Growing old (Lindsey)

November 27, 2008: Thanksgiving day and my 26th birthday. I set my alarm for 5:00am to allow time for a quick cup of coffee before my 5:30 interview with an environmental group in the Philippines. The alarm went off and I rolled over, cursing my decision to work in global health, wishing I could enjoy Thanksgiving morning like a normal person in my own time zone. I wanted to snooze – but the day wasn’t going to wait – so I rolled over and tried to sit up.

As I lifted my head off the pillow, I felt a sharp pain running from my neck all the way down my left shoulder and arm. I screamed, grabbed my shoulder, lay back down and began to roll around dramatically on the bed (which clearly proved pointless as nobody in the entire city of Atlanta was awake to sympathize). After a few moments of heightened agony, I tried to sit up again, winced as the pain returned – then began to curse my birthday.

My dad was right; I was over the hill, closer to 30 than 20. I have neck pain and probably a few gray hairs as of this morning. How in the world do I think I am going to run 13.1 miles in March? I haven’t run any miles since college. I have spent my early 20’s on a flat coral atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. A taxi driver ran over my foot and broke it last April – I was on crutches for a good part of the spring, and my legs have just now started to look like they might be the same size again. What am I thinking? Why did I even consider marathon running in the first place?

After a few minutes of serious self-doubt, I decided to stop whining and get myself out of bed. I remembered my interview and realized I had approximately 7 minutes to get a cup of coffee, collect myself, and sign onto Skype. I also remembered that Dad and Lauren would be coming to pick me up for our family “turkey trot” at 9:00am. And 26 or not, I wasn’t about to let my dad or my baby sister show me up. So I got dressed, double-knotted, took a few Advil with my morning coffee and prepared to run.

(I am not sure the end of this story is particularly relevant. I don’t feel the need to confess that, in fact, my neck pain seemed to indicate some sort of minor disk problem – clearly brought on by this significant birthday – and it was enough to keep me from participating in the turkey trotting. I’m not sure you need to hear about my new found difficulty with heavy lifting either, or my inability to sit up without bending slightly to the right.)

What is really important is that I had an epiphany today. An epiphany about turkeys and trotting and 26 and neck pain. I had an epiphany that helped me to realize that I am, in fact, significantly handicapped and disadvantaged due to my old age. And now I don’t feel so bad about dragging my “somewhat-lazy, not-into-being-outdoors-in-the-cold” sister into this marathon thing. After all, she may be the self-proclaimed crybaby of the family, but she also has 3 years and 2 days less aches, pains, wrinkles and stiff joints to worry about. So Lauren, consider yourself blessed with a pair of youthful legs – and be prepared to help carry me on piggyback across the finish line in March!