Inch by Inch: Making Changes

One thing that starting training has done is pushed me to address health issues in a different way. I realized that I had to be more aggressive with my approach. No longer could I just ignore my asthma or knee pain. No longer could I not deal with the fact that I eat poorly. I had to figure out how to approach my health in a more mindful way.

So, I started by making some appointments. I made an appointment with my doctor for the asthma. I made an appointment with my physical therapist to address my knee pain. I also made an appointment with a yoga teacher to improve my balance (both physical and emotional) and to teach me some stretches.

I have been slowly figuring out how to feed myself. I have started by committing to eating breakfast which is actually quite hard for me. I hate to eat in the morning and my medication kills my apatite at that time of day. As with any change in ones habits, there are many steps. I have to figure out what I would be willing to eat; I have to purchase it; I have to prepare it (if necessary), and I have to eat it.

I have learned that to make fundamental changes, I have to do them slowly and deliberately. I have to remember that change is a process and that it probably, won’t all happen at once. I have to be patient and compassionate with myself, because making real change is hard.

There are many changes I need to make in my eating habits, as well as my health maintenance – I need to take my asthma medication consistently, I need to do my knee exercises everyday, I need to do more yoga, I need to eat more when I ride and less at night – but I know that I can’t change everything all at once. I work on making small changes and improvements and realize that progress is happening.

I have also learned that being gentle with myself is more helpful than being a drill sergeant. My inner child doesn’t respond well to condemnation and judgment. So, I am working on being encouraging if I goof up. As my mother used to say, “Tomorrow is another day.”

Bicycle Nuts

This is our kitchen. This is our kitchen with all our bicycles in it. It has the good ones, the commuters, the frame that is being repainted and built up as the "art bike" and the hybrid on the trainer.

Folks who are not into bicycles look at this and shake their heads. Why would you need so many bikes? Well, first, different bikes are good for different purposes. My partner has a commuter bike that is a work horse. It has lights and fenders for the weather, unlike his good road bikes which he saves for fair weather and long rides. If I am riding a long hilly distance I take my light Fuji Supreme RC which flies up the hills. So each bike has its place and purpose.

Also, bikes are like friends. The bike you choose to ride will depend on what mood you are in and what you are planning to do. For instance, when I want to ride a bike with soul I ride my red Luna. It was hand-made by a woman in New Mexico who only makes bikes for women. Of all the bikes I have this is the one with the most soul.

Each bike feels different and handles differently depending on many factors including the frame material, the components, the geometry etc... So riding each one is a unique experience.

In our kitchen we have a weight bench, a bike shop area, and the trainer. We have no table and chairs or pot racks. The counter, sink, and stove are on one side and serve their functions, but the rest of the room belongs to the bicycle. We have our priorities!

The Goddess of the Kitchen Flat

My first flat tire was in the kitchen. I had ridden a number of miles and was home and my partner felt my tire. "You have a flat!" he says. Now at that time those words scared me and I wasn't sure exactly what to do; however, I managed to fix it with help. I was very lucky that the flat was not on an isolated road in Concord in the pouring rain. I had the luxury of practicing how to fix a flat in the comfort of my own kitchen.

The funny thing is that the next flat I got was also in the kitchen. As was the next and the next. I have been blessed by the kitchen flat goddess. Then my partner had a couple of kitchen flats too. It was like the bicycles waited until we got home to flat.

I am grateful for the kitchen flats, not only because I now feel I could relatively easily change a flat on an isolated road in the pouring rain, but because I think that the Universe does watch over me.