Sunday, February 23, 2014

Long Time No Bike

Well, since the floods in September, my biking has been hit or miss, mostly miss.  Not having a decent place to bike with the Greenway now out of commission, it has been hard for me to get motivated to ride.  Then there was winter, which this year has been colder and snowier than my previous two winters here in Colorado.  For much of December and February, we had snow on the ground and temperatures below zero.  There were a few nice weekends in January, but we are in a windy cycle that won't quit.  And me riding in the wind is just not going to happen.  I'm not aerodynamic enough for that.

That doesn't mean I've been sitting on my butt and doing nothing.  It just means I haven't been on my bike.  I am taking a Zumba class two days a week.  If you don't know what Zumba is it's this generation's aerobics.  Basically, we dance for an hour.  I can't say that I enjoy it.  There is an awful lot of jumping, especially on one leg or the other, and with my knee and ankle problems, that is just not something I can do.  I end up modifying quite a bit of what I do in the class.  I don't balance on the right leg, ever, and never jump.  I also don't run around.  If I can't do it in place I don't do it at all.  I am not getting the kind of exercise as the others in the class, but I walk out of there sweaty and sore, so I know I'm doing myself some good.  But I don't like to do it.  I'd rather be on my bike.

I also started a Tai Chi class.  That is not for the exercise, but for the increase in my ability to balance and keep myself from falling.  Had I had better balance when I was walking in the snow last year, I might not have fallen, or if I did, might not have hurt myself so bad.  After two weeks of class I'm not sure I'll take another one.  I'll finish this one, since I paid for it.  And I might practice some of what I learn in the class. But overall, I'm not happy with it.  I leaves my knees in pain and the day after last week's class I limped around my office like an old woman.  My right knee was furious with me and my right ankle seemed to be trying to detach itself and run away.  No, I'm not "doing it wrong."  Tai Chi just has the same limitations for me as much of the Zumba class does - I cannot balance my weight on one leg or the other.  Tai Chi requires that you are either 0% on one leg and 100% on the other, or 30% and 70%.  Either way, it is requiring me to balance much of my weight on the bad leg at least half the time.  The leg, and I, soundly protest.  I'd rather be on my bike.

Speaking of biking...I did get on my bike twice in the last week.  It wasn't much, but I hadn't been on it in nearly three months.  Monday, on President's Day, my daughter and I rode around town doing a little shopping.  We biked six blocks to Hancock Fabrics, then another six blocks to the thrift store, then to the bulk store where we got snacks, then back home.  And yesterday I biked again to Hancock's to pick up a few things for a baby quilt I'm making for a shower this week.  So there was some riding.  Easy riding, for sure, but riding nonetheless.  As I suffer through the knee pain of Zumba and Tai Chi, I long for my bike and for the well-being it gave me.

Soon, spring will be here.  We are starting to have more warmer days than cold, although the wind does continue to be a problem.  But soon enough, I'll be back to biking every weekend, and working in my garden three days a week, and my knees will stop complaining.  That will be nice.

1 comment: