… But I’m as good once as I ever was …
So I thought as I contemplated starting to exercise today.
Today I decided I was getting too lazy so I took off for a late morning run. I haven’t run consistently for some time (a few months) and have gained about 15 pounds since June 16th.
It was hot today … really hot!
“But I’ve run a few miles in the heat before,” I convinced myself
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllll!
By early afternoon after returning from the 5 mile run/walk in heat approaching 100 degrees with no wind, I had heat exhaustion unlike anything I had experienced for a long, long time.
That pretty much wiped out my entire day.
I keep forgetting that I have a 50 year-old body with a brain that remembers exercising a certain way when I was younger. Although I can seem to do things once as if I were younger, that once takes a toil on my body.
There’s something good about working up slowly to an exercise goal.
But this I know:
When one’s physical body is healthy, one’s brain, which is part of one’s physical body, has a better chance at being healthy.
However,
The human brain has the ability to overcome the effects of the physical body and act independently of any physical frailty. It’s with my brain that I can lift very heavy weights … once. It’s with my brain that I can run 5 miles in the heat … once. And it’s my body that reminds me that no matter how strong my brain, the natural effects of mortal life will always win the competition with the brain when I do once what my body doesn’t want to do anymore.
So, the country song that goes, “I ain’t as good as I once was, but I’m good once, as I ever was,” might be better written:
“I might be good once as I ever was, but afterwards my body will never be as it just was.”
I really was extremely sick today.
Way to go you idiot 1/2-centenarian!
:-)
