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Rusted Running Feet


Plod, plod, plod. I jogged nonstop all the way around the block. Nearly one-quarter of a mile that first day. Yes, it was tough. On my lungs. On my knees. On my whole body.

Lumber, lumber, lumber.
The second day, I jogged, gasping, but nonstop, for half a mile.

When I got home, I told the Husband that my jogging went from  plod, plod, plod to lumber, lumber lumber.

The Husband asked, "How is plodding different from lumbering?"

The sound is different. It is.

Pad, pad, pad. My gait sounded like Molly the Cat's when she scoots across the kitchen floor in search of something mischievous to do. I went three-quarters of a mile that third day. I remembered to breath in through my nose and not my mouth. I tried not to think of the twinge in my right knee.

The fourth morning, I laid in bed thinking which route around the neighborhood would make one mile. And I thought about whether I ought to run at all. Maybe I ought to pay attention to the twinge that was now twanging in my right knee. It might go away after I stretched and rumbled along the street a bit. Or, it might tear.

I got out of bed and did my stretching exercises.  Afterwards, I decided for once in my life to pay attention to my body.

That was last week.

"Walking is just as good," the Husband said yesterday as we walked back from the bicycle shop where Tilda-Hilda was getting an extra-duty tire tube installed. "It's better for your knees."

"I know. I just miss the feeling of running."

It's been nearly 30 years since I ran -- excuse me, jogged -- on a regular basis. That was when I lived in San Francisco and ran every other day in Golden Gate Park. I liked going pad, pad, pad down the dirt paths, imagining that I was a village messenger bringing important news to the other villages. And, I liked participating in the fun races for the tee shirts. Actually the idea of doing a local 5K run in January got me motivated to see if I could actually do the motions of running again. Now I know.

Comments

  1. Susie,

    You're running! Wow! "I just miss the feeling of running." That's exactly the reason I started running 3 years ago. One day I also wondered if I could do the motions of running. I could but I don't think I ran nearly as far as you on my first attempt. I think you did much, much better than me. I came home feeling sick and declared running was a stupid idea. I only persevered because my children were impressed I'd gone running. They made me feel like Superwoman and I had no choice but to get out there the next day and try again. I'm glad I did.

    I'm thinking the Husband should run with you. It's good to have a support partner. You can encourage each other along and congratulate each other when the run is over. Then treat yourself to well earned coffee and a rest!

    So are you going to train for the 5K race?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Sue. I wish I could say I was training for the 5K. My knees said "No!" very loudly to running. So I shall stay with walking and bicycling for now.

      I'm wondering if I want to run because I'm older and I can't on account of my knees. But should I ever run, or jog, again, the Husband would support me by saying, "Did you get the phone?" He doesn't like running. But I just thought of something: I could run alongside him as he takes long steps.

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  2. Once you put aside a certain exercise, it's most difficult to get back into it. I don't walk during the summer (too much garden work) but I try to get back into walking again come winter. There is always an excuse..... too cold, too icy. LOL

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    Replies
    1. That's how I felt the first few seconds riding Tilda-Hilda after 29 days. The Husband thought I was going to crash, I was wobbling so much. hahaha

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  3. Walking can be just as good and not as hard on the knees plus you bike with your trusty Tilde-Hilda. I think you are doing amazing work with your exercising

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Birgit. I'm proud of myself for not slacking off too much this past year.

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  4. I'm pretty sure there are bicycle-a-thons that have T-shirts too.

    I once contemplated running, then I learned that the amount of pressure/weight/compression/thingy for every step you take is a gazillion (official technical term) times that of your actual body weight.

    Bicycling and walking for me too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd like to do a cruiser bike-a-thon or cruiser bike race. I would love to place in the top 3 in the 60+ category.

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Thanks for the good cheer. :-)

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