A Hike Over Lava
This was one exhausting walk! Aside from the fact that my level of aerobic conditioning has plummeted, the terrain was rugged and irregular: jagged lava chunks from gravel to rocks too heavy for me to lift. Treacherous! It took some serious concentration to walk the mile or so to get to Makalawena, one of the most beautiful beaches on the Big Island. I was as fast as a herd of turtles, and my foot hurt, but I kept telling myself that just as physical therapy causes productive pain, this pain would also be productive as long as I did my best to approximate a normal stride--- stride through the pain--- and make sure I didn't trip and injure myself. I tried to think of it as a walking meditation, which helped a bit: observing the pain with as much detachment as I could muster. The reward was nearly four hours at the beach, swimming and relaxing.
It still seemed reasonable to maintain a dose of healthy paranoia and protect myself from dangerous bacteria by coating with both liquid and adhesive waterproof bandages. My suture holes looked well-sealed, but I hadn't examined them with a magnifying glass. Better safe than sorry on this, my second to last day at the beach!
Chillin' in the Shade
After trudging across fields of lava, bludgeoning barefooted across this beautiful white sand, swimming in the surf, and then slogging back to my beach chair, I was beat! Thank goodness we had hours to recuperate before the long, laborious march back to the car. Later, icing and elevating never felt more delicious!
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