I’m experiencing a bit of jet lag this morning after a restless night of sleep. Yesterday, I was a bit sluggish but able to get up on time and run a full 2.1 miles. Last night, I was constantly up and down, getting rid of a lot of retained fluid, particularly noticeable in my swollen ankles, hopefully shedding the five pounds I gained in Portland. I then slept beyond my usual wake-up time and consequently faced 82-degree weather, still adapting from the cooler Northwest temperatures. At least, I got to wear jeans for the first time in a while. Needless to say in the heat, I only completed the minimum mile (1.25) required to maintain my running streak – now at 5,325 consecutive days. 

I will undoubtedly slip into an afternoon nap before we do our sunset sail this evening. We’ll have dinner at the Laishley Crab House on our way to the Punta Gorda marina where we will board the boat. Tally, our aging schnauzer, will have to miss out on her evening golf cart ride, just as I failed to get her out this morning in a timely manner. 

Having been on airplanes this past week, I’m even less steady on my feet. I’m sure that being on a boat tonight certainly won’t help with stability. One of the big issues I’m facing in old age is balance. This is particularly noticeable when I’m running. I too often feel like a Weeble, wobbling along like I’m drunk. 

According to Wikipedia, “Weebles is a range of children’s roly-poly toys that originated in 1971 by the US toy company Playskool. They are egg-shaped, so tipping one causes a weight located at the bottom-center to be raised. Once released, the Weeble is restored by gravity to an upright position. Weebles have been designed with a variety of shapes, including some designed to look like people or animals.”

“The catchphrase “Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down” was used in advertising during their rise in popularity in the 1970s and during successive relaunches in the early 2000s. The line was coined by advertising executive Walter Cohen at Benton & Bowles when he and his partner Bernard Most were assigned to the account in 1971. The pair (as the creative team Bernie & Walter) used the phrase when they created the first TV commercials for the new product.”

It’s been a long time since I’ve tripped or fallen on a run. The last time was in Portland about 5-years-ago when I stumbled over some uneven pavement and skinned up my knees. Here in Florida, my course is very flat and smooth, so dehydration is the biggest enemy. I start every run with a mouthful of water that gets swallowed after the first turn. My shirt is soaked after the first mile. I’ve also cut back on my mileage, totaling only about 65-miles in July, compared with 97 in June. The heat is getting to me, as this old man comically wobbles along.