Better Safe Than Sorry

Halfway to the car this morning, all suited up, heading out to qualify for the virtual Great Donut Run 5K by walking 3.12 miles around and around and around inside the Ontario Mills Mall, I suddenly felt a little light – like something was missing.

Something was -- I’d failed to put on the knee braces.

Already suited up, ready to go, I thought to take a chance and continue on without the extra support for my weak knees. But then that little voice in my head said, “What if your patella slips? What will that do to the other 5Ks you’ve signed up for?”

Good point.

Better safe than sorry.

So back I go upstairs, waist wrap off, fanny pack off, shoes off, leggings off, knee brace on, leggings, shoes, fanny pack, waist wrap back on, and off I go to the Mall.

Already somewhat exhausted by the time I arrived, from dressing/redressing and the drive, I struggled. At one point, I heard myself say to myself, “I can’t do this anymore”.

However, I persevered and, by the end, realized the struggling had more to do with having not trained – having not gotten out walking every day as had been my custom.

Indoor cycling is good in keeping me somewhat active, but nowhere near the calorie burn and level of effort walking requires. So the struggle I experienced motivates me to reorganize priorities – put needlepoint aside, stop being so lackadaisical, get up and out and walk, even if it’s just around the complex a few times.

The medal for the With You May the Fourth Be 10K Cycling event arrived in yesterday’s mail.

Advertised as “Glow (in the dark) I Do”, it didn’t. Not even a little.

I registered at the very last minute, the event sold out, so maybe the promoters ran out of medals, made more without the glow.

No matter … I still find the medal worth the effort.

On tap for remainder of the day is rest and recovery from this morning.

Tonight is Movie Night here at the senior complex. They’re showing “The Founder” – how McDonald’s came to be.

I would like to see that, but it all depends upon being able to sufficiently recover by movie time.

Yesterday’s Residents/Management meeting didn’t happen for me.

It happened … just not for me.

I denied my body the nap it was craving and instead went down to the Community Room at 2:45 for the 3:00 meeting. Three o’clock came and went, with no signs of a meeting. Then the Assistant Manager poked her head in to tell us the meeting was getting a late start because the Community Manager was tied up on a telephone conversation with “Regional Office”. Assistant Manager said she herself couldn’t step in because she was busy handling paperwork with a client … that it would be another 25/30 minutes.

With better things to do, like that nap or needlepoint, I headed back to my unit.

That nap didn’t happen. Walking in the fresh air to/from the Community Room revived me, but today’s walk so exhausted me that I feel like I’m falling asleep even as I end this post. So, off I go for that nap.

Hopefully I wake up in time for the movie.