Snow walking clears the metaphorical cobb-webs
December 13, 2010
When it came, it dumped more than one foot of snow and ice, creating all sorts of cabin fevers, delirium tremors and general harrumphing. However, I’m **free**!! I’m back on two feet, able to walk and travel, dance and prance should the fancy take me.
Mobility is dreadfully under-rated. I was on crutches, could not move with ease, was forced to slow down and couldn’t do all the things I was used to do. Even now, more than one week later, there is a certain element of regret for what seems like a massive ‘waste’ of time. Three months of hobbling, healing and howling inside like a crazed wolf as the frustration took hold.
Thankfully, that time is over. There are significant improvements to my foot, no pain other than the general pain that comes from weakness. For that, I am sincerely grateful.
The Joy of Movement
Being free to exercise has meant a improvement in terms of general fitness but more significantly, my mental health is also better. As the weeks passed it was as though ‘cotton-wool’ gathered in my mind. Looking back, the time is something of a haze. Keeping note has helped, otherwise, without acknowledgement, the days all slipped into one another. However, the snow and ice of the last two weeks means the roads/streets are very dangerous. No matter though. Three months of limited movement and extreme cabin-fever has pushed me out into the slippery whiteness.
Earlier in the week I put on two layers of thermals, two jackets, ski-pants and hiking boots and took to the hills. On occasion, my balance can be seriously dodgy. Add ice and snow and there are certainly ‘interesting’ outcomes and I’ve more than three notches on my ‘fell on my posterior’ bed post. Luckily, I went down like a leaf; softly and without harm. As well as the cabin fever, another reason for walking as far as I can is in an effort to re-build the muscles which have wasted away. It will take time but by pushing my legs through relatively deep snow I felt the challenge to my thigh and calf muscles for the first time in months. There was a fresh fall of snow, more than 8cms, bringing with it sharp clean air; tough to breathe sometimes but definitely a revitalising way to clear the metaphorical cobb-webs!
