After I blogged about my first outdoor ride, on January 19, I never dreamed it would be so long before I could get outside again. But right after that, true wintry weather descended on us, the harshest we've experienced in two years - at some times, I would even describe it as "severe" - and for the last few weeks I've had to resort to fairly regular (averaging about 5 times per week) workout sessions on the elliptical, or recumbent, machine at LA Fitness, where I've been going for an hour at a time (my sanity only preserved by my iPod). Today, however, I allowed our pleasant afternoon to tempt me back outside for a ride after work -- bright sunshine, temperature in the upper thirties, and calm conditions. Michelle was mildly uneasy about me riding on the roads, but decided to "give you over to God." And I think her peace of mind was helped by my wearing my bright yellow winter coat, as it was cool enough that the coat still felt good. She did quip, however, "The cars might be blinded by what they think is a bright flash of sunshine!"

I had initially thought about doing a longer ride than this, but once I got out there I decided to stay conservative as I still adjust to this new way of life, and I rode one of my old running routes, about 7 miles, in 43 minutes. I only ran it once before my injury, on April 16, 2011, in about 1 hour 13 minutes. I call it the Metro Loop, as it passes by one of the businesses where I have to shuttle many vehicles in the course of my employment, Metro Delivery, on Varsity Drive. It felt great to go over this route again and bring back memories of running, which I still miss. I was very pleased, too, that I was able to negotiate the roads OK, and also had no challenges or difficulties at the various intersections I had to cross, including where Ellsworth Rd. crosses State, a busy spot, especially at that time of day (rush hour).

Coming back toward our home, on Ellsworth, I rode on the broad paved path in front of Costco, and this would have been fine, except that it has been so long since I ran there that I forgot a gap of a couple hundred feet where there is no path. There I bogged down in the wet turf, and had to get off and walk it a short distance. But, all in all, I'm very pleased with Ride #2, and am hopeful that #3 is not nearly another month away.

The winter wears on

Since my first ride, on Jan. 19, about which I blogged, I have longed to get back out there and ride again. But our temperatures immediately plunged back to typical wintry levels, so that I was unable to. Then, this week, it has been milder, but because of my work schedule I couldn't ride - and now, with the weekend coming up, the bone-chilling cold has returned! Oh well, I guess I just need to be patient, and trust that when the time is right, I'll be able to get out there again.

First ride

As I've said previously, my good friend Doug Tidd has been trying for years to convert me to bicycling, as he is a very avid cyclist. Now, due to arthritis in my knees and back, I've decided to make the move, which the doctor has approved. So, since Doug last night provided me with a bike (which he had wanted to get to me several weeks ago) -- "It's nothing elegant," he explained, "but at least it's wheels" -- I took advantage of our unseasonably mild weather (46 degrees this afternoon) to get started. (I had bought a helmet last spring, at a time when I was hoping to begin.)

I deliberately chose a route that I figured would be non-challenging for this first outing -- going down the Lohr-Textile Greenway, a paved path 8-10 feet wide that runs along the east side of Lohr Road from Ellsworth down to Textile -- and the route itself was fairly non-challenging, but it was all I wanted for today. I'm sure I'll build up stamina, but this ride, of a mere 5.6 miles in a poky time of 35 minutes, pushed me. The challenges for this novice included (1) finding my equilibrium as I experienced my wobbly arms and legs; (2) learning how the gears worked -- this was important because, even though it's a relatively flat stretch, there are a few mild hills where I needed to shift, and some experimentation taught me how to do that; (3) locating and learning how to use the brakes -- an important bit of the learning curve that I experienced when just starting out, as I crossed Ellsworth and set off on the Greenway, but almost collided with a pole. I did manage to turn and slide by it, though.

So, next time at least I'll have a little bit of experience under my belt. I hope by summer to be doing relatively lengthy rides. I have in mind routes of 15 miles or so which I had wanted to run, but never got to before the arthritis caught me.

I was looking forward to beginning my new life as a cyclist today (with, admittedly, a modest ride) when my friend Doug Tidd brought over the bike he is loaning me. But upon arriving, he was highly dismayed to see that one of the tires had gone flat. So he good-naturedly set off for home, to repair the problem ... but, given the early waning daylight at this time of year, it meant that a safe ride was not possible for today, so I'll have to wait. But he did bring me my bicycle helmet, which was in his possession - and helped me adjust the problematic strap so it would fit my oversized head ... and also, I stopped at the nearby biking equipment store and picked up a pair of reflective leg straps to hold my pants legs in place and keep them from getting caught in the chain. So, little by little, step by step.

When, a couple of days ago, I expressed sadness about the end of my ability to run and thus of my running blog (due to back and knee problems), my good friend Doug Tidd suggested, "Why not morph it into a riding blog?" Doug is an avid cyclist and has long been trying to persuade me. And since I can no longer run, I've decided I'm going to attempt to become a dedicated cyclist myself - so here goes!

Last spring when I was still working at University Hospital, Doug loaned me a bike with which I was hoping to ride regularly during my lunch hours. But the first day I rode up the big, big hill atop which the hospital sits - and that, combined with the arthritis already plaguing my left knee, was apparently the straw that broke the camel's back. My knee problems have all come subsequent to that experience. A few days ago, when I consulted with a renowned knee surgeon, he said, in reply to my point-blank question about whether I might expect to resume running someday, that, based on what he was seeing in the MRI and x-ray views, "No ... I think you should make peace with the fact that your running is now done." He said he could intervene surgically, but that would carry a high likelihood of leaving me even worse off than I am now for daily mobility. However, he said that I should feel free to pursue a low- or no-impact activity like cycling ... so that I will do!

I have been riding the elliptical at LA Fitness for several months now, so am getting used to the concept. As soon as I can get myself set up with a bike, I'll start doing some actual cycling.