<h1>Running is not optional but suffering is.</h1>

Festination consists of 5 stages:

1. A feeling of unease, a sense of being pulled forward
2. a need to run using small steps
3. You start the weird PD run, but you are now being pulled forward and down
4. Your steps become shorter and faster
5. then you fall

I have been sick for about a week but we went up to the cottage anyway and after a chilly night, I decided to fight the illness with a morning walk. You guessed it, about 3/4 of a mile from the cottage, I felt the onset of festination. Fortunately, my ever-present nordic walking sticks saved me. Using them I was able to try to force my body into an upright position (very difficult to maintain) and tale long steps, using the poles for balance. About 20 yards from the cottage, my body, quite involuntarily, became obsessed with moving forward. That's a real drag! Literally. My feet no longer worked like they are supposed to. They dragged themselves up the front walk whereupon they caused me to stumble up the front stairs. At the top, I leaned against the wall (to stop the forward motion) and opened the door. I kind of fell into the room and then the difficult part of the exercise presented itself. I had to close the door!!!. Have you ever experienced trying to pull the door toward you while your body insists on pushing it outward? It is somewhat frustrating. I could not close the door. The more I tried pulling the door inward, the more I pushed it outward. What a rush! I had lost control of my body. Then a eureka moment landed and I got down on my knees and pulled the door toward me, easily closing the bloody thing. Success. Success!

Why was I successful on my knees,you might be asking yourself. Here is my theory. Festination occurs when your centre of gravity moves beyond your body (not sure why), causing the body to be pulled forward and downward. It remains that way until you sit down and relax for several minutes. Standing, my centre of gravity was still outside of my body, forcing it to push outward, but on my knees and bent at the waist brought my COG back toward me and I lost the forward motion command. I was still in control of myself, sort of, but at this point every little victory is welcomed. Closing the door was akin to climbing a mountain.

I have emphasized exercise to the nth degree as a method of slowing the progress of the disease. Now I insist on victims taking walking poles with them when they go walking. Mine are of the type that collapse into themselves so I can carry them, "just in case" I need them. They are worth every penny. Get a pair and save yourself some suffering.