I’m usually in some sort of pain. Or discomfort.

This is not unusual.

In fact, this is more the rule than the exception.

I’m going to break down the issues into 2 categories;

1. Long term.
2. New & notable.

So, long term, ie things that I’ve had for a while, I’m familiar with and are likely to be with me for the remainder of this trip.

• Lower back. The “official” beginning of this was when I was teaching cardio-kickboxing back in the early 00’s. 5 mins into a 1 hour class, something popped in my back. In my optimism & hubris, I decided that the best thing to do would be to finish teaching the class and then see if it still was a problem. By the end of the class I was basically immobile, hopping on 1 leg and not able to turn my torso. That was the first time I bought a cane and actually used it for the better part of a week, while performing shows at Knotts Berry Farm in California. Since then, it’s been a more or less constant companion, initially going away for a while just to pop up now & again. Through the years it has become a more or less constant state, the variable being the intensity. Anything at all can signal a more intense cycle, like getting into a car, getting out of bed, changing workout routines. Or I can just wake up and it’s sore, from nothing that I’m aware of. I’ve tried chiropractors and contraptions, with varying degrees of success. It’s been in remission lately, but it’s just a fact of life.
• Right knee. A partially torn meniscus, courtesy of bungie-jumping in Zimbabwe. When I jumped it didn’t hurt, when they hauled me back up and I started walking again, just happy to be alive, my knee was kinda sore. A month later, after an intense session of “maybe it’ll go away”, I went to orthopedic specialist, who took an x-ray and told me it was minor, and based on where it was, could just heal on it’s own. He recommended not having surgery until or unless it started to impact my life. My first question was ” Doc, I’ve got a half marathon in 4 weeks. Can I run?”. He said “Does it hurt when you run”? My answer, “No”. Doc; “Then you can run”. It’s fine most of the time, but will speak up if I do any ballistic lateral movement, like basketball, tennis, etc. Luckily, I’ve always been bad at those coordination type sports, so there’s not a part of my life anyway.
• Right shoulder. In late 2023, I tried to throw a candy cane as far as I could. No, I will not elaborate. My shoulder immediately went sore, and has stayed that way for the 10 months since. It has improved in the last several months, perhaps because of some light flexibility and resistance work I’ve done recently. But I think pull-ups & chin ups might be in the rearview, unless things change a lot.

OK, those are the long term. Now, New & Notable come and go. It can be because of a fall, or overuse, or any one of a hundred other small causes. They happen, I more or less ignore them, or slap on a compression sleeve or brace or KT tape, and hope for the best. They get about a month or two before I will even consider professional help. And most of the time they simply go away. That list currently, includes;

• Left knee. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. It could be running in general, though I haven’t increased mileage. I did do a tempo run, which was just me going as hard as I could for 10k, right after a 5k race. It was right after that, that the soreness on the outside of my left knee started. It’s been there for about a week and a half.
• Right hip. It’s not really pain, but just a feeling, similar to a fatigue I tend to get towards the end of a longer distance race, like a half marathon. But I’ve been feeling this during my regular 5 & 10 k runs. It’s again, been about 10 days.

So what do these mean for my day to day life?

• My gym resistance sessions are almost exclusively machines. I seldom use free weights anymore. And the problem with free weights is not so much the exercise itself. It’s more getting the weights, putting them on / off the barbell, or picking up the dumbbells from the floor. And stabilizing free weights uses a lot of core. One little mistake and my back… well, you know.
• Like I mentioned before, tennis, basketball, most anything involving quick changes in direction can lead to issues. And no, I haven’t tried pickleball and haven’t rediscovered golf. I’ll stick with running. It’s straight line, and it’s about training & tolerance of discomfort on race days, and I’m good with that.

And that’s life.

I’m 64 years old. I work out 6 days a week. I think that, starting in your 40’s, regular workouts with any amount of intensity are going to come with tweaks, twists, pulls, tears, and just general soreness. It’s part of the deal. And part of the gig for me is moderating & modifying. And acceptance. My half marathon P.R. (personal record or P.B. “personal best’ in Europe) is 1:35:00. I will never get close to that again. Nowadays, a sub-1:50 half is kicking butt in my book. I’ve lifted 2 plates (225lbs) on a bench press. Now, if I even tried to lift, which would be kinda dumb, 1 plate (135lbs) would be hella ambitious.

Acceptance. And intelligence. What I want to do is exercise 6 days a week. What I don’t want is to put myself on the sideline for a month or 2 because of ego or stubbornness .

Why am I telling you this?

Because sometimes I think I give the impression that it’s easy. That I just “get up, smile with the rising sun and skip happily to the gym, where the workout is easy. And maybe I think you could be the same way if you just turned that frown upside and by gosh gave it the old college try!”

Nope.

I know it can be hard. And there are challenges. And that it gets tougher as you get older. I think that I get through it because, first, it has become such an ingrained habit. I can’t conceive of not doing it. That’s just a product of having made it a part of my life for so long. I can’t give you any “quick & easy” on that one. But another is accepting the limitations of age and mileage. I am 64. I’ve had experiences which affect my strength, my flexibility, my coordination. And I’m good with the activities I engage in reflecting that. Now, when I have to put an end to my running, that might be a difficult conversation to have with myself. But so far, so good.

So the message is that you’re not alone. Everyone has issues which affect their health & wellness. Maybe knowing that makes it easier to cut yourself some slack. And continue to make healthy habits a part of your life, wherever age and experiences have put you on that journey.

Talk Later,

Bob