cranky old dude

Happy anniversary George. You're riding way more than I am, ride on.

DnvrFox

I am SO impressed and bowled over by your mileage in spite of some major, major challenges.

EXCELLENT!

VegaVixen

+1000

It's still helpin' me. I'm not sure I'd have wanted to live without having cycling in my life. It's bought me healing time. And now I know I'll be ok. But I still need that rush I get after every ride to help me get through the oppressive paperwork that remains.

George

I wish it were, my toe is still hurting from surgery, and my wife has to go in next Friday for a bladder operation. Sometimes I wonder if it will ever end

George

It seems like there is always something and it's a good thing I'm retired. I spend most of my time taking my wife to the doctor. Anyhow thanks for the tip on standing up, I kind of thought I had to do that. I'm having a little trouble putting to much pressure on my foot. I had surgery on my toe about 2 months ago and it's still not healed. When my son has problems I tell him to hang in there, they could always be worse. Thanks again, VegaVixen, I hope it works out for you as well.

Digital Gee

On one hand, I hope I never retire. On the other hand, I sure envy those who've retired and have the time to do lots of riding.

Hope the toe heals up quick!

cgallagh

Way to go George! Sometimes it takes a lot to work through the stuff that makes us want to sit around the house and vegetate. You are obviously not falling prey to those gremlins. Keep up the good work and here's to many happy miles ahead

VegaVixen

Baybuh, one of my biggest life lessons thus far: Things always work out. They don't always work out like we would like, but they do work out.

I have trouble with my feet, too, from caregiving days. The biggest problem I have is finding poly socks that don't have a seam that falls across the toenail! So I ride with two different pair of cotton socks, each of which has a seam across the ends of the toes, rather than across the toes/toenails.

<shrug>

And this, too, shall pass....

I spent a lot of time being chauffeur to my husband. PM me anytime. You're far from alone.

George

I just found the right socks at JC Penny's, good luck.

VegaVixen

Thanks for the JCP tip, George!

Terrierman

Way to George, you are high on my list of BF 50+ inspirational characters. May you have many more and in good health.

Tom Bombadil

George

You are one determined guy! I think I'm a decade younger than you, and I can't begin to stay up.

Digital Gee

How does your wife feel about that?

<smacking self>

Louis

Ba da boom...he'll be here all week, ladies and gentlemen.

jppe

That is one heck of a first year. Probably 3 times what I was able to do and my biggest obstacle was just carrying too big a waistline-very unlike all your challenges.

I've heard moderate exercise is good for rheumatoid arthritis...I sure hope it is helping provide you with some relief. I had some arthritis in earlier years and it hurt so bad I just didn't feel like doing anything. It easily could have lead to a very depressed state.

Keep up the safe riding and good the hear the wife is progressing!!

will dehne

George- This issue of getting off the saddle. It was not so long ago that I had stability issues doing that also. I used the resistance trainer to learn standing up (cleats!). Now I use every opportunity to get off the saddle. For instance: Intersections and accelerating, hills, or on flats and go a few gears up.

As you get more into biking you will enjoy standing up biking if there are some significant hills. Yes you can gear down, but it is much fun to muscle up some shorter hills coming from a down slope.

I just completed a biking vacation in MN, Root River Recreation area. They have 150 miles of paved trails but with 9% grades. The Madone and standing up came handy. I did 100 miles/day with the Madone and the Tandem.

George

Thanks Will, sometimes I wish I still lived up north, and think we could get together, and you could show me some of the things you picked up over the years. Vagavixen, was telling me how to do it, and I just started doing it this week. I asked myself, why do I ask some of the questions I ask, but it has helped. Now that I know I have this much power, I have to learn how to spin again. I start going like a bat out of hell, and then I start bouncing on the saddle, when I sit down. I pretty sure it's me not having a smooth cycling cadence. I stayed in the center ring and kicked it up to the smallest cog and I was affraid I would break the chain, but I started flying, and it was great. I remember years ago when I had a single speed, and we used to stand all the time, but you don't see many people doing it now because of all the speeds they have. Anyhow I was a little wobbly when I first did it, but I started to smooth down some after a while. With some practice I'm sure I'll get it, but my wife had an operation today and I'll be grounded for a little while again. Anyhow thanks again for the tips, and keep them coming.

VegaVixen

George, how did it go? Please share yourself with us. This really helped me, though I did it in Foo when I was most emotionally-fragile. You must know that we are all behind you, and we send you and your lovely wife love and energy to get through this. ((hugs))

When possible, keep ridin' your bike. This is a very good and positive thing, from my own personal experience.

will dehne

George- You are OK. You are with the program. The point is having fun. Question is how to have fun? Some people think it is to go slow and make pictures and smell the flowers. Other people feel the power of their muscles on a 15# bike racing up some big hill. They look back and say: I did that? Wow.
I was on top of one such big hill in MN. The sky was brilliant. The flowers were fantastic. The wind was blowing. And I was happy to be alive on my Madone.