I’m 74 yrs old. I’m retired, my wife has since passed, my children are grown and living in Middle America - I’ve had 4 knee operations over the last 15 years, 2 of them within the last 7 years. My limp is noticeable…5 years ago my doctor suggested getting a bike to stay in shape. Picture that, me, hardly coordinated enough to stand up straight, 74 years old, riding around on a bike. Thanks for the suggestion, Doc - but no thanks!
No, instead I went and bought a dog – Mr. George is what I named him. He’s 5 now, and I credit him with saving my life. I was depressed, unmotivated, just flat out lazy, I guess…and in desperate need of an athletic hobby. I don’t so much credit his personality for motivating me from my couch to the outdoors…no, I thank his bladder really. I needed something to get me up and moving about…old Mr. George just needed a place to go and pee. We were/are the perfect match.
This morning – as with every morning Monday through Friday, rain, sleet, snow or shine, Mr. George and I hop onto the Capital Crescent Trail in Downtown Bethesda, and we walk the 2.8 miles towards the DC line (about halfway to Georgetown) ; we stop, we turn around, and we head on home. The walk itself takes us about 2.5 hours…we only go 5 ½ miles, but the trip home is uphill and remember that I’m old. If you’ve never been on the Capital Crescent Trail – I highly, HIGHLY recommend it as a scenic, soothing journey atop historical ground.
The Trail itself connects Georgetown to Montgomery County’s Silver Spring. It is a recreational Trail with a fantastic history. It runs a touch over 11 miles – it’s about 15 feet wide, it’s paved, you can bike on it, walk on it, run on it, take your kids on it, exercise on it…or just about anything else ‘on it’, within reason, that you may see fit to do. Along the way you’ll encounter multiple rest areas, map kiosks, and water fountains; you’ll cross over bridges and walk through tunnels; you’ll pass Fletcher’s Boat House, archaeological sites, Aqueduct Arches, and boat clubs…until finally the Trail plops you out at the foot of the Potomac River in Georgetown.
Now trust me – I am no Trail Runner. I don’t consider myself a hiker; I don’t ride bikes, nor do I wish to wear those tight outfits that most bikers wear (no offense to bike riders – I did watch the Tour de France, and I loved it!) What I do enjoy are leisurely walks. I like looking at trees. I like looking at birds. I like walking my dog where families feel safe enough to walk with their children. I like walking on historic ground; I like watching the leaves change color during Fall; I like the sound of nothing as old Mr. George and I ‘pound along the pavement’ (as they say) mile after mile. For about 2.5 – 3 hours a day, step after step, Mr. George and I, together, march our way down the Trail…I’m sure that we pass lawyers, doctors, Stay-at-home-Mom’s, students, teachers, your neighbors and mine, along the way. They wave…I wave back. Maybe their there to rehab a bad knee like me, maybe they’ve come to get a quick run in before the start their day…whatever the reason, they’re there. Some move quickly, some putter along like us…whatever the speed, they’re there.
I always wear a Boston Red Sox baseball cap, and I’m always smoking a pipe…I’m the guy with the limp. I’m friendly, I read the paper everyday, and I’m, never late. Mr. George is a black lab, he’s VERY FRIENDLY and sometimes he walks backwards…honestly, when I get too far behind, he turns around and walks backwards. Please stop us and say hello!
Written by Phil McNulty
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