Man . . . it’s been a long time since I’ve written a "Hurry Slowly . . . but Hurry" blog post. Truth be told, blog posts may not even be a thing anymore. But then again, neither am I!
I’d love to say there have been hundreds of emails and texts asking, “What’s going on? How’s your running coming?” Not true. But I’ve actually appreciated both of the requests I’ve gotten. Hahaha!
The End of Running (and How I Handled It)
Those of you who know me well already know: running is nonexistent in my life these days. I tried. After my hip replacement, I made an honest effort to return to my old level of performance. But about ten yards was all it took before the hip started complaining.
Walking, though? That I could do. And I still do a little. But running was simply out of the question.
Here’s the strange part: I found I couldn’t even stand going to running events if I couldn’t participate. It pulled me into a depression — not a serious one, but enough that I decided I had to go “cold turkey.” Just like when I quit smoking, I had to stop altogether. That meant I couldn’t even crew for my friends. Sorry, but it was what I had to do for myself.
I still follow many of you on Facebook, though I rarely post anymore. I enjoy reading about the races you’ve been running (or used to run). Honestly, though, some of you seem to be slacking off. WTF?
Medoc Trail Races — A Tough Goodbye
The hardest event for me to let go of has been the Medoc Trail Races. The idea for that race was born in my “micro brain,” but it was Michael Forrester and Scott Wingfield who really made it what it is. I think I probably hurt their feelings when I walked away and stopped coming at all. Guys, I love you like brothers, and I’m sorry. But I just couldn’t do it.
I’ll admit, I was disappointed when they dropped the trail marathon. I always dreamed of it being a trail marathon — heck, at one point I wanted it to be a 50K! Luckily, Michael, Scott, and the wise Doug Dawkins won the day!!! So it became a 10K and a trail marathon. And man, I loved that race.
But enough about running.
Shoulder Surgeries and House Surprises
Life has kept me busy in other ways. About three years ago I had a total shoulder replacement. Not as bad as it sounds! But earlier this July, the doctors decided they needed to remove all the hardware from that surgery and do a “revision.” That’s a fancy way of saying, take out the old parts and put in new ones. This time, they reversed the setup — socket on the bottom, ball on the top. Honestly, it hasn’t been too bad, and I’m guessing I’ll be close to 100% in a couple of months.
Just to spice things up, back in May a huge storm rolled through and a tree limb crashed into my kitchen. Water everywhere. Repairs everywhere. As of now, the flooring is about 75% done, but I’m still waiting on kitchen cabinets. No working stove. No microwave. Which means I’m now on a first-name basis with every Hardee’s employee in Littleton, North Carolina. Not the easiest situation when you’re recovering from shoulder surgery!
So if not running . . . then what?
Filling the Gap
Golf, mostly. I can walk 18 holes without much trouble, and that’s about 6.5 miles. I play once or twice a week, plus I walk my dog around the neighborhood. Golf is a great game, but wow is it frustrating! For the record: a couple of rounds in the high 70s, most in the mid 80s to mid 90s range, and Quite a few rounds over 100 but I'm trying to forget those. But hey, golf keeps me moving.
Life at 75
That’s pretty much what’s going on with me these days. I stay busy with projects, learning new things, and unlearning them just as quickly. At 75, you pick something up one day and it slips right back out the next.
Connie and I are doing well and so are our kids - Laurie and Michael and his family!
And to my runner friends who aren’t running right now — come on, get back at it! At least post something on Facebook so I’ve got something to read.
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