Buy the bike
I have mentioned briefly in another post somewhere about wanting to start cycling, or maybe I had just been thinking about it…anyhoo.
Well, shit just got real, coz the weekend just past resulted in me gaining a road cycle and the gear to go with it.
Hubby and I did a 15k ride and…omg, how much fun was that. Why have I waited so long to get back on a bike. Sure the seat was weird, and hurt even though I had all the padding. The gears are quite different to anything I have used before and the drop bar..so natural and comfortable. I definitely don’t want a flat bar. I didn’t push it but I certainly wasn’t taking it slow either. I’m glad I am as fit as I am, for I found it reasonably easy. The hubster was mightily impressed with my first go, he has cycled on and off for many years so is much more of a natural on the two wheels.
I am a little wary of the speed, and public roads, so will slowly be getting to that point. I found pain in places I didn’t know existed the next day, which was interesting. I know cycling different to running, but I figured the muscle groups were similar. Not so much.
He even commented that I have good leg muscles..well, duh.
Physio time
This was physio week and I have to say I am very happy with the result. I love what this guy does, he knows his stuff. As a sports person, he knows what I want to do – run – and is doing what he can to get me back out there.
There was good news and not so good news. I’m not going to say bad news, because, while it was not ideal, it certainly wasn’t bad.
I still have a ban on running ~ sad face ~ and a modified version of my original exercise with several more added to it. I can however cycle, with a time (and pain) limit, but this is my cardio and I am going to embrace it like there’s no tomorrow.
My exercises are still on a 3 day rotation, which suits me fine. I’m working out, resting, and making progress.
As part of his initial diagnosis he did a test on my legs and today we did it again. I said I could feel what was happening and the pain was not always there like it used to be, just niggling away, and especially bad on a busy day at work. I wanted that confirmation I was getting better I spose. Well, holy shite, I almost doubled my score, in a good way. It was a massive improvement. Physio man was happy.
Love this guy’s drawings, they’re such cute little people.
Cycling
It’s been nearly a week and I have walked past my bike every day, patting it on the seat and stroking the handlebars (yes, I did this, lurve my new bike!) but have not yet had another ride. The main reason being the weather – wet, cold and depressing – if it was wet and warm I could probably tolerate it easier. I am totally hanging out for the weekend to go riding again.
That’s the easy bit, the other is to control my love of active wear fashion.
My running wardrobe is so big now I made up a spreadsheet of what I had so when I buy things I can work it to match more than one pair of pants/top/socks. Yes, I’m that sad.
I said to hubby “you realise the monster you’ve unleashed here…cycling fashion is soo cool..” he laughed, said yes and agreed. I have purchased my first cycling item and fingers crossed it works. Padded knickers that I can wear under my running shorts. That way I am multi tasking my wardrobe – bonus all round, less spending, coz cycling kits are way more expensive that what I spend on running.
I somehow managed to match everything with each other. Bike, shoes and clothes. And later I noticed my phone cover is the same colour..ugh, how..I have no words for this.
While it may look orange-ish, it is most definitely not. More of a salmon colour. Which I really find, gross, but the technical term, Satin Acid Red…well that’s more like it.
Inadvertently completely matched outfit to bike.
I borrowed the blue top and wore socks to match, which also match part of my shoes, which match my bike.
Latest virtual run
My last virtual run was one I wasn’t going to do until I saw which city it was for. As a born and bred Hobartian there was no choice, I had to do it. When I saw the medal, I knew exactly what my finishers picture was going to be. One of the busiest intersection in the city, but I think I nailed it. After like a hundred pictures – streetscape, too many cars/people, half a medal, too much finger, medal moved – because I couldn’t actually see the screen on my phone. I think it works though.
Run. Ride. Eat. 