Reaching For The Sky - Part IV
2016 05 10
Thursday 21 April forced my exercise regime to come to a full stop. That evening we attended a braai on a farm, and by Friday morning i was cemented to my bed with a cold, a sore back and an even more sore hip. The hip had been sore the whole week, but now i couldn’t even lie in bed on my right side without pain. Since we were supposed to have left on a photo trip two days ago already – which was postponed in a failed attempt to save a big transaction from going down the drain – we had hoped to leave by Saturday. With the way i was feeling, we only eventually left the following Wednesday, which really cut into our photo time. Listen to me carrying on about photo trips. The main point is this: my exercise routine is about non-existent at this time, mainly because of that old lady, who refuses to take her hip back and return mine. In two weeks’ time, if it’s not better, i'll probably have to consult a doctor.
2016 06 13
Two weeks quickly turned into a month, but eventually i made my way to the doctor last Friday. As you may remember, my right hip had become sore from not much exercise at all, and as the pain would not subside, i had to surrender to a doctor’s appointment. The prognosis was good: No permanent damage, no injections with cortisone, only some anti-inflammatory tablets and some stretching. Even though i still have pain, the doctor has cleared me for exercise again. Wowie! What a relief.
Before i could start with my extremely extreme exercise routine again, i had to get some new exercise pants, so That-Man took me to the mall. What was meant to be a quick trip in-and-out of one shop turned into an agonizing hour in three establishments. Apparently some Fashion Illuminati meeting decided to do promote the circus clown look in 2016. Pants should adhere to the following requirements:
- Pants have to fit closer than a woman’s skin around her hips and thighs;
- Pants have to have a very low seam between the thighs;
- Pants have to have either ribbing or an elastic band at the heels.
The only exception to these rules is for pants in sizes small enough for pre-pubescent girls.
To cut a long story short, the only pants i could find that remotely fit the description of what I had originally set out to find, was a pair of palazzo pants in a navy-and-white ethnic print. It was still one size too small around the hips, but with some low-carb food and a little exercise, hopefully it will fit better very soon. What it will look like on a stationary bike in the gym is another matter, but for the moment i was simply thankful to be out of the mall and back home.
That afternoon we exercised together again for the first time since April, and apart from the pain in my hip, it was good to feel the blood rushing through my veins again. Yes, when you start where i am at, the blood rushes through your veins on short walks. i sticked to 2km, and the next morning, just as the first cold front of the winter arrived in town, we did another 4km.
Then we set off for a meeting with two friends who are interested in hiking the Annapurna Circuit with us in October. The dates were finalised and some arrangements discussed. Everyone shared their research on some or other matter, and we all nervously talked about altitude sickness and our need to keep learning more about it. All of us were ready to prepare for the big climb across Thorung La at around 5,400m altitude, and the excitement about reaching this goal has infected each one of us. As this part of the adventure gets closer, we’ll keep you up to date and share our rookie thoughts with you.
Until next time, keep moving. Yes, even if your extremely extreme exercise routine involves only 15 minutes of activity; even if 2km of walking gets your blood rushing through your veins; even if . . .
Really? Should i have to justify something that is in all of our best interests? Keep moving!
Other articles in this series include:
