Global Running
Global running day is being celebrated today worldwide and it seems like a lot of people are taking part. For me, today is my day of liberation, it is a day I want to celebrate but not by running. I’m not yet in the state of health to do that. Good news though, I’m no longer confined indoors because I am 12 weeks post transplant. Yay! I can eat and drink what I want but within reason. It won’t be right to overdo it and end up in the hospital again. I have been good on my food restrictions and intend to keep following them. But, on a more relaxed level
Freedom
Truly, I’m so ecstatic about my new freedom that I want to burst into song singing “Freedom!”. Haha! I am lying down in my bed, writing and checking all my social media platforms, chatting with people. Joining in the fun of running seems like a good idea but it’s so hot out there. I don’t want to do that. Believe me, this woman here doesn’t have the motivation right now.
Skin Cancer
Besides, as the sun is out, I don’t intend to risk being out there; as the advice is to try as much as possible to keep out of the sun. The medication we use, makes us, transplant patients, susceptible to skin cancer. Yet, my African origins gives me some protection because of the melanin in my skin. I still have to be careful though.
Hydration
For those of you who are diving straight into the art of running, I applaud you from my bed. Ensure you’re well hydrated and don’t overdo it. This reminds me of some years ago. I decided to take to running as part of my kidney disease “keeping healthy” routine. I was so committed and followed a timetable. My kids encouraged me to take it a step further but I knew that I couldn’t sustain it.
A Rolling Woman Gathers No Sympathy
Anyway one day, I got ready to go on my daily run. Our house was on a hill and the next street was even steeper and works your muscles more. So it was usually my first choice when I start out. I don’t know what happened and this woman went straight down the steep hill of that street. I was rolling like the proverbial “stone gathering moss”. It was so embarrassing because I knew that the people on that street must have seen me. There was screeching coming from someone who sounded like a banshee. It didn’t seem funny at that time whilst I was rolling down that hill.
Winded
I came to a rest when I got to almost the bottom of the street, where it levelled up. I lay down there for a few minutes gathering myself and catching my breath, seemed like an eternity. Thoughts passed through my head that ranked topmost on my mind; how I was going to walk back up the street to my house.
But, I picked myself up, checked that I hadn’t broken anything and walked home following the main road. My consolation was that nobody on that street would ever see me again. I kept to my street from then on. That incident was never recounted till now. I developed a sprain later which meant that I couldn’t run for a while because of the limping from the injury.
Taking Precautions
My children asked me several times if I wasn’t going running but I always found an excuse. They even encouraged me to join them and their dad on one of their park runs close to the house. They can run 5k in such impressive times but I was not having it.
Marathons
I did nurse dreams of running a marathon. Well, I guess that is not to be except I take to the road again soon. For those who continue to run either as a hobby or for charity, I doff my hat to you.
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