Thursday 8/1/19
I redeemed myself physically today. Was my best workout day ever, probably. I've walked more than thirty miles in a day a number of times over these past seven plus years, I've climbed the Monument fifteen times in one go, but today I ran nine miles, walked three, climbed ten times. Punishing. After running, I had to stop in to change my shirt, boxers, and shorts. So much sweat. I normally don't climb at all this time of the year, a choice that is taken from me--something happens to my lungs, it seems. I lose the last two weeks of July and all of August. I wanted to climb the entire summer this year. My efficiency goes down, even though I'm at my peak physical fitness. It's the air, I think. I managed to climb without stopping for the first seven climbs, but the last three were a battle. In fact, the final five climbs took me almost forty-five minutes. That's not godawful as a pace. But my normal five-climb pace is just south of twenty-nine minutes. I think I can schedule a visit to my cardiologist soon, for an October or November appointment. I don't like to face him unless I feel really confident. I need to go in in a good frame of mind and well-prepared physically and mentally. My pants slide right off me now, every pair, no matter how many times I roll them over at the waist. When I was a kid my mom got me Aquaman Underoos and I'd soak them with water so that they'd stick to my front.
She'd ask why I did that, and I'd say verisimilitude. Different kind of kid. My sweat-infused shirts all plastered to my front today made me think of that. The other day when Susan and Emma came back from Rhode Island--briefly--for the dog's training, they had lunch at this Mexican place around the corner and invited me. I didn't eat--I had just climbed nine times and was so thirsty--and instead tried this pineapple green cola that people rave about--tasty--and one of Emma's two best friends, Dorothy--the other being Anthony--arrived after they were done so she could hang with Emma. I had never met her. She's shy. I liked her. Susan asked if she had eaten anything and she said no and Susan got her something and that reminded me of my mom a lot with my friends. She was so nice to all of them, and it was how she automatically was, making sure they were fed, taken care of, at home away from home. One of those things that maybe looks like a small thing that is not a small thing.
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