Today I tried riding to work for the first time since my accident - I've been going for shorter rides to do errands, etc. Nothing more than about 20-25 minutes round trip. So today, it was hard. It's always been a good workout, since it takes me nearly 40 minutes and most of that is uphill. But this time I was more winded than I used to be, and it took me nearly 10 minutes longer to get there. Sigh. I should have expected this, of course - it's been 2 1/2 months since I've had any real cardio exercise and the muscles especially on the one leg are weak. But still, it made me sad. And I had to ice my knee - it's sore.
Riding home, though - coasting downhill at 3:30, so different from my ride up the hill at 7am - was a treat. I saw the horses again, out playing in the sun. I was surprised - happily surprised, as I often am - by the landscape I live in, unfurling ahead of me. I remembered how,
last fall, the ride home was the one consistent bit of happiness in the general overwhelm and dislocation of my new job. I think it will be this year, too.
5 comments:
Bike commuting is great. I'm happy to hear that you're back on your bike; the picture is awesome. Biking uphill is hard work, but it is rewarding on the way back!
(I need to pick up another bike at the bike auction on Friday. I'm not sure my primary commuting bike is repairable. If it is, it probably won't last longer than the winter anyway...)
Yay for the bike! Since you were a consistent exerciser before the accident, chances are that you'll see both cardio and leg improvements pretty rapidly.
That's great! Don't worry, it will get easier and faster. Enjoy--it sounds like a lovely ride.
I'm sorry to hear you were disappointed in how long it took you and that your knee hurt afterwards but the picture seems to make it all worth it.
Excellent! Biking is one of my great pleasures, too.
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