Saturday, January 28, 2023

An inauspicious start

For many years, I started the new year with a schedule of ride events and races and goals to train for -- often laid out and documented here in my blog -- and that was a routine for several decades. I have a few goals penciled in for 2023, but it’s not like the old days of training and FTPs and watt goals. I’m content with that. 

I ended 2022 with a trip to the ER in an ambulance after taking a head first fall down a flight of stairs. After slamming my head and neck into a wall, I passed out in the kitchen. The police, fire, and ambulance arrived soon after, (all a blur), but I remember looking up and seeing my cousin's son (a firefighter) standing at my feet, looking down at me. We locked eyes and both smiled, and I knew I was going to be ok. 

I was in rough shape going into the new year -- too sore to get back into a fitness routine, over to the Y for spin classes, or on my new treadmill to join my sister for our 3x weekly walk/run. I was feeling pretty blue when my Coffeeneuring 2022 patch arrived. (Thank you Mary!) It was a reminder to just take it easy, enjoy the ride, enjoy a coffee, and not take it all so seriously. I’m here for that. I got back on the treadmill in Week 2 of the new year, excited for my new NordicTrack smart treadmill which arrived January 2nd, a Christmas gift from Mike. I love it. We converted the boy's former playroom into a home gym this year, and it's been helpful to my recovery. By Week 3, the soreness in my back and neck eased up enough for me to return to spin classes at the Y. The PMC Winter Cycle is just a week away! I'm not as ready as I would have been had I not taken a header down a full flight of stairs, but I'm well enough to ride and I'm super excited about it.

We finally got some snow this past week -- enough for a bit of snowshoeing before rain arrived the next day and it all melted away. It's been one crazy winter.
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