A note on getting back in the saddle...Literally.
This trip across Canada is less than three weeks away and it has slowly been taking over most aspects of my life. It's getting to the point where there is seldom a waking hour that passes when the trip isn't the main focus of my thoughts. Whether it's the logistics or the trip and wondering (worrying) how we're going to feed ourselves, or the physical aspect and wondering how we're going to maintain a pace of 160kms a day for 50 days, or the equipment and preparation that's still required, or raising money for the Heartwood Place, there's always questions to ponder and answers to find.
When I first tell people about this trip the initial reactions are incredibly consistent, "wow, that's how you're going to spend your summer?! You're crazy."
Or
"Are you sure you can even make it? You're crazy"
Or some other variation on that basic premise. For me though, this is about more than raising money or looking for an interesting, challenging, almost unique way to spend the summer - though this trip is definitely those things and more. For me, this is (as the title states) about getting back in the saddle. At the end of last summer while bicycling to work one morning I had a bad accident and went over the handle bars of my bike and shattered my collar bone in a half a dozen places. It required surgery to have a plate installed and I had to move back in with my parents because for almost two months I could barely get out of bed without help let alone take care of myself. It was the longest, least stimulating 2months of my life. I ended up losing 15lbs due to inactivity and all of my upper body strength and took 4 months before I could do a real workout.
Although there are still certain activities that cause pain in my clavicle, 9 months later my body is back to normal and all that's left to do is prove to myself and anyone else who's suffered an athletic induced injury that getting up after getting knocked down is always an option. Even if you get knocked down for 2months! So here I am, within a month of a cross-Canada-cycle...Bring it on!
 |
| Saddle, n. Principal point of contact with the planet earth for seven weeks. |
When I first tell people about this trip the initial reactions are incredibly consistent, "wow, that's how you're going to spend your summer?! You're crazy."
Or
"Are you sure you can even make it? You're crazy"
Or some other variation on that basic premise. For me though, this is about more than raising money or looking for an interesting, challenging, almost unique way to spend the summer - though this trip is definitely those things and more. For me, this is (as the title states) about getting back in the saddle. At the end of last summer while bicycling to work one morning I had a bad accident and went over the handle bars of my bike and shattered my collar bone in a half a dozen places. It required surgery to have a plate installed and I had to move back in with my parents because for almost two months I could barely get out of bed without help let alone take care of myself. It was the longest, least stimulating 2months of my life. I ended up losing 15lbs due to inactivity and all of my upper body strength and took 4 months before I could do a real workout.
Although there are still certain activities that cause pain in my clavicle, 9 months later my body is back to normal and all that's left to do is prove to myself and anyone else who's suffered an athletic induced injury that getting up after getting knocked down is always an option. Even if you get knocked down for 2months! So here I am, within a month of a cross-Canada-cycle...Bring it on!
No comments:
Post a Comment