I’ve been asked to write about one experience that I wanted to pursue that never happened.  Would I want to do it now if I could?

I used to love running, the feeling of abandon, the wind at my back and of course in my face.  I ran competitively in high school and the first semester of college.  The college guys were a lot better than the high school crowd.  We did “leisurely” 10 mile runs every Sunday.  I eventually opted for fun, quitting the team.

Several years later I got back into running, mostly 5K and 10K road races.  Could I run a marathon?  Why not?  My right knee started hurting.  Then my right hip.  I was 38, too young to be hurt.  But my dad had degenerative arthritis in both hips, had them replaced and would have them done again.

I remember walking along a downtown street, seeing two young women through an office building’s glass walls, mimicking a gimp, mimicking me.  I walked into the building, silently acknowledged their sheepish grins and entered the elevator alone.  It was time.

At age 43, I had my right hip replaced.  The pain went away.  I now understand why my dad went back to paddle ball and tennis, feeling young again, not realizing the pounding would destroy these hips too.

Now I’m a walker, known in town as the “fast walker.”  Would I like to run a marathon now if I could?  The “could” part is the catch.  Who determines what is physically possible and at what cost?  I guess we all do.

Do I regret not having run a marathon?  In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a big deal.  Now if I had only won an Olympic medal…