Get Bent

Friday September 25 2009

Yes, I can see now why some older endurance riders walk around slowly, painfully, bent over, with a creak in their back and a hitch in their gitalong.

Heck I'm not 47 yet and I see that coming. Maybe soon. I'm not as flexible as I used to be, I don't bounce as well anymore, and I don't heal as fast. Bad wrist from years of trail work moving heavy rocks. Sometimes an aching shoulder from that too. A bad knee from trail work and riding that's been creeping up on me and that's getting to where I can't ignore it all the time anymore in the saddle or going up and down stairs or hills. Remember that sandaled toe I stuck underneath a horse's hoof in June? What's this, September? It's still not shrunk to its normal size yet and it still sends out a protest now and then. And now the broken rib. I have crappy posture anyway but now I really find myself hunching over to protect it when I breathe, and walking carefully so as to not jar it.

It was getting a smidge better every day (or maybe that's wishful thinking)... but that damn horse Dudley almost got out last night, AGAIN, had four heavy fence panels bent down at a 45* angle and he was workin' it. I got mad at him for making me hurriedly get out of bed (painful) get dressed (painful) and hobble over there at midnight. Angrily threw a water bottle at him (dumb, and painful) and angrily yanked the four heavy gate panels back into place (dumb! and very painful!), and today I'm not better than yesterday. I caught Dudley and put him away in a tiny pen for the night, and shambled back to bed, my rib smarting again.

(I have not yet given up on riding in our 5-day Owyhee Canyonlands ride next week... but we'll see.)

Soon I'm going to be hobbling about like some of my older endurance riding heroes.

But I can always say, it's been a great ride and it's still a great ride!

A bent endurance body is a great badge of honor to wear.