Today I Celebrate Two Months of Cycling

On July 1st I set out for my first bike ride since 1998. I was nervous, winded and had to take at least two sit down breaks to rest. I couldn't keep up to my seven year old son as we pedalled through a paved bike path in the city's suburbs. My bike was uncomfortable and the next day my elbows were so sore and weak I thought my forearms were going to fall off.

Today, just two months later, I was out buying a pair of cycling shorts (innershorts to be specific) and pair of cycling socks so I could squeeze into an old pair of cycling shoes. You might say, I'm a bit of a cycling fanatic. These days I'm not getting winded riding with my son. Hell, I can't even get my heart rate up above 70% (in any sort of training zone) riding with him these days.

I write a lot about how far I've come fitness-wise. The moral of the story here is: Don't underestimate yourself or your body, no matter what shape you're in. Even though I once went from sedentary and obese to thin and fit some fifteen years ago, I still fell into the trap all these years later of doubting my body. I doubted my ability to become fit at 44. I created a bunch of my own misconceptions of what a 44 year old man who is 200 pounds overweight can do.

Only recently have I started to relax on my bike and have fun, not fearing it's going to collapse beneath me, in spite of the fact that a couple of days ago I broke a lawn chair and hurt my leg and elbow.

Last night I did my first jog back on the street after jogging at my clinic's gym all summer. When I started out I had this weird, unsettling feeling. I was moving like I was jogging but I didn't feel the normal sensations that I expected to feel. I felt like I was floating down the street without any effort.

I decided that it must have been six days off (of jogging) combined with my new runners and a summer of building muscles in my legs and the muscle that is my heart. A couple minutes in, I started feeling some of the normal feelings but it was quite jolting at first to see how far I've come.

Two months ago, I wouldn't have believed any of this. And I'm sure I still have plenty of learning to do.

UPDATE: The pants work great and made for a very comfortable ride.