#6 - Change takes time
While I’ve been riding a lot over the past few weeks, especially when I compare to the past 25 years, and while I’ve done so without real issues, my body tells me I have to pace myself. The past couple of days, I’ve been working on a side project. Something that will allow me to undertake even more challenging trips and tours. And while working on this, I’ve had some joints playing up. Not that the work was so hard, but I’m just not used to physical labor any more. And I feel that.
Just like when I’m riding my trike, I kept going until the point where my body tells me to slow down. I imagine my body’s voice to be like that of a sassy teen, telling her dad he’s old.
“Yeah dad, like you can still pull that off. What do you think, you’re still 15 years old? You’re old. Not getting there, you are there. You probably were old when you were half your age. Now, you’re ancient. I’ve seen mummies in Egypt that looked more alive then you”
Something like that. I’m paraphrasing of course. But the message is clear. I can’t do all the things that I want to do. At least not all at once. And I don’t like that. It almost feels like failure. At least it’s a limitation. The will is there. I want to move forward. I want to exercise to get better. I want to be able to do physical labor all day long. But “want” doesn’t plan my agenda it seems.
In stead, more often then I like, I feel my limitations. My body tells me to hold back, that the limit for that day has been reached. That the battery is running low. More may come, but not now… not immediately. This probably sounds more dramatic than it is. I knew when I started working out, that I hadn’t been doing stuff like that in a very long time. I would have to let my body adapt. Give it time to settle in its new role. Let it improve, then rest. Improve some more, then rest some more. Impro… You see where this is going. While I made some incredible progress over the past three months, I maybe didn’t give my body enough time to adapt. Again, the signals are there, but nothing dramatic has happened. I just feel I need to pace myself a little more, to prevent myself from hurting myself somehow. Just by working out. Slow down to keep moving forward.
I’m proud of the progress I’ve made by now, and I want more of that. Much more. I’m not sure about how far I can take this, how much I can take. Future will tell I guess. All I know is that I have to do this the right way. In a way I can take it.
I enjoy my rides every time. The feeling of the burn in my muscles is something I didn’t feel for much too long. It’s something that gives me a feeling of accomplishment. Setting out for a ride, with or without a plan that’s set in stone, and returning home with another personal best. That makes me forget any discomfort along the way.
Stepping on the scale every morning, measuring my blood glucose twice a day or taking my blood pressure. All those results confirm I’m on the right path. But I have to remember I’m on a journey, not a city trip. It will take time. With ups and downs.
