Hindsight

The Chinese should have cracked down more quickly in Wuhan.  The US should have implemented social-distancing at least two weeks earlier.  The New South Wales authorities should never have disembarked passengers from the Ruby Princess without testing them for COVID-19.  The course of the pandemic is littered with examples of where people would have done things differently if they had another chance.

I shouldn't have had three weeks of zero exercise to try and get my troublesome hip right.  I shouldn't have played golf yesterday.  These are just two things (there are others) I would do differently if I had my time over again.

Crackneck from Wamberal this morning (courtesy Julie)

As part of the aging process, we lose muscle mass and stamina each year, even when exercising regularly.  Without exercise, the process accelerates.  In a fit young person, it takes about three weeks of minimal exercise for losses in muscle and stamina to become evident.  It stands to reason that it will take less time in an older person.  In those three weeks when I did zero exercise, I clearly lost muscle and stamina, not helped by a concomitant weight gain.  Ligaments shortened and joints stiffened.  Despite continuing with my short morning routine of strength and stretching exercises, the loss of flexibility is also noticeable.

Looking towards Terrigal Haven from Wamberal this morning (courtesy Julie)

Before the exercise break, and although injured,  I had been pursuing a policy of cutting back, but not eliminating, exercise in the hope that the injuries would gradually repair.  Although this may have delayed the healing process, it would have been good for my overall fitness and mental health.  I now think it was a mistake to stop when I began dreading my daily jog (see blog post here).  I should have just cut back the daily distance and speed a little more.

I had some discomfort with my hip when playing golf a week ago, but put it down to a lack of flexibility after my exercise lay-off, and played again yesterday.  At some point during yesterday's round, I strained my troublesome right hip flexor, and only managed to jog 100 metres this morning before realising I was making it worse.  The pain is slightly different and lower in the hip flexor than my chronic injury, so there's some hope that it will settle down after a day or two.

Terrigal from Wamberal this morning (courtesy Julie)

Nevertheless, I feel like my running career is flying in ever-decreasing circles.  I need to get fit to avoid injuries and for my overall physical and mental well-being, but each time I try, I get injured and get even more unfit and unhealthy.  There's no sense stewing over past decisions, and I'm trying to deploy the rational to overcome the emotional.

Some would argue that I should come to terms with the aging process and accept my fate, and it does distress to me to know that my physical abilities will continue to decline markedly.  However, there's a part of me that believes giving in is the greatest enemy, so I need to accept that this conflict between the need for fitness and my body's frailties is going to become a permanent and significant part of my life from here.  There are going to be more times like this.

I did walk 4km this morning, and will try to do the same again tomorrow.