Back in the day, when all limbs were fully functioning, a run or a ride were my go to’s.

Between my freshman and sophomore year in highschool, I sprouted like six or seven inches, and thinned out. I started to run, since I could finally do it without taking on a rolling appearance.

Brought a great sense of peace and connection. The town I lived in was sidewalked everywhere, so one could just lace ’em up and go. Early evening was great. I was almost going to stick with it, and try the cross country route at Central. But I listened to the football spirits instead, and now walking is about as fast and far as I can go.

When I got my first “corporate” job as a “manager trainee”, they had a locker room and shower on site. So I would hang a weeks worth of work clothes there and take the long way in and home on the ten speed. (…back then, that was as high as the cycle world could go. we must have had the same math issues…) I could go through forest preserves, some quasi-rural routes and get in twenty or so miles on the way in and a little more on the way out. Every day started pretty much stress free that way. I miss it.

Running has been shelved for sometime now. I have leaned into treadmill work at PF, with about a ten degree incline, and a rate that gets me a mile in about twenty. That is all well and good. But just not the same. The knee refuses to go all the way around, so I may have to rethink doing that again.

But the one escape I found to be great exercise is attending to the yard.

I may need to go to push mower front only and succumb to riding for the back. But raking is a tremendous core work out. I taught myself how to rake both right and left handed. That way no one side gets overstressed.

Weeding helps the core, on the knees or all fours. It offers mental benefits heretofore unknown. I think the term that best describes its merits is instantaneous gratification. You can relish in the work you just performed. Raking falls into that category as well.

Planting bulbs last fall was also a good core exercise. I don’t know if it is the soil in these parts, my lack of finesse with a bulb shovel or both. But I went through three of them in about a month. They found their resting spot in a recycling center. And the fruit of their sacrifice is being seen here and there around the house.

I am still getting in some time at PF. My weighted vest makes for a more invigorating walk. Almost seems redundant, adding weight to a frame already past the limit. And getting into the yard.

Workin’ my horticulture stations.