Small hike

I walked the Jim Green Trail in Atascadero for the second time Thursday. I accidentally took a little shortcut at the top but I still feel I did a decent job of it. I was not in pain.

There is no question in my mind that my surroundings have a dramatic effect on how well I do physically. When I walk on the sidewalks and next to the railroad tracks near where I live I do not find the surroundings particularly stimulating. I focus too much on how I feel and think about how I am going to feel on the way back home. When I do a hike through a beautiful area I almost forget I have legs. Instead I am looking up, over, away, I am hearing birds and feeling breezes, I am stopping to say hi to an occasional dog. I can go a lot longer and feel a lot less pain.

The Las Vegas Blues

When I was in Las Vegas I was not in as good shape as I was in New York. I was only in LV a couple of days, hardly time to make significant moves, so I do not know why.

Still, although I limped a bit and had a little trouble standing now and then, I wasn't in excruciating pain and looking for a wheelchair.

Feeling good in New York

The real test for me, for the effectiveness of this arthritis program, is New York. And I'm there now.

I am petsitting my daughter and son-in-law's pets again. They have an apartment up two flights of steep, worn, marble stairs. I take the doggie on walks three times a day, down those stairs and up again. The last couple of times I did this I felt pain going down and pain going up, every time.

So far not this time. I am stiff and I don't move quickly but I am not feeling pain when I climb down or up the flights. This is only my third day at it but it's like night and day so far. I am able to enjoy my walks much more than previously because I am not trying to ignore knee or hip pain. I have had a bit of back discomfort, but not debiliating.

I have challenged myself, too. I went to Riverside Park the first day, then to Central Park the next, and up Amsterdam ten blocks, over one and back again today. I'm fine. I find myself plotting where we'll go next. I'm thinking of taking the subway, carrying the doggie in his bag, going somewhere, anywhere, just for the adventure. I might do that this afternoon, or maybe tomorrow.

So far so very good.