Living Wills and Goose Poop

Sharing is caring!

What does it mean when you are thinking about writing your living will and medical directive in the first couple of miles of a run?

In the Monday February 7, 2022 Free Lance-Star, there was a notice that the Chatham Bridge pedestrian lane would be closed from 8 am to 5 pm for the week. Since it has reopened, I’ve been doing my daily runs into the city.

I had to use one of my routes on the Stafford side of the river, lest I get stuck in the city. I decided to pass the Stafford end of the bridge in the last mile.

I’ve been having issues getting out the door each morning to run. I’m discouraged from a few extra pounds, my long-run digestive issues, the cold winter, and my morning pulse has been in the sixties for the past month.

I work part-time, four nights per week. That evening work makes my daily eating pattern inconsistent and may be causing some of my digestive issues.

With some house fixes that I should do and worries of running out of money before I do, maybe there are better things to do than run. It would be easiest to quit everything.

I am getting more sleep than in the past many years and sleeping through my alarm. Eight hours should be enough.

I fear not achieving my running goals, and each morning becomes a negotiation to get started.

Then last night, a co-worker told me, “don’t get old.” He was having lower back pains and problems moving. I assume he knows I have 20 years on him.

I start my run before 9 am with temperatures in the low thirties. I’m wearing the appropriate clothing. But, I still hot running in the sun with the wind to my back and then cold when I turn into the wind.

Within a couple of minutes of starting my run, I started thinking. I needed to write an advanced medical directive and living will and what would happen if I collapsed while running.

I don’t run with a cell phone or ID. There are enough people that know me to be identified quickly.

My daughters have sealed envelopes with where to find the necessary financial information. However, I have nothing in place for them to take over if I’m incapacitated. Maybe it’s time.

I feel my run is dragging. So, why was I thinking about needing legal documents while running?

After 20 minutes, I take a two-minute walk break. I get to my turnaround in 27:10, which is within 30 seconds of my usual time. I must not be doing too bad.

I take another two-minute walk break after 40 minutes and then start the downhill toward River Road. I’m feeling a little better as my endorphins had kicked in a few minutes before.

After crossing River Road, the Belmont-Ferry Farm Trail goes along the open river flood plain. The traveling geese have been resting in the adjacent fields, and the trail is overwhelmed in droppings. I need to watch every footfall and feel like I’m running between the rocks on the AT.

After getting to the Chatham Bridge, I did not see any lane closure signs on the travel or pedestrian lanes. I don’t like it when people don’t follow their announced plans.

I don’t have to run across the bridge for the rest of the week. My long run on Thursday will be using the Falmouth Bridge. However, I won’t have the bail-out option that I used last Thursday. Maybe, I shouldn’t worry and just run.

Somehow, I  finished 6 miles in 59 minutes and change. Feeling so bad at the start, I wonder, how?

I need to add getting some legal documents written to my to-do list. I’ll put that list on my shelf and only pull it out after a daily run is complete.

In other news, UVA beat Duke at Cameron in the last second. The Wahoos are playing better and going in the right direction. I’ll keep going in a direction, too.