I’m getting old.
I walked fifteen miles yesterday and slept like a baby when I finally climbed into bed last night, getting a full eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. And while it was bliss to sleep after some serious physical activity, when I got up in the morning and put my feet on the ground to take my morning piss, it hurt to walk to the bathroom.
My calves and hamstrings were sore, and while usually it just takes a nice stroll around the neighborhood to get past my sore muscles, it sure wasn’t the case today. No, today as I hobbled down to the produce market for vegetables and then over to the grocery store for the rest of it, I felt sore, to the point where I had to slow down my pace so as not to hurt myself. When I got home to make breakfast, I found myself having a hard time standing without pain as I sautéed some veggies to go with my eggs.
Couple that with having to make the third appointment in as many months to see an optometrist because my prescription for my new glasses isn’t quite right, and I just feel as though my body is not cooperating with me at all. Visions of impending old age have abounded all day, mostly of me with no hair and a cane hobbling down the street while struggling to see whether the traffic light is green or not.
But I have to remind myself that I’m not old, I’m just out of shape. I’ve spent more time writing this year than I have since I was in college and the one thing that seems to have been sacrificed in the interest of this blog is the regular exercise I was getting most of the last couple of years. Thankfully, this posting every day experiment is coming to a close and come the new year, I intend to switch up my writing schedule.
Gym or yoga before work, drive the cab, then write five hundred words or more when I get home, regardless of whether I post them on this blog.
The blog will still run once or twice a week, but my intention is to focus on writing the book that’s been kicking around in my head for a dozen years instead of putting most of my written efforts into doing this blog. I’ve learned a lot doing these daily words, the most important lesson being that yes, I can write every day and that writing every day is the key to being a writer.
So while my college-age self would have told you otherwise, it appears 2014 is going to be the year that I finally write a book.
Along with the year I start a once-a-week or so food blog, just to give me an excuse for the meals that I invariably go out for at least once a week.
And along with some regular exercise. The past couple of years I was pretty good about getting to the gym or to yoga, but as soon as I started spending a comparable amount of time writing, well – that discipline went straight towards something that didn’t involve any sweat.
And as yesterday’s proof is still aching in my lower half, something needs to change, and soon. I can’t be in my thirties and feeling all beat up from walking to the beach.
I just cannot allow that to happen.
Six more weeks and a vacation later, and I’m gonna be writing a book and going to yoga.
2014 – it’s on.
But first, Thai food and another good night’s sleep for this old man.
