Post 288: Treadmill, back pain and a beautiful Prom dress.
A Saturday with my Darling on annual leave is rare, but this day is not a day for going out, it’s a staying-in day doing chores like the washing and shopping.
But the day started with me on a determined path towards the treadmill again.
I said yesterday that I’d be leaving the body to recover on alternate days but here I was ignoring that idea in favour of pressing on with a second day of exercise in a row.
Before I had reached the kitchen I had found and laced up some tightish running shoes that haven’t seen the light of day for a couple of years. But that was what I needed to assist with stability on the rubber-band of boredom — aka the treadmill.
I clipped myself onto the magnetic tether and immediately started her up on 2.5 miles an hour and strode off purposely. It was cold again and the fleeced hoodie was enough to protect me from the low temperature. It soon got warmer as the distance clocked up on the readout, and the cat, who I had already fed, was crying his heart out by the kitchen patio door albeit that nobody but me could hear him over the treadmill whirring and the Rush CDblaring from the old mini hi-fi unit that was relegated to the conservatory years ago — so Mr Vicious was wasting his fishy—breath.
The time passed and the tracks clicked by as I headed to my goal of a thirty-minute workout which at 2.5 mph was a creditable 1.25 miles today. But as I jumped off the now stationary treadmill I felt hungry and ashamed in equal measure.
I had been looking at the garden and the cloudy sky while I was walking to nowhere but the inside of the conservatory is looking like a store room for a furniture shop. But among the seats and sofas there was a huge full but redundant toolbox and other metal rubbish that could and should be recycled along with stuff in the garage and the sheds. So thats another little job I can do, and do well.
After opening the door to the outside and the garden and hooking it back, I grabbed the phone with the photo evidence of my early morning pursuits and uploaded the story to the family. I then texted a mate of mine that is registered to collect scrap metal and asked him to come over for a clean-up operation.
He replied that he could on Monday and we left it at that.
Next up was a big bowl of muesli and full-cream milk that tasted creamier today for some reason. That eaten, and the bowl and spoon washed and dried, I retired to the lounge with my back pain grumbling away nastily. Was it the treadmill or my bad posture on the belt that caused it, I don’t know?
It was then, when my Darling arrived downstairs with a determined look of intent written all over her face as she headed for the poor treadmill cooling down from my exploits.
Being herself, and more importantly well trained on this aforementioned gadget, she pushed herself and the belt through a “couch to 5k” cycle and was running and walking in equal measure. She was and looked fantastic. Running on the belt so sure and keen, on top of the dieting, which are together making her fitness campaign a success.
I’m truly proud of her determination and know how much this will help her and us both cope with not only aging but aging with my cancer. We both need more strength and this is helping no end.
All the while the washing machine and dryer were doing their thing too. Such industry from us both, mostly her, is unusual but very useful.
Talking of helpful, I had a glug of “father’s little helper” in the form of Oramorph and laid down in the lounge after getting a call from little Bruv to ask if he could pop around later. After checking with the power—that—be, we said “of course you can” and my Darling headed to the shops and I duly fell asleep along the couch.
A while later, and I woke to little Bruv calling my name from quite close on and telling me not to be worried but it’s only he…
In fact, after he helped pull me up from the sofa where I’d been catching 40 winks, I saw that Bruv was with his darling wife and lovely daughter and comically we were wearing the exact same purple hoodie, same colour jeans and same colour T—shirt. OMG, twins! Ha ha.
Within minutes my Darling arrived with the shopping and the kettle was on and hot crossed buns were being heated, buttered and eaten. By the time everyone had buns and a cuppa we were learning about this morning’s trip to the prom-dress shop where my niece had been having loads of fun choosing a dress. The one she liked best and bought was beautiful on her. Stunning, in fact. How exciting for her. All she needs is a bit of a lifting of the hem or waist to allow her little legs to carry this dress without any tripping-up issues.
What a lovely afternoon we had, it was over too quickly and soon I was waving them goodbye.
We, my Darling and I, had dinner and soon headed to bed after a great day at home. It was only when I got sat on the side of the bed, readying myself for sleepy-byes, that I found myself crying quietly.
Good night all.
