This post I wrote in 2018 (Running on a bell curve) is the most frequently-visited on my entire site, according to page analytics. Apparently the world cares more about exercise theories than my artistic meanderings. Sheesh.
And I’d like to give an update on it, emerging from the pessimism I was in at the time.
Interestingly, I ended up needing back surgery about 9 months after that post was written, in 2019. And now it’s been over 5 years since I had that surgery. There were ups and downs for the first 2 years along the way, but now I tell people I’m 85%-90% recovered, which is a lot better than I anticipated.
My energy has rebounded in the last 7 years, and I’m back to running regularly. I can still run a 7-minute mile if I really want to (about as fast as I’ve ever done). And I’m also back to being the fastest player on my softball team (close to where I was in my rookie-of-the-year season), always first tapped as a pinch runner even as the average age of my teammates is about 20 years younger than me.
So… feeling pretty good! I’m not super motivated to do another marathon or even half-marathon at this point, but I think I could do it if I really wanted to. So I’m going to update my bell curve chart and make it more of a wavy bimodal curve (as you do).
Anyway, the story continues. I guess I should also mention that both my father and my son are currently sidelined in their physical movements (my dad paralyzed after a debilitating stroke, and my very athletic son dealing with a torn ACL). Seeing family members on the IR does something for my own motivation. I want to keep as healthy as possible while I have the chance, knowing that limitations are likely inevitable and unpredictable.
Let’s try another updated graph in 2032…
