Timpanogos and COVID


I returned today to my favorite local mountain. I enjoy climbing Timpanogos (today was my 73rd time on the summit) because I can be at the trailhead in a half hour, and it's a good climb with lots of variety and several options; and I can push as hard as I want to make it as strenuous as I want. As long as you don't go on Friday or Saturday, the crowds aren't bad.
I struggled today, however. I have been dealing with some "long-haul Covid" issues since contracting the disease last November. I just don't have the energy and stamina I used to have. A few years ago I could consistently reach the summit of Timp in 2.5 hours, but today took me almost 4. I was really struggling by the end! My legs just have no energy. One clue I have been tracking is that my blood oxygen saturation drops quickly when I am exerting - instead of the normal 95-99% it was down to 82% today at the summit. That's got to have an effect on how well my muscles function. I am working with a cardiologist and pulmonologist to try to see what's going on.
HOWEVER - I was able to summit, and for that I #GiveThanks. To make today more poignant, I learned that in the past week, two former neighbors both passed away from Covid. One was a 62-year-old man, younger than I am! I understand he struggled for a few weeks with the disease, including being on a ventilator. The other was an older woman who lasted only a few days after contracting the virus. It makes me especially grateful that even though I am struggling with some after-effects, my experience with Covid was relatively minor compared to so many. (Some day I hope we understand why it impacts people so differently!)
As I was coming off the summit, I passed a group of young (college-age) kids on their way up. We exchanged the normal trail greetings and pleasantries, but then one of the last in the group brazenly said, "Wow, I hope I am still climbing mountains when I'm as old as you!" I wanted to say, "Hey, you whippersnapper, I'm not that old!!" But I restrained, and just said, "The secret is to KEEP CLIMBING!" And that's what life is all about.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Persistence

Image
  There's a principle of persistence that applies to climbing mountains, but also to many other aspects of life. We all get tired, we "run out of gas," we get frustrated with delays, we despair of reaching our goal, we think the job will never end, we keep waiting for the weather to improve, we become frustrated with "enduring." We give up, and we probably never know if we stopped just short of the point of significant achievement. The most growth often comes at, and after, that point of fatigue. I really appreciate the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. It was a favorite of Heber J. Grant and is often attributed to him, but he was quoting Emerson when he spoke it. It makes sense that we get more comfortable and competent at anything we persist in doing. Hard things become easier as we become practiced and proficient. On the other hand, there is sometimes wisdom in not "running faster than we are able." Or running longer than we are able! There comes a po...
Read more

"Sing, Choirs of Angels!"

Image
  "Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation; Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!" "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:13-14) The accounts of the birth of Jesus don't actually say that heavenly choirs of angels were singing when they appeared to the shepherds in the fields. It says "saying," not "singing." But most of us can't read the words they shared without hearing in our minds Handel's arrangement from Messiah. And we often associate singing with the most joyful expression of emotion. That is certainly felt at Christmastime. I love Christmas music and look forward to enjoying it each year during the weeks leading to Christmas. Many of our most favorite carols and hymns are so familiar, but yet so powerful. Through the years I've found several lesser-known Christmas songs that ...
Read more

The colors of nature

Image
The attached pictures are a few of many I took during the past day. I've been thinking about how much I #GiveThanks for nature's gift of color, and for my ability to perceive it. It's easy to be impressed by the varied colors of beautiful wildflowers - they always delight me with their vibrance and variety. There is tremendous variation in the colors of rocks and minerals, in planta and animals, and of course in glorious sunsets. Color is everywhere!! People who are colorblind typically can't see the entire color spectrum. They see muted views of some colors, and for example may have trouble distinguishing between red and green. That can be a handicap in a world where color conveys meaning; but it must also lessen the joy of appreciating what most of us enjoy. I've sometimes wondered if there are other properties in the world around us that could convey information as unique as color, that maybe we are not aware of or not capable of detecting. Fascinating to consid...
Read more