Detour!

I left the house yesterday morning with the full on intention of simply walking up to the mailbox to post some bills and then over to the corner store to pick up the newspapers. What happened?

Highjacked – the brill weather is to blame. There was no other choice but to take a right instead of a left and walk onward. I panted and sweat my way up Great Hill over to Nut Island (not actually an island, though it once was – now it's a slim spit of land hanging off the edge of Hough’s Neck). It was gorgeous. Blindingly so. From there I ducked down Nut Island Ave and scrambled over the boulders to Parkhurst Beach.

Scrambling – I’ll never be mistaken for a gazelle or even a great lumbering, brown bear. Getting up the hills and over the rocks is much more of a challenge than ever. Some of this is assuredly due to my no-balance-nerve state of being but the other bit is that I’m just flat out, outta shape. Oh yeah and I’m 57 too. Damn!

The getting in better shape thing I can do. Gotta mix more rock scrambling into the daily routine. Given that we’re finally in the brill part of spring – 70º sunny days, YEA – that’s très doable.

As for the dearth of balance nerves – I can’t manufacture new (DAMN!) BUT regular clambering will train up my body memory. I seem to say this every spring and then what happens?  I mostly ride. When I trike, I feel whole. My mega wonky balance isn’t an issue when I’m pedaling. Yes, this is exercise and yes there are hurdles (hills! distance! rough roads!) but it’s all straight up – that is, my challenges are no more than any other late middle aged, not-a-gym-rat babe would experience. It’s entirely too easy to skip other, necessary workouts – just strap on my helmet, sit down on my three wheeled steed and GO.

Another reason to get up to speed balance-wise is that I’d like to go on more walks with my pal Jenny out in Arizona. OK, OK, I know that I’ve said that it’s not the the hiking that I love, it’s the views, the scenery. Sadly, the greatest, bestest vistas generally need to be trekked, not triked to.

A walking stick is a good idea. I found this cool looking cane – a staff really – while cleaning the other day. A woodworking acquaintance gave it to me. Kind of Gandalf-y in'nt? Yeah, I'm diggin' this. Now I just need to remember to wear decent hiking sneaks. Yep, that'll be a big fat serious challenge for me.

Alright, here's a confession – I also want to sharpen my balance so that I don't seem like such a weak, lame goose. I truly love that my friends and family lend me a hand on stairs, hills, rocky outcroppings and ferocious curbs but, at the same time, it reminds me that I'm no Nadia Comaneci. Yeah, yeah, yeah, this is a MAJOR understatement but I can work towards developing the abilities I've got left.

Dammit.