Tuesday, April 28, 2020

the big try

Tuesday.

I planned my big walk to start on Wednesday, but since it's after midnight and therefore now Tuesday, I'll be training out to Incheon in about 18-20 hours so I can start my walk on Wednesday morning. Since I know this route intimately, it ought to be a straightforward trek, 120 km to Yangpyeong over the course of four days. The weather forecast is for good weather through Friday, with a small chance of rain on Saturday. Easy, right?

Well, here's the thing. My walk down to Bundang two weekends ago went very well, but my walk this past Sunday didn't go quite as well. Maybe it's because I didn't take my ibuprofen before the walk, but my right foot became achy, and then it swelled up even more than usual. Somewhat disturbingly, it also seemed to turn a wee bit purple, and that gave me some pause. The purpling went away after a couple hours, and the swelling went back down to "slight swelling" status, which is where my right foot has been for two months. I'm pretty sure any bone damage has healed, so I'd really love to know why the foot is still swollen. Thanks to the pandemic, though, I'm not inclined to visit any doctor's offices, where I might be exposed to potentially sick patients in the waiting room.

So the plan has changed: instead of brute-forcing my way through to Yangpyeong, I'll merely try to walk to Yangpyeong, and I plan to stop the walk the instant things become suddenly painful. Minor aches won't be a problem; I expect those while distance walking. But if there's any severe pain at all, I'm shutting the whole thing down immediately. Being a hero doesn't seem advisable; if I do something that leads to my losing my right foot, well... that'd be pretty stupid. As always, I'll keep you all informed of my progress. Wish me luck.



5 comments:

John Mac said...

That's precisely the plan I was going to suggest as I read this post. Proving once again that great minds think alike!

Good luck! Keep it fun!

Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

How about switching over to cycling?

Jeffery Hodges

* * *

Charles said...

Since I know this route intimately...

Um, what exactly is it that you do on these walks, or should I not ask?

Also, your foot issues sound kind of terrifying.

Kevin Kim said...

John,

Thanks. I'll do my best not to injure myself.

Jeff,

I'm probably going to do a lot more cycling once I'm back from this walk. If I end up cutting the walk short because of an injury, I'll drag out the bike and take 'er for a spin.

Charles,

You might, while walking, look down at the ground and see a crack. I look down and see an invitation... and an opportunity.

Daniel said...

No pain = more gain