In the 60’s I hiked. Backpacked in the mountains, cross-country and downhill skied in the winter, rode my bike in between.
In the 70s, making very little money as a school librarian, and ran. I started with a half mile, then a mile, then two. Quit smoking for good. I ran every day, I ran when I couldn’t sleep, on hot nights, snowy evenings, early mornings. I rode my bike for 30 - 40 mile loops when I wasn’t running, working or sewing. I made all my clothes, except t-shirts… I remember being excited when the pattern for Calvin Klein jeans came out. I sometimes made jeans from upholstery fabric, tennis shorts from old sheets, tops from linen dishtowels. I spent what little money I had on running shoes, Shaklee vitamins and fabric. I bought a dozen and a half fresh eggs, fresh vegetables from the farmstands, shellfish and packets of Oodles of Noodles weekly - and cooked it all up together, pretty much every night. I baked loaves of bread, made pizza dough and cinnamon rolls.
In the 80’s I went back to college, became an geologist, moved to an urban part of the state. Traveled a lot. Running became an on and off thing, handy when I was travelling but not an everyday thing anymore. I biked and kayaked on my time off. Longer and longer bike rides. I bought kayaks (4), one for rivers, one for creeks and two for the sea and camping. I spent a lot of time exploring the coast in my sea kayak, camping on the islands. In Spring I paddled down the local whitewater rivers with groups of paddlers. On a nice weekday summer or fall morning I’d strap my bike and kayak to the car, drive somewhere I wanted to paddle, drop the kayak, drive to the takeout, drop the car, ride the bike back to the kayak, lock the bike to a tree, kayak all day, then load up, drive to the bike, pick it up, and drive home.
In the 90’s I rode my bike more, longer and longer distances. Lots of charity rides, across states, Boston to New York… sometimes I’d ship a bike to a job site and ride it in the evenings after work. I lifted weights, started running again for awhile. It wasn’t hard to start again, but I began to have sore knees, hips, so I’d lay off. Some hiking, swimming, kayaking, when I had the time.
I still didn’t own a home, have a big circle of friends outside of work. Didn’t own a sofa, a TV. I had 2-3 bikes, 4 kayaks, a small sailboat, skis, snowshoes, racquets, balls, boots, straps. Lots of straps. I got awfully good at tying things to my car or truck. When I saw a cliff out the window on a trip, I’d be out there the next minute or chance I got, climbing up have a look.
After Y2K I bought a house. Biked a lot, still. Camped. Walked. Sometimes hiked with friends, paddled a bit. Ran for a while, 6 months. Started looking for a dog. Got some friends, connections. Got a less active job, biked around town. Got the dog. Walked. Walked more
I have one kayak now, but the dog doesn’t fit into it and I can’t strap it to the roof of the convertible I drive so it’s in my cellar. I have my x-c skis, but rarely use them, maybe once or twice a winter, my boots give me blisters. Have snowshoes. Have three bikes, the carbon-fiber road bike stays on it’s rack. Last Spring my right knee swelled to twice its size when I rode only a short group ride, I’m reluctant to head off for the day (and I don’t want to leave the dog), so I ride 3-5 miles maybe once a week. My Tai Chi teacher moved out of town.
I walk the dog 2-3 times a day. On the beach. Sometimes around time, early morning, evenings. I walk fast up hills. My legs are strong. I want to run.
I blew up the tires and lubed the folding bike this weekend, put it in the car trunk. I think about running a lot. During my walks, I run a little. I want to run. It won’t be like it was, I know that from the way I shuffle now. It is a shuffle, but it doesn’t have to be. Won’t be, if I start again, keep at it. I read a few things in the Times by Jeff Galloway about run-walk training. That’s how I started running again several times, and I want to do it again.
I’m trying to get free of debt. I’m on a strict self-imposed budget. There was a time when I might have been able to retire in a year or so, but not now. Investments are back at 1990’s level. 20-odd years of saving gone, or gone for now, because I’m an optimist.
But I want to buy some running shoes. I have some ASICS but they’re not very good. I want to run.
Posted on June 9th, 2009 by jaxie
Filed under: weight loss
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