I titled today’s post after a Doobie Brother’s song from their album Takin’ It to The Streets. Back when the album came out, I was so obsessed with running that any song mentioning the word “run” or “running” became a fave. But the song It Keeps You Running had nothing to do with actually running. It was an allegorical reference to “running” as a way to cope with life.

From here I can feel your heartbeat
Oh, you got me all wrong
You ain’t got no worry
You just been lonely too long
Oh, I know

I know what it means to hide your heart
From a long time ago
Oh, darlin’

It keeps you runnin’, yeah, it keeps you runnin’ (it keeps you runnin’)

However, in my case, there’s an obtuse reverse reference to life’s challenges as we age. As in, “From here, I can feel your heartbeat…” applies to my upcoming cardiology appointment. Two years ago, I had an isolated atrial fibrillation incident that lasted one night and resolved. I took blood thinners for a couple months and had a checkup with no further signs or problems. And kept on runnin’.

But in truth: “I know what it means to hide your heart from a long time ago…” took on new meaning. My father and close relatives all have A-fib. They’ve had ablations and other treatments. I’ve not had the need for that yet. From what I’ve read, keeping up with reasonable amounts of exercise has the potential to moderate A-fib. So I keep on runnin’, ridin’, and swimmin’. That’s one of the tarsnakes of exercise. We need it to stay healthy, but sometimes there are diminishing returns. The thing that saves us can also cause us troubles.

I do need to mention that I did have a bike crash during the Des Moines 70.3 triathlon while still on blood thinners. That led to copious amounts of blood ‘runnin’ down my arm. I wound up back in the hospital that night to have my right hand ring finger glued shut.

I could run and hide from the risks of exercise, but I’m not going to run away from that.

Are you gonna worry
For the rest of your life? Hey, yeah
Why you in such a hurry
To be lonely one more night? Hey, yeah

Age and determination

Here I’ll admit that I’m starting to genuinely feel the effects of age. My daily runnin’ pace slowed dramatically over the last two years. It also takes me a full twenty minutes to work up to speed at all. It tests my patience and confidence to continue working through these humbling stages and changes.

So I have to not “worry for the rest of my life.” That’s even more exhausting.

There’s one more thing. My left knee hurts. The meniscus I had clipped several years ago left the inside of the left inner knee exposed. So I’m heading to a knee clinic to look at options. I’m sure some of you can relate, just like the lyrics say…

Oh, I know how you feel
Yeah, you know I been there
But what you’re keepin’ to yourself
Oh, you know it just ain’t fair, hey, yeah
Oh, darlin’

It keeps you runnin’, yeah it keeps you runnin.’