I know better. At least intellectually/academically I know better.
I'm getting old. And I haven't maintained a state of physical fitness that I might imagine I have.
So when I engage in physical activity, it is not unexpected that my expectations are sometimes way out of line with reality. I sometimes over-reach. A lot.
Example #1: last summer, I lifted a 150lb electric bike to put it into a storage unit. The first two lifts to get it into position were fine, but the third one involved twisting, and I wrenched my back. I'm still working on getting over that.
Example #2: As I slowly recovered from the back injury, I was unable to do as much walking as I had been used to doing, and so my weight began to creep up. Late this past winter and early this spring, I was delighted to be able to begin walking increased distances (e.g. 4-5 miles between Masonville and downtown London). A few weeks ago while doing that walk, I hoofed it along an uneven path at a "smartish pace", wrenched my knee, and was barely able to walk for a couple of weeks. Fortunately, the tendinitis seems to have eased considerably. Vitamin I* helps.
Example #3: As a result of not being able to walk much, I began swimming semi-regularly in the pool in our building. Vigourously. Of course, I overdid it, and now my shoulders are not just sore, but have minor strains.
What a doink! I'm such a slow learner.
So here's the lesson to me (and others who may need to [re]learn it):
- John, you are no longer 25 years old. You are not even as fit as you were when you were 40.
- When you see young people engaging in physical activities and think to yourself, "I can do that", think twice: Odds are that you can't.
- Warm up slowly and considerably before doing strenuous things, especially those that you haven't done for awhile (e.g. I had a life-saving certificate nearly 50 years ago, and I just imagine/pretend I can still swim that well).
- Get your expectations and beliefs about your abilities back in line with reality.
and to all of you who see grumpy old men, there's a reason we're grumpy, and it isn't always all that funny.
*Vitamin I is our euphemism for ibuprofen.