I had my first ride over the weekend! I wasn’t brave enough to do it alone, so I am lucky that my sister wanted to try it with me. From the second we walked in everyone was incredibly helpful. We paid for our class, stored our personal belongings in a locker, put our cycling shoes on and waited for class to start.
Was I able to follow the class in its entirety? Of course not! Did I keep trying to catch on? You bet! One of the best things about my first ride was the fact that the instructor did not make me feel bad about not keeping up. I felt motivated, inspired, and even a little proud of myself for being there.
Why did I decide to start now? There are several reasons. 1- I am in my 30s and I want to feel better about myself. I think the process starts from the inside out. While I’m sure I will begin to see some changes on the outside, I am more excited about the changes that have already begun to take place inside. 2- My mother has struggled with obesity all of her life and is now paying the consequences – diabetes, cirrhosis, stroke, needs a knee replacement – I do not want to end up on that same boat. I see how it impedes her from doing the things she once loved and even though it is not my fault, I wish I would have done more to help her get healthy. Since I can’t eradicate the past, I can attempt to change my future.
I am not a writer so this is more like a therapy for me through this process. I hope I can actually stick to this because I want to find my SOUL!
Will I be back for another ride? DEFINITELY! In fact, I already reserved a bike for an upcoming class.
