Chip has been away, visiting his mother and cycling down south. He’s on weather hold now waiting to fly up from Juneau, and if that doesn’t workout he’ll ride the ferry that arrives from Juneau around 3 tomorrow morning. The regular weekend ferry has been broken down, and the weather has been horrendous for flying, what with all the snow, but it’s pretty to look at.
I heard the snow plow storm by early this morning, and hopped up, planning to run right to my desk for my last day of being home alone and on my own schedule, and then working out later. ( When Chip is here, it’s a morning workout for both of us and we meet for breakfast.)These are the patterns of my life, and have been for decades. Running, cycling, snow-shoeing, yoga, swimming– whatever, whenever, where ever– so imagine how happy I was to turn on the radio and hear the news about a study of cyclists who are apparently immune to many of the issues associated with aging: aches and pains, illness, fatigue. The researcher noted that an hour of daily exercise over many years softens the heart. He said sedentary occupations harden it.
I decided to pedal rather than sit first thing, and laughed as I groaned a bit climbing onto the stationary bike. My joints are not immune to wear and tear. There are lot of miles on my legs. My knees look as if I played college football. They work well though, once they warm up. (And to be fair, softball took out my ACL, and if I had stayed on my bike the whole time, and not been in such a bad wreck in my forties, I might be a bit less creaky. It’s a miracle I can ride at all. As time goes by, I sometimes forget how lucky I really am.)
Later, when Chip phoned to say he was still on weather hold, but they are hoping it will clear enough to fly by lunchtime, I told him about the hard heart vs. soft heart study. He replied, “Your heart is already too soft,” and suggested that I sit more to harden it.
Exercise makes my heart stronger, and writing– sitting– makes it wiser. I don’t need a study to prove that.
I just heard a plane. I better run out to the airport to meet my heart’s desire. I’ve missed him.
