Biking… seems pretty easy. But how many times have I heard someone say that can’t do it, or they haven’t been on a bike in 20+ years, or they “should” do it. Countless. How many times have I heard someone say they don’t like biking. My question is: have you ever tried it lately? And if you did, under what conditions?????
I started biking just over a year ago. I had wanted to for a while, but there were reasons I couldn’t/didn’t. Then I had the opportunity to just start. So I did. I didn’t really have anyone to ride with, but that was ok. I took my old, heavy, cheap bike and did a short ride on a Saturday morning.
What was that ride like? It was a little scary. I was in the bike lane. I had to watch for cars. Sure, I could have ridden on the sidewalk. I didn’t want to. Wow…. so here I go in the bike lane. It was a time that was not too busy with cars. I had my helmet. I just started biking. I only rode about 10 miles, and at a slow pace. But I found it was exhilarating.
I decided I’d try another day. I rode in the late afternoon after work. Not too much traffic and I picked a little different route. What do you know… I loved it just as much.
I started riding a couple of days a week. They were short rides. The longest one I did was about 15 miles on a Saturday morning. I was not tired and didn’t hurt the days afterward. Yeah… this was fun.
Now, I happened to be fortunate enough that there was a ride coming up and some people at my work were participating. That was my first ADA Tour de Cure ride. I started training. What does that mean… sounds so formal? It meant that I started riding a few times a week. I worked up to about 15 mph. I worked up to 20 miles! I got a better bike… investing in me. I got fitted, got clips. Yes, and everything I did was worth it. I had found something that I love to do. Never considering myself an athlete before, this new experience over the past year has changed my thinking.
If you think you may want to start riding… get out there! It doesn’t have to be a long, fast ride. Do what makes you happy! I had my own brother tell me…”hey, it’s gotta be fun”. He was right! I make sure I have fun with it. Sometimes that means pushing harder, faster, longer distances. Sometimes it means enjoying the alone time riding. Sometimes it means enjoying time riding with others. But no matter what… each moment is fun!
Regards,
Diana | TeamOne
