Well, I have just finished a 62 day straight workathon and I finished it in style at the Brisbane Jazz Club. So, then I had a day off, and I'm only part way through that.
A while ago (around 6 or 10 years ago, that is) I said to some friends that I should buy a bike and start cycling again as it was something that I used to enjoy back when I was a fit little fscker at high school, playing 6 competition squash matches a week plus training plus sailing plus school and cycling inbetween all of these. But that's when life was good and I didn't have a care in the world. Things change from when you're 14, so I've found out!
So, I decided to make good on that 6 to 10 years of mouthing off and actually buy a bike. And, since in that 6 to 10 years I have gained the benefits of both a dodgey right knee (medial meniscus issues) as well as 2 bulging discs at L4-L5 and L5-S1 to add to my already questionable C1-C6 issues caused as the result of a major head trauma in high school in April 1987 (yes, dates me, doesn't it?), I thought that a mountain bike with both front and rear shockys would be a good place to start.
I ended up with a Trek Liquid 20 bought 2nd hand from Riders Cyclery at Macgregor. I'd heard only good things about them, so decided to buy from there. I got the bike, some sexy daks and decided to stick with the cleated pedals and got some comfy "I don't want to walk like a duck" Shimano shoes with fitted cleats. It all cost a little more than I'd initially set for myself, but that's life, and I was far from concerned - I intend to do a decent amount of kilometeres each week (like, around 200), so getting a good bike was more important than saving a few bucks.
Well, after some 19 years of not riding a bike, as well as generally being about as unfit as I've been in my life, let me just tell you that there are a few muscles in my legs that wanted to jump out and throttle me this afternoon! I still have to get used to the cleats, mainly getting them locked in, and I think I should have a fire drill on getting them out at very short notice, but I think that I'll be fine with them in a short space of time.
I managed to squeeze about 5.6 km out of my legs today at between 15 kmph and 21 kmph before they wanted to fall off - which, all things considered, I'm happy with. I'm back on it tomorrow and intend to keep up with daily morning rides, sometimes also an evening ride, and the odd longer trip on the weekends.
At least I have a few friends who either ride regularly or used to ride regularly, and me getting on my bike, so to speak, has encouraged a few of them to also get back on theirs. And as there's approximately 520 km of bikeways in Brisbane now, we should all have no real excuses for not getting and staying fit.
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
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