First, the next person who says to you that it is just like
riding a bicycle, they are wrong. There is nothing like riding a bicycle, and
you DO forget how.
As someone who has run, jogged and walked (in that order)
for a number of years, it feels weird to be moving with traffic. I always
walked into traffic so I could see what they were doing.
I only rode about 15 minutes the first day. I came back drenched in sweat, legs a knot of
pain and all my water gone. I needed to stop
to rest twice.
When I bought my bike, it was pretty basic. After my first
days ride, I realized I would be riding a lot when there was not a lot of
light. Went to the K Mart near my house,
and bought the Schwinn light set. A
little headlight and tail light that you can set to flash off and on. Feel better about that. Gloves are good too, prevents the blisters.
By the end of the week, I was settling into my regimen.
Riding about 30 minutes, mostly on the level with a few mild hills mixed in. Still pain, but I no longer fall up the
stairs when I come back to my house.
One of my Board members rides the Missouri 150, and he
suggested I get a gel seat cover, and buy the padded bicycle shorts. Back to K Mart. HE is getting something nice for Christmas! This is much better.
I am about 10 days in, and I suddenly realized that I am not
stretching when I am done! Always stretch when the muscles are warm or you can
tear something. (My Daughter in Law is a Doctor of PT.) Started stretching, and the pain is much less
the next day.
Stopped today for a drink at Quik Trip- realized I did not
have a chain and lock. Back to K Mark
for the Schwinn Bicycle lock set.
One side effect of my radiation therapy was losing a lot of
saliva glands. Makes me choke pretty
easy, and I drink a lot of water.
Exercising is difficult because of that, and I have to stop a lot. Found
the perfect answer- Hi Sierra hydration pack. It is a little back pack that
carries 2 liters of water, and I just suck on a straw to get a drink. This is
awesome! The first day I used it was the
first day I did not have to stop to rest during my ride.
Still using the hydration pack. Rode 10 miles for the first time today. Took me an hour and 2 minutes. Not trying to be a racer, but feel pretty good
about that.
Things I have learned so far:
·
Starting a very active exercise program at the
beginning of the longest stretch of hot weather on record was not a good
idea. I am only able to ride very early
in the morning, which means I get up very early.
·
Aspercreme- very important. Oddly, my knees do
not hurt at all, but stretching out the muscles on the tops of the thighs is
going to be a painful experience
No comments:
Post a Comment