Istanbul_Tea

At least 2 if not more times per week throughout this bitterly cold winter I have held firm in my plan to ride...

Through bitter cold, nasty bone-cracking wind, snot-freezing temperatures I have pedaled....

I am still badly out of shape that I know but I still go out and do it again, again and again.

People laugh, stare, snicker and say moronic things to me under their breath, "Do you think that bike can hold him?", "Why would someone that size ride a bike, how embarassing". I thank them as I pedal past them.

My first ride held two polar opposites of- the thrill of being back on a bike for the first time in 22 years and crowning the terror that I may not remember how to ride and/or the frame will immediately buckle and snap spilling me into a heap on the street followed by...

the disappointment of having to stop after 2 blocks due to my legs burning, my back screaming and my butt aching. Yet I was so psyched to do it all over again the next, next, next and next day.

I measure my progression by 2 things.... just a little more distance on the computer, and just a bit longer between breaks to relax my legs, my breathing, my arse.

The last ride was at night-as are most because I find that I get less crap said to me and the traffic is a bit lighter-and I rode until my legs, specifically my thighs, were burning like torches and I was completely winded (which for me isn't much) and I had to get off my bike and just lean over the saddle and breath like a madman for 10 minutes to get back to normal breathing. It felt horrible and fantastic at the same time.

I know that someday I'll be able to ride longer and in less pain but I sure would like to know when...

right now I would love to be able to pedal and just enjoy the houses, buildings and scenary that I pass by but I find when I try to do that it's just a feeble attempt at trying to cover up how much discomfort I feel as a result of how badly I let myself go over the years.

When will my muscles stop screaming at me?

I continue to tinker with stem height, straight vs. drop bars, seatpost adjustments and saddle choice. I've bought and installed wider tires, narrow tires. Smallish pedals, wide pedals. It's fun and it makes me smell the possibilities that will come in time when my body catches up to my minds enthusiasim.

I do notice that I flex better, bend better, am less stiff and pole-like. Make no mistake I'm still 10 pounds of **** in a 5 pound bag size-wise but I'm heading toward being 9 pounds...

Someday.

I'll look at my wife and say, "How do people just casually say, I rode 10, 20 or more miles today? That's amazing compared to where we're at!" She'll wink and say, "We'll get there." She's right, I just get impatient. I'm still impressed though by those that can ride longer and with ease. And then on top of all that, to ride 20 miles with a fully loaded bike.... we have our work cut out for us for sure but I guess we'll take it step by step, stage by stage.

This bicycling thing is too important and fun to stop now but any thoughts or words of wisdom or encouragement would be gladly accepted and stored away for future use the next time I'm standing next to my trusty steed, bent over sucking air into my mouth with my legs literally shaking and burning from copius amounts of lactic acid.