Today, I took the shackles (indoor trainer) off of my bike, faced my fears, and rode my bike outside for the first time in almost a year. My triathlon teammates at my alma mater had a big race today and did really well. Following their stories inspired me to get back at it. I can't use my clipless pedals and cycling shoes combo yet. My ankles/legs/hips aren't strong enough to do the clipping out motion. I rode my bike with regular flat pedals and tennis shoes. I walked it to a parking lot a few blocks away from my apartment. I stood there straddling my bike, frozen in fear to mount it. I have a really light weight road bike that is optimized for racing. It is not the type of bike you can just stroll down the street on. You have to be serious about riding a bike like this. With the orientation of the seat to the handle bars, I have to put pressure on one foot (already on its pedal) to give the boost I need to mount the seat, and immediately start pedaling so I don't fall over. I have been riding it safely on my trainer for a long time, so I am out of practice of this skill. I gave myself a pep talk and made it happen. The first time I started on my bike, I was so shaky. As I rode a little more, I got more confident. Eventually, I was up to 15 mph in a parking lot! I only rode for 20 minutes, because I didn't want to push my luck. My body is out of practice of riding. My bike also has one of those hard and extremely uncomfortable racing saddles. I have to ease back in to riding.
Bike
Distance: ~4 miles
Average Speed: 11 mph
Duration: 20 minutes
Afterwards, I felt well enough to do a walk around downtown.
Walk
Distance: 1.24 miles
Average Speed: 3.40 mph
Duration: 00:21:51
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Reflection
Today, I felt
FAST and
FREE for the first time since my surgeries. I vaguely remember this feeling of being
limitless. I got a small taste of it today as the wind was rushing past my face when I was riding my bike. I have now returned to all 3 of my sports: swimming, biking, and walking...on the way to running again. Returning to the sport of triathlon is a realistic goal for me. Of course I am several months, maybe a year, away from being able to race again, but I can work with all my might to get my skills back in these three areas.
NO MORE FEAR! NO MORE WORRYING! I just have to do it...
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