Whatever happened to little old ladies who aged gracefully?
A couple of my Lennoxville ladies came into Montreal yesterday, and we hit the bike paths, cycling to St. Lambert for lunch, back onto the island via Parc Jean Drapeau (we even got to bike on the Formula 1 track!), through the Old Port, and back to my place along the canal:
35 km.
For the metrically challenged, that’s about 22 miles.
The ladies in question are both retired, which is why they have time to drive into Montreal for a long bike ride on a Thursday. I’m pretty sure both of them could have ridden the same distance again, too. Meanwhile, I was puffing and panting and wondering if my thighs would ever forgive me.
Now, I’m no spring chicken myself, but retirement is not looming. These ladies have a few years on me. But they are both in phenomenal shape, and I am, well, not. I was able to go riding in the middle of the week because I am between semesters, and even when I’m not, I’m lucky to have a job that isn’t M-F,9-5 anyway. But I still find myself putting physical activity at the bottom of the list of things to do, concentrating instead on work, house, family, food, and so on- by the time I have time, I am more inclined to flop down on the couch for televised distraction or flop down on the bed for sleep.
Maybe I need to retire.
My mum, in her retirement, is as active as ever, if not more so – she is the reigning women’s tennis champion at the Knowlton club, both singles and doubles.
I’m not sure where my racket is.
Having said that, I had a great time yesterday – the weather cooperated, and I wasn’t puffing and panting anywhere near as much as I would have predicted. Yay for smoke-free lungs! Lunch was lovely – coquilles St-Jacques on a terrase with a lively conversation about male movie stars (we all agreed that George Clooney wouldn’t get kicked out of bed for eating crackers, while unfortunately Redford, Newman, Connery and Ford have lost their appeal).
When we got home, the ladies went downtown to meet another friend for coffee while I collected the kids, cleaned myself up a bit, and got supper underway. I convinced the ladies to stay for supper, so they had a chance to meet Dr. T and the boys.
So, great day, and I am already looking forward to our next expedition.
And, Mo, in case you’re wondering – just got back from today’s 10 km, to keep the muscles active 😉
Don’t sell yourself short; you have also spent the last year (or two?) quitting smoking; thats a very serious physical achievement.
While we are on the subject though, I feel the need to menteion my impending 1/2 marathon this weekend… wish me luck.
Good luck!! I’ll be thinking of you (and thanking the powers that be that it’s your knees, not mine, running that distance!).
I agree, don’t sell yourself short. You are much better at Yoga than I am!
My Dad is one of those “iron seniors”. He cycles and runs and does herculean work in the garden. Not for the first time I want to be like my Dad when I grow up.
Thanks for writing such an easy-to-undetrasnd article on this topic.