Mood swings

Sunrise at Terrigal this morning (courtesy Julie)

No doubt everybody is experiencing some down days (or more) during the pandemic, and today is one of them for me.

Tuggerah Lake this morning (courtesy Julie)

The more I think about the likely time-frame for easing domestic travel restrictions announced yesterday, the more pessimistic I become about the prospects for Julie and I squeezing in our planned six-month bike ride around Australia before Christmas as hoped.  Not only was I looking forward to the trip, but its cancellation also means more months of essentially killing/wasting time before we are able to do something interesting.

Tuggerah Lake this morning (courtesy Julie)

My gloom is exacerbated by my self-imposed exercise break in the hope that my chronic hip injury repairs.  It's been less than a week, but I think common-sense requires a longer break, maybe three weeks.  I'm super-conscious of my fitness loss and weight gain, and just don't feel as healthy as I would like.  Is that sense of higher blood pressure and a mild headache imagined?

It's not just the joy of running and other exercise that I miss.  I am concerned that benefits to my overall health are being lost, and I know the road back to fitness will be hard and likely punctuated with other injuries.

Rural road on Julie's run this morning

This is all against the backdrop of the activity-limiting pandemic, and my age, which has me pondering how many years I have left during which I will be able to participate in the adventures and lifestyle I love.  Maybe I have ten more such active years, and the loss of one or two accounts for ten to twenty percent.

I don't think I'm feeling sorry for myself.  I know that I have had a fortunate life in many ways.  Instead, I think (and hope) understanding the factors affecting my mood helps me chart the best course for dealing with them.  I need to keep my three-week break from exercise in perspective (where do I want to be in two months), plan an alternative adventure for Julie and me that is feasible for an August start, and find something interesting and satisfying to do until then.