Two Wheel Blogs

I got started riding about 5 years ago. In the 25 or so years since college I'd not ridden a bike. In these last 5 years I've never been away from the bike for longer than about 2 weeks. Usually it's an illness or some stupid-long business trip that takes me away for that length of time. For 5+ years I've done what I can to avoid being off the bike for more than a couple of weeks.

Why? Because I still remember that first ride on my "new to me" road bike. I carried a lot more weight, nearly 50 pounds worth, and I had no aerobic fitness to speak of. None. My exhilaration at riding again was about all I had to get me through that ride. My legs and lungs gave out long before the ride was done. I had a great time riding again all the same. And so I resolved to get myself fit enough to ride, no matter what.

Recently I got to experience all those "first ride" feelings once again. One morning at the end of March a lightening bolt of searing pain woke me out of a dead solid sleep. Since that time I have ridden a grand total of 6 times for a total of less than 4 hours. The first of those rides was a little over a week ago.

The doctor's words for riding before the little Titanium plate holding my spine together had done its job were "High Risk". Evidently there are far worse things that can happen to you after spine surgery than the partial loss of use of my left arm. "High Risk" explains why I was off my bike - no riding - for over 2 months.

Today, however, after just a handful of rides, I managed to keep the cranks turning for over an hour. A grand total of 64 minutes to be exact. The pace was none too aggressive, but now that I know I can make it that long I can set the bar a little higher. I can add intensity. I can add duration.

And you know I'll do it, too. I'm every bit as motivated to regain my fitness as I was 5 years ago. The thrill is still there. The fire is still burning, hotter than ever.