Final entry

After having begun this running blog in November 2008, it saddens me more than I can say to now be making the final entry in it ... decades before I had expected to. However, I've been unable to run since last December 6 anyway, due to, first, back problems, and more recently (since May) knee troubles. I am still undergoing treatment for the back (and am, in fact, receiving a steroid injection in the back tomorrow). But, as regards the knee, I had a consult last week with a highly regarded back surgeon, Dr. Edward Wojtys, that a running friend about my age had recommended. He attributes the damage to arthritis, which I find stunning at my age! And when I asked him point-blank if he saw any hope in my being able to resume running at some point, he shook his head and said that, no, based on what he was seeing in the MRI and x-ray views (while he could intervene surgically, it would carry a high likelihood of leaving me even worse off than I am now in regard to daily mobility), I should make my peace with the fact that my running is now done, and should plan to get some alternative form of exercise that would be low- or no-impact. So, I'm planning to attempt to morph into a cyclist in upcoming months ... but still, this is a very hard adjustment. I didn't realize how much running meant to me until now, deprived of it.