us. But ... (deep sigh)... at least I'll know I tried.

I wish you well, Motown Johnny. I'll think of you when I'm at the gym pushing the sled. That will keep me from tossing on another 45 lb plate. That'll be good for me, if for no one else.

Take Care.