Jimmie Johnson doesn't want to "go Carl Edwards"

Not being able to live his life.

Johnson takes part in several activities to remain fit, including skiing, biking, swimming and running. He and his family have been spending more time in Colorado in recent months, and he has been doing much more skiing.

Asked if he ever worries about getting injured from participating in extracurricular fitness programs, Johnson said, “I think about it. I think I manage my risks. I know that my team owner (Rick Hendrick) is at least OK with me being out there.”

Johnson, who last season tied a NASCAR record with his seventh championship in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, said he has been doing this for far too long and doing things he enjoys away from the track are important to him.

“If I stay in this little quarantined area, I might go ‘Carl Edwards,’ and I don’t want to do that. I need to live my life, and this is the way I do it,” Johnson said Friday at Texas Motor Speedway.

In early January, Edwards unexpectedly announced he was stepping away from NASCAR racing. Joe Gibbs Racing immediately elevated Xfinity Series driver Daniel Suarez to replace Edwards in the No. 19 Toyota.

“You can get run over by a car cycling, running. You can step off the curb in front of a bus. Again, I feel like every driver is willing to take certain risks for their fitness and to live their life,” Johnson said.

“Me being on those skis, that’s more about living my life and doing something I enjoy. I’ve been doing this way too long.”