Doing What It Takes

I've been hiking quite a bit lately.  For those of you that have watched me run onto the football field, you're probably thinking that must be some kind of a joke.

Remember Chester from the old Gunsmoke days?  That's pretty much me when I'm "sprinting" across the field to take care of an injury.

They measure my 40 time with a calendar instead of a stopwatch.  when I stand up from sitting, my right knee sounds like the sound track from an Orville Redenbacher commercial.

Multiple knee surgeries and a lifetime of knee abuse will do that to you.  My X-Rays look like the "before" version of a successful knee replacement surgery.

But I love to hike--always have.  My teen years were filled with Boy Scout trips, at first with a canvas pack and a hand-made wooden pack frame.  College days and into my 20's found me backpacking all over the Smokies, now with the latest equipment and my treasured Svea stove.

My kids grew up hiking and backpacking.  Their first overnight trip was to the Little Bottoms area on Abrams Creek.  I think they were 3 and 5.  My daughter has kept that up with her own family, already seasoned backpackers.  My son, eh, not so much.  Not his thing.

Jump forward a bunch of years and my wife (of now 41+ years) has found that she loves hiking too.  And she can walk the legs off of most people I know.

So we hike.  Together.  As often as we can.  Our favorite local hike is up Bald River, above the falls.  Most people walk out onto the bridge, take a photo, and never venture far.  Those that do, usually stop at the top of the falls.  They don't realize that the real treasure is to be found mere steps on up the trail.

And Indian Flats Falls above Tremont.  Oh, my.   If you find it, you'll think you've discovered this secret gem hidden behind dense undergrowth.

But how do I do it?  How do I run I'm on my last leg but hike at a pace that puts many a younger man to shame?

Part of it is impact force.  Hiking (unlike running) minimizes that for me.  I wear orthotics and good boots and always use trekking poles. 

I do strength training regularly, keeping my legs strong with lifts like squats and deadlifts that I used to think had no value for a man my age.

Oh, my weight is a factor.  I weigh less now than I did in the 8th grade.  Don't understand the impact (literally) of that?  Carry a 20 pound weight around all day and then tell me what you think.

But the biggest reason is probably my core strength.  It's pretty decent.  I work hard at it.  All the time I spend on a bike helps my core tremendously.

So there you have a formula for staying active and not giving in to a sedentary lifestyle.   Even if your knees have long since betrayed you.