Two Years
Two years ago today, I suffered a serious injury at the hands of a negligent driver while I was riding a metric century on my bicycle. Nearly a year later, I was on the ground again.
One year ago today, I rode the most recent mile I’ve ridden. After four crashes in four subsequent years, I sort of lost interest in cycling. I used to think, quite erroneously, that the only way for me to be in decent physical condition was to ride 200 or more miles a week.
I believe that I am currently in better physical condition than I ever was as a cyclist. When I was averaging 40 miles a day on a six day schedule, I still could not run a continuous mile, I carried too much body fat, and I couldn’t do 10 pushups in a row.
I still have both of my bicycles—the Trek 520 and the Trek 2100—parked in my bicycle room. What I’m wrestling with now is what to do with the bicycles. Will I ride again? Maybe I will.
But, I don’t expect to spend the kind of hours dedicated to my bicycling as I did before. There are more important things I have to do and there are modalities of my physical training that I am exploring. I may still attempt the California Triple Crown someday. Recent events have taught me that I can do anything.
I have no idea what my cycling future holds, but I do know that, while I have the legal right to ride my bicycle in a vehicular manner in the roadways, motorists are not looking for us. I do not want to die at the hands of someone who isn’t even paying attention, for whom my presence is unknown and then an insurance worry. I just don’t love riding bicycles that much.
I’m going to keep on pushing for elite physical fitness, though. Maybe you’ll see me out there clicked into pedals climbing toward Skyline, but let’s just get through 2007 without landing face-first on asphalt.
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