Rapid Progress

Today I surprised myself. Less than two weeks after purchasing a bicycle I completed a circuit of the Harrisburg Greenbelt, a twenty-plus mile bike path that circles the capital city of Pennsylvania. The previous day I rode about ten miles of the path. Before that the longest ride on my new bicycle had been only five miles. This morning, emboldened by yesterday’s success, I decided to test my endurance and commit myself to the entire course.

This may have been a less-than ideal day to make the attempt. The temperature was in the mid-nineties. The first half of the ride was comfortable, but the heat soon sapped my strength and I was forced to stop and rest every couple miles after the halfway point. I am glad that I brought two water bottles as well as food.

Before purchasing my new Trek I had not been on a bicycle for more than a dozen years. After hip-replacement surgery two years ago I nearly lost hope of ever returning to the serious bicycling I had done in the eighties. But last year my surgeon changed his opinion about high-mileage cycling. He agreed that I could resume serious training, so long as I started gradually and stopped to consult him at the first sign of problems in my hip joint.

I am encouraged by my rapid progress. Although the strength in my legs is slow to return I am seeing improvement every day. The extra-low granny gear in the new bike enabled me to stay in the saddle while climbing hills and only once did I need to dismount and walk the bike to the top of a steep grade.

The terrain here in central Pennsylvania is hilly. Having chosen the proper bike will enable me to ride often and far. The frequent hill climbing should rapidly increase my strength and lung capacity. I am anxious to see the changes occur.

My muscles are tired tonight but I sense no protest from the titanium and chromium-cobalt hip implant. The marriages of mechanical technologies both above and below my saddle offer the promise of years and miles of flying over the asphalt. I am excited by the prospect.

Thank you God for the skill of my surgeon, my ability to earn the price of a bicycle above the cost of my needs, and for your grace in granting me this time to be alive.