Conclusions and the avoidance of leaping to them

For a little while, I’ve been getting to the gym…intermittently, let’s say.

I’ve been going more often in the last couple of weeks, and feeling good about it. But I started noticing that every time I did a cardio workout, my knees got so sore.

So I beat myself up: God, I must be totally out of shape. Maybe I’m just old now and I shouldn’t be running at all, even if it’s on the elliptical trainer which is allegedly low-impact. Way to let myself go. I used to be committed! I went to the gym several times a week! I did Portland to Coast not once, but twice! And…

and…

and I haven’t bought new sneakers since.

Oh.

It’s shocking how much pain your knees can be in after running, when your shoes are so worn out that they entirely lack arch support.

And that made me remember the time, years ago, that I agreed to go on a very long bike ride with my serious cyclist housemate. Not far in, I was struggling to keep up. Self-flagellation commenced! I’m way too out of shape to be doing this, what was I thinking, I’m not gonna make it, I’m such a loser…

I told her I didn’t want to hold her back, and that I’d have to stop. She was sympathetic, but not convinced of my inability to continue. We pulled over.

I’d been riding with a deflated tire. She reinflated it. I finished.