The last several days have been filled with pain, joy, and much introspection. First, the pain.
The groin injury continued to hamper me throughout the day on Thursday, though I could see that it was slowly mending. I was heading for Pensacola to spend a day with Jack and knew that the long car ride would force me to rest the injury. It accomplished that over the course of a 10-hour drive that brought me to my resting place for the evening; a hotel midway down the state of Alabama. I had hoped to camp, but when pulling up to the entrance to the state park, was surprised to find a gate in place and locked.
I arrived at Corry Station Naval Base, Pensacola, Florida around eleven Friday morning. The temperature was somewhere in the high 80’s and the humidity was out of control. I cannot imagine choosing this environment to live year round. We spent the day by eating, shopping, going to see the new ‘Avengers’ movie, jumping in the ocean and just talking about what life had in store for each of us. Like me, Jack is on the verge of an entirely new experience and it excited about it. He will finish up his training in military intelligence sometime in October and then be assigned to either Hawaii, Washington D.C. or some place in Texas. He’s got a solid savings plan and a very positive outlook on the rest of his life. As it would any father, it brought me great happiness to see him on a trail that would very likely bring him fulfillment.
I was still hurting when I got up Saturday morning, but decided it was time to begin pushing through. I suited up and went out the door for nothing more than a walk. I ended up hiking for about 35 minutes, continuing the introspection that has been going on in my head over the past week.
We grabbed some breakfast together after which I dropped him at the base before beginning the long drive home. I’d made up my mind to push all the way through, which would have me arriving back in Highland Heights sometime around 3 a.m. on Sunday. With a good audio book and my thoughts to keep me company, I was sure I could stay alert and do it. I was right.
Sunday was recovery day. I went to the park and did a one-hour hike while I was having my tire fixed. I’d picked up a nail in Florida and was told it couldn’t be repaired. Since part of my new plan involves buying a Toyota Tacoma, I opted for one tire since I’d likely be trading in the Camry.
I prepared for the family coming over for dinner and then rested. I was craving sleep and was mentally exhausted. It had been a difficult trip, but well worth the effort. No one had been to see Jack since he went to Pensacola after basic training and it was gratifying to know how much he appreciated my effort.
Hike duration: One hour.
Training Heart Rate: 90 bpm.
Calories Burned: 350.
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