stapfam

I had a bad couple of years with surgery- After getting over the Bypass fairly quickly and just thinking that I had regained my full fitness- Prostate cancer and more surgery. The second time hit me hard and I was thinking about giving up Mountain biking and taking the "Easy" route of becoming a roadie. Instead I set myself a Target. That was that in 9 months I would get myself fit enough to do the hardest ride I had done before. I had to work to get fit. Extra rides- extra distance and sessions at the gym on a regular basis. I may have failed, But it was not going to be through lack of trying. The point was I realised how much a healthy body was going to help me get over any future problems I was going to have. I took the opportunity with that target to get very fit. I could have given up any week in the 9 months training but kept at it. The upshot was that I did the ride, did it in the best time I have ever done it in, and enjoyed it so much that I started traing for the same ride the following year.

I did not want to let the medical problems get the better of me, but it was the mental side that almost stopped me. Set a target- train for it and give yourself a chance. Physically you will recover. Just don't let the Mind force you to give up.