jogging | Diary of an Adventurous Retiree

My friend Chantal and I, started running together about 25 years ago. It was her idea. She wanted to get fit and thin after having a baby. “No way, Chants,” I said. “I’ll do aerobics, circuit training, modern dance – anything – but run – never!” But my younger friend has strange powers of persuasion and I ended up going along with the plan. We followed the Run/Walk for Life programme – and it worked. Within three months we were running 5km with ease. And we loved it! Over the years we have been eratic in when and how we ran – sometimes together and sometimes alone because of our changing schedules. I hurt my back 7 years ago and this and a dicky tummy made me stop running and turn to other forms of exercise. But Chantal has kept it up faithfully forever. She’s just relocated to Australia and her running route, now among the jetty beauties of Sydney, is on to envy indeed.

But Chantal – you’ll be proud to hear – I’m back on the run – Yes – I know I said this last year too – but when the summer ended so did the running on Struisbaai Beach. But now that Summer is here again and the Beach is calling I’ve decided to resist no longer. I started on Wednesday – Fish Hoek being my beach of choice. Not as glamorous as your neck of the woods where the beach goers are young, fit and gorgeous, and the beaches just too amazing to describe – but it suits me fine to be among peers many of whom I recognise from years of residing in “The Valley!”

Now just in case you think I’m back to my normal stride – don’t be fooled – I jog along at an elderly pace with my grandsons in tow – streaking ahead and doing double the distance there and back, there and back to check on the old girl. Josh is like Bolt and Jay only attempts to be in order to prevent his younger brother from making him look bad. Josh’s pace is too fast for him and he is doubled over with exhaustion in his attempt to keep up. This puts him into deep depression but at least it’s a motivator to get him up in the morning! We’re there just after 7.

This morning Grandpa came along too as he had to pick up staff from the station. The boys thought he’d join us on the run – but that wasn’t going to happen – nor did he venture into the icy sea. However, he was good enough to take some photies.

We have a family of Egyptian Geese who trust the Fish Hoek humans enough to swim amongst them. Usually Egyptian geese prefer fresh water but not so in The Western Cape – there are several seaside places they frequent.

It didn’t bother them at all that I was so close

A seafaring family of geese

The Lads braving the cool waters – note the shark boat taking out the net

I wish you were here to run with me again, Chanti – miss you my friend!

Not so long ago, when I was a sweet young thing, I thought 60 was old. All the 60 year-olds I knew complained of sore knees, backs and shoulders. They discussed their ailments and operations at every social gathering and groaned when they got up from a sitting or lying position. They all had grey hair, were pleasantly plump and seemed content that the end of their days were drawing nigh. Conversations with them were always interesting as they reminisced about the ‘good old days’ None of them jogged, rode bicycles or went to gym. Few worked, all had grandchildren and nobody’s kids still lived at home.

I think that somewhere along the line I’ve lost count of the years. I know that I’m turning 60 tomorrow because I was born in 1952 – but how did 1992 to 2012 flash by so quickly? I till feel like I’m 40 and I think still live my life like a 40 year old.

I should start acting my age – but instead what do I do? Kicking and screaming I drag myself off to a personal trainer twice a week. The idea is to keep my back from caving in and ensuring the joints and muscles don’t seize up. Gentle exercise is what I expected. It all started innocently enough and was nothing like the variety of activities that I’d tried before – from Jane Fonda aerobics and feeling the burn to gym circuits, cycling and jogging. None of these hectic activities can compare to what I put myself through now with a personal trainer who has worked miracles with me – no more back pain, no aches in my joints – which is why I keep going. But really isn’t it a little inelegant for a girl my age to be hanging upside down on unstable rings, doing pikes on a stability ball and playing slam dunk with a ball that doesn’t bounce. Should I be skipping rope like a 7 year-old, exhausting myself doing burpies and straining my aging brain with manoeuvres that require a dancer’s co-ordination?

How inelegant is this

Is this even safe?

I’m being brainwashed that it is all good for me. All this exercise – as weird as it is and honestly I never know what crazy thing I’m going to be required to do next – is supposed to prevent Alzheimer’s, increase bone density and prevent all sort of other things that make you old.

Well maybe it is working because once a young man – a very young man – said he couldn’t believe I was older than his mother. “You have a personal trainer, don’t you?” he guessed.

So tomorrow I will proudly turn 60, grateful that I still have the energy to help raise a family, have a career that I love and indulge in my outdoor passions.

Thanks to my excellent hairdresser for preventing my hair from revealing my true age, my personal trainer for keeping me fit and my family and friends for giving me emotional stability because really its that, which really keeps me feeling young.