What have I been up too…. Bikes and hills would be the
simple answer.
The last few weeks have been about me looking what I can do
without overloading the fatigue see-saw. There is a fine line between balance and
the wheels falling off… I’m still learning but am getting a lot better at
looking after myself.
Before I was diagnosed I can now reflect that I was a bit of
a whimp when it came to pushing myself at times… mind you at the time I wouldn’t
have said that. But there are little things I think back on and I am now
challenging myself on them (what’s the worst thing that could happen???).
One big thing was around riding hills, something I used to
try and avoid unless I really had to do it. I’m now making this a mission to
challenge, and push through this previously self-imposed barrier of “this is too
hard”. What the last 13 odd months has taught me is that there are harder
things in life I have had to deal with and challenge myself with, all of which
I have done, and survived. So I can do this.
Whilst I’ve generally been a pretty motivated and positive
person previously, my outlook has changed and I feel stronger and more
confident in my abilities (If I can do chemo, radio, surgery and Cancer I can
do anything I put my mind to).
So with all this in tow, I have been trying to ride a varying
assortment of hills to push this, and I have successfully completed all the
challenges I have set for myself, it has been tough, but as I keep chanting
various mantras whilst slogging up the hills (I may add very slowly is my top
speed!)… “Suck it up sunshine”, “this is not as tough as treatment” and “I will
not let cancer win”, (and a few others with some quite "choice" words that I cant say as my Mother is reading this) I can now tick off some hills I would have either avoided
or complained loudly about previously. I am proud of myself and my body for
doing this (learning to trust my body is something I am still working on, but
its holding together well…. And this is a story for another day).
To do this I have to say I have had some amazing support
from my pretty cool group of friends and super amazing partner (Sorry this is
about as sappy as I get) and family. They have come riding with me, kept me
company, ridden repeats up hills whilst I keep slogging along to get up just
once, they have challenged me and looked after me. I am more than grateful for
this.
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| There was sleet, rain and mud... and I made it to the top for the first time in over a year |
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| At the top of Wainui looking over Wellington! |
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Weeeeeeeee... looks like I'm jumping over a large bottle cap! |
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| Cyclocross bike fun on new single track. |
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| At the top of Blue Mountains Road... made it to the top.... this is what I used to call the "Mountain of stupidity" which I finally rode and made it the "hill of awesomeness" |
Thank you for reading again, stay tuned for more adventures
and potential madness and mayhem.
Stay strong and true to yourself
RAG x
