OK, that sounds a little melodramatic. But my half-marathon walk at the US Air Force Marathon event last weekend was kind of a reckoning, when I was forced to admit that not only is running way, way, way out of the picture, but until I go forward with knee replacement, distance walking probably is, too.
The event itself is well-organized, inspirational, and often emotionally moving. And I was surrounded by good friends, which can make just about anything bearable.
With the aid of trekking poles, I was able to keep a pretty good pace for the 13.1 miles.
But, no lie, it was misery to walk. A thunderstorm delayed the start by 30 minutes, and then the course was enveloped in sweltering heat and humidity. At four miles in, my leg was already a wreck. When I flipped through the “official” photos of me taken along the route, all but a couple of them depict a woman who looks like she’s on a forced march. No temptation to purchase any of those!
But we were all smiles at the end.
And post-event margaritas accomplished what ibuprofen couldn’t. 😉
I had received a cortisone injection two weeks earlier, and was placing a lot of hope in that. Prior to the injection, two long “training” walks leading up to the event itself hinted at the unpleasantness to come. But hope springs eternal!
Now I’m sobered up. There will be no more long-distance walking without miraculous improvement in my knee. Practically speaking, I can’t fit knee replacement surgery and recovery into my schedule in the next six months, at least. So I am going to remove the clothing that’s been hanging on my stationary bike (since completing the cycling challenge in July) and start pedaling again, and I’m signing up for the group indoor rowing sessions that take place near me on winter evenings. If I can find a cheap indoor pool, I’ll alternate rowing with swimming. Focusing on a distant challenge like this open-water swim is good for my brain!
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Hey! Read Michael Franti’s great post about deciding to take better care of his 53-year old self. Good call, Michael! Of course we want you to be around for your wife and young son, too, but we also want to hear more great music from you and Spearhead!
50 is the new "forte" 
Like you, I’m learning that the wear and tear of aging means adapting, finding new or other ways to be an athlete. I injured my right leg badly a couple of years ago, and couldn’t take my daily walk, had to give up line dancing, and avoided stairs, since I had to use the railing to haul myself up. I was in pain and limping everywhere until my doc sent me to a physical therapist. Several weeks of dedicated physical therapy exercises put me to rights again. All this year I’ve been able to walk, dance, take the stairs, and feel like my regular self. So I decided to pursue a long-time dream and take a tap dance class. One class and a couple of practice hours at home and I was in severe pain — my right leg was hollering that it couldn’t take pounding the floor that tap requires. So good-bye tap dreams. Anyone out there want a beautiful worn-once pair of Bloch tap shoes, size 6 1/2 med? They’re discounted to $50, and I’ll pay for the shipping.
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Sorry you have to say goodbye to the tap dreams. But re: the shoes… I have sold a couple of pairs of new or barely-used shoes on Ebay. Give it a shot! Also, there’s Facebook Marketplace, but I have yet to sell something on it.
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You did it! Sorry it was so painful. That’s no good. But a swimming goal sounds like the best medicine. I’ve been thinking about trying a distance swim myself. I should find one and set the goal as you did. Back on the Broads board. Wish it had worked for you. Thanks for your writing.
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That’s really cool! And funny – because I recently found myself thinking you should go back on the board. I will hold out that aspiration for when things settle down a bit; I’ve always regretted how that turned out in that most complicated year.
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