64, rehab, and “crank it baby”!
Yes I played the Beatles “When am Sixty-Four” on my birthday earlier this month. Once is enough though. Turning sixty-four and rehabbing a stubborn running injury is a sure combination for feeling sorry for one’s self…The birthday came and went…the injury stayed. Three ART (Active resistance therapy) sessions, three trips to the chiropractor, religiously stretching and rolling on a firm styrofoam roller, swimming, a toe spacer (thought my bunion was causing the pain – Hey I’ll try anything…) sleeping in compression soaks, a neoprene calf sleeve and daily foot and ankle soakings in Epson salts. Finally… am running at about 80%… I’ll take it! I can’t tell which of these helped the most, the combination of all is probably where credit is due. I will tell you that the neoprene (Mc’Davids) has always helped me with calf injuries and since the Achilles is an extension of the calf, I believe it was best served by the sleeve. I’d also credit Dr Ashlee from Dr Molly Philip’s office for my last session. She worked my ankle with magic hands resulting in a pain free run the following day. So my run today (5miles) was @ a 10:15 pace – closer to where I was prior to the injury in April.

Can’t get that darn Beatles’ song out of my mind now….

Running is a gift and I truly appreciate that I am able to run at my age. (or any age for that matter). Much has been said about running and am not going to wax about the cerebral aspects, the runner’s high…My usual response to “Why do you do it?…is “Because it feels so good when I stop” In most cases this results in puzzled looks. “Ahh you are going to kill yourself….” My Response… “ok…”

My granddaughter Amelia (2 ½), calls herself “Mia”, “Amelia” being a bit too hard to say right now. Mia calls me Gran because when her mother was Mia’s age she could not pronounce Daddy… it always came out as “Dadden”, thus “Gran Dadden” or to Mia, just plan Gran. Sometimes when she addresses me she will hesitate, (she has three sets of grandparents) making sure she is not addressing GrandDad or PopPop). Funny how these names come about. My loving wife’s name is Susan (Sue)- When my nephew’s were toddlers they would try to address her as Aunt Sue, but it came out as Aunt “oo”, later refined to Auntie “oo”. So now Mia calls her Nanny “oo” – Boy does Mia love Nanny “oo”’s banana bread!

I watch Mia all the time – I mean I literally watch her play, eat, sleep and run. Mia does not walk at all… she runs everywhere. Everywhere! It’s natural for her, mostly on the balls of her bare feet. I love this!

She is pure joy! Our conversations are getting longer and more interesting each day. Her personality is exploding! She mimics a lot, mostly her mother. My god, it’s unbelievable to see your daughter with her own child and so very joyous to see how each bonds to the other. Am very very proud of Jessica (and so happy in her joy! She is a wonderful mother!!!). I have a feeling of completeness when seeing them together.

We have a pool in our back yard. A blessing and curse all rolled into one kidney shaped, cooping crumbling, chemical eating, 5 foot deep gunite hole in the ground. Mia loves to swim and anytime she is over, there’s a dash to the backyard and a “Let’s go Gran” charge. Last week, with Mia on my back, swimming end to end, enjoying the relief from the current heat wave, Nanny oo came out to join us on the deck. She wanted to expand the umbrella so that she could sit and watch us. The umbrella is the kind that extends about 45 degrees and swivel so that you can position it between you and the sun. Nanny “oo” was having a bit of trouble opening the umbrella via the crank. Gran tried to verbally guide her with a “..now crank it babe” which resulted in Mia bellowing out “YEAH CRANK IT BABY” at the top of her lungs…“YEAH CRANK IT BABY” “YEAH CRANK IT BABY” “YEAH CRANK IT BABY” all afternoon…..She makes me laugh….

“Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I’m sixty-four?”

“Every summer we can rent a cottage
In the Isle of Wight, if it’s not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera, Chuck, and Dave..”
AND
Mia with her Sister or brother arriving in September!!!
JOY!