Monday, December 3, 2018

HAVE YOU TRIED TO RUN LATELY?



Reworked from Dec. 2010 



Of course this post does not apply to most of you as you are probably still gazelle like, but anyone even near my age can possibly relate. I haven't run in years, mainly because there has been no need. I never was a distance runner in my youth but a heck of a sprinter, really fast but with limited endurance.

I have always admired people who jog daily. Those who can run apparently effortlessly and joyfully, have always made me green with envy. So, for a good portion of my life, I have been a contented walker but always thinking in the back of my mind, I could run if I had to.

I was watching a football game the other day and was focusing on the young players who would often skip back to the sidelines after a good play. I flashed back to my youth and remembered how much fun it was to skip. It is such a joyful way to move.


Could I still skip? I had to try. Planning my skip attempt route to end at the couch for safety reasons, I tried to convince my muscles that they remembered what to do. It may be like bike riding and is lodged somewhere in my memory banks but evidently my filing system is suspect.

It was not pretty folks. My legs turned spastic and incredibly heavy. My feet barely left the ground and thudded in heavy, uncontrolled semicircles as my arms flailed above my head looking for help. I felt like an out of control windmill and my ceiling fan was in serious danger. I was so grateful for having chosen the couch as my final destination. That part worked out quite well.


I am so grateful I did not take that spectacle outside for the neighbor's entertainment. Phew, scratch that off my bucket list. Who needs to skip anyway?

But back to running.   Before Christmas, I was walking my young neighbor boy back to the gate after a lovely visit and gift exchange. Mr. C, whom I wrote about here, drove by, saw us at the gate and came to a screeching halt.


Mr. C had left me a card and some homemade brownies in my mailbox the previous day and wanted to know if I had gotten them all right. I told him they were so good that I had devoured seven eights of the brownies the same day. I asked him to wait while I got his present.

His package was in the house and knowing he was in a hurry to deliver more of his calorie loaded presents, I asked him to wait and proceeded to run back to the house to get his gift. It was a nightmare folks. Instead of nice long, smooth strides taking me quickly to the house as I envisioned, my legs turned into pistons on me.

Instead of stretching forward, they went up and down in choppy, teeth jarring stomps. I was moving all right but it was mostly in a vertical fashion. I was making very little forward progress. My house just didn't seem to get much closer as I diligently labored. Then I started to laugh.

Life does travel in circles, karma does exists. Many years ago, I had witnessed an elderly fellow jogging in Florida. He was making the exact same motions I was currently exhibiting. It had tickled me so much at the time that I had actually mimicked his run for my co-workers amusement. I remembered saying, “ He was running, but up and down, not forward,” as I giggled.


Ah, the arrogance of youth.  I gave up my ungainly attempt to run and walked swiftly to the house only a little bit embarrassed but very amused.

So should I have tried to skip and run at my age ? Good grief no, not without conditioning and balance work first. But try telling that to the 30 year old mind that lives in this old carcass. Don't worry, lesson learned. That thirty year old mind has been properly chastised.


So I say, run with caution my friends, skip in the privacy of your own home close to something soft and listen to that 30 year old mind with a healthy dose of skepticism.

38 comments :

  1. I hear you, Patti! I sometimes need to pick up my pace to cross the street before the light changes, and I can feel how out of practice my old legs are while "running" -- and I won't even try to skip! :-)

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    1. Djan,
      I had to smile for I do the same thing in parking lots when people kindly wave the old lady to cross in front of them. Being nice to them back, I try to make it in front of them quickly.

      Delete
  2. Well, I am 62. I can skip and run and jump. I think the reason for this is because I walk a dog 3 miles a day at the very least. This dog has gotten me feeling a lot better.
    My husband told me I couldn't jump when I said I could. Then he asked when I last jumped. Ah, trying to reach for something on the 2nd shelf. So I had to prove it. Dufus. I can still jump. So at what age is this going to hit me Patti? I don't run, skip or jump near as well as I could when I was younger but it's all still functioning at this point. I need to be prepared!

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    1. Peggy,
      Proud of you. Well you should have at least a good 10 years left and even more if you keep up the walking. I wrote that when I was 71.

      Delete
  3. You had me laughing at the running up and down but not forward. A few years ago I wanted to see if I could still run and I couldn't remember how to do it! I finally did manage about twenty feet but it felt so unsafe I'll never do it again unless I find a long hallway with an handrail the full length to hold on to...hey, maybe that's something to look forward to if I ever go to a nursing home. I actually did run on a treadmill two years ago but I was holding on for dear life.

    I envy you having neighbors who leave off baked good!

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    1. Jean R,
      It is amazing how the form changes. Good thing we don't really have a reason to run these days.
      Mr. C is a special man.

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  4. Clever idea trying it in the house. I still try and run for the bus. Why? I don't know because any day now I am going to go headlong to the amusement of everyone on the bus.

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    1. Fun60,
      Well as long as you use it you may not lose it like I did. That old muscle memory thing.

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  5. You made me smile. I will tell you I haven't run (or jogged) since I was a teenager and developed breasts. It doesn't matter what undergarment I wear, nothing are holding the girls in place when I try...and it's not the least bit comfortable. Walking it is. Though I must admit I'm going to try skipping again...just to be sure. :)

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    1. Eileen,
      Ah ha, you were one of those BIG girls. Never had that problem.
      Just be careful skipping. Lots of body parts need to coordinate.

      Delete
  6. I'm going to try to skip later this morning. Wish me luck!!

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    1. Fran,
      Well you may have all ready tried it. Hope it was a great success but if you haven't tried yet, pick a soft landing spot. Amazing how two legs can get tangled.

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  7. No... no running. Couldn't even do it well as a child. Once I tried running as fast as I could make myself go, lost control, went sliding into the schoolyard wall and had to have stitches.
    But I have no trouble 'walking'... love to walk! THAT I can do forever. And skipping or jumping is not on my agenda either.

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    1. Rian,
      That collision might have kept me at a walking pace also. Yikes. Walking is the best for us. Keep that up.

      Delete
  8. Glad to know you made it through the skipping and running with no bruises or worse sweet Patti. I run now and then down the hall...not at a very fast pace though. As for skipping I have not tried that in years. Since I am older than you I don't think trying to skip would be a very good idea. What a nice thing exchanging gifts with neighbors. Hugs

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    1. Maggie,
      Sounds like a good plan. Falling is never fun. Yes I do have some lovely neighbors.

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  9. Dear Patti, I'm so glad that you reposted this because I didn't start blogging until mid-2011 and so missed this one. And what a miss it was for it had me giggling by the end. I'm still sitting here, typing, with a sappy grin on my face. Running? Skipping? Those of actions that the cats have never seen me do and never will!!!! So glad though that, like you, I have a 30-year-old mind, although recently I concluded it was really 42! Peace.

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    1. Dee,
      Probably a good idea. I haven't trained my dog to dial 911 yet.
      Forty two is a little more mature of a mind but it can still get us into trouble:))

      Delete
  10. I gave up running fifteen years ago and took up speed walking instead. Now I walk more slowly but as far as I can make it with my cane to give me confidence. Even a block or two makes me feel better.

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    1. Carolyn,
      As long as we keep moving we will be all right.

      Delete
  11. After reading this very great account, I'm sure I will never try any of these things again.

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  12. I laughed so hard at this and then told my husband about it who then proceeded to skip out of the living room in a very ungainly manner. Still laughing. Yes, best to try these athletic things in the privacy of one's own home!

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    1. Snickelfritz,
      Ha ha, so glad I found your funny bone. I sure hope you videoed your hubby. It is amazing what our muscles forget.

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  13. I guess the trick would be to never stop skipping and running in the first place...maybe?

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    1. Chip Butter,
      Absolutely right. We use it or we lose it.

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  14. I'm in the walk with caution phase, myself.

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    1. Mage,
      Me too--especially since I wrote this 8 years ago.

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  15. I know about running. I can't. As you noted, my mind thinks it should be easy, but nope, I can't.

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    1. Linda R,
      I know, in my head I am speedy and smooth. Darn that head.

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  16. I don't run or jog for pleasure, but if I'm walking towards my bus stop and the bus is right there, I'll sprint to catch it rather than wait for the next one as buses here are often 30 minutes apart. I never skipped much as a child, we had to in school as part of PE lessons and all the girls laughed at the boys who fell over their feet everytime. but outside of that I thought skipping was silly and didn't bother with it.

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    1. River,
      Hey, if you can still sprint you are good.

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  17. I run as long as I can daily.

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    1. Trippe,
      Welcome to TNS. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. You are the kind of runner I have always been envious of. Keep running as long as you can.

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  18. This is awesome. Really admire your dedication and decision to continue.

    My back doesn't enjoy the running process, but can handle vertical biking at the gym.

    You go, girl.

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  19. Skipping , running — do people actually do that? I guess I must have forgotten. When I reached a point of no longer being able to “go through the broom handle” it’s been downhill ever since. How are you at skipping down stairs? I hang on to the railing these days and take them one step at a time. What happened to all my agility?

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