Personal medicines change over time

Dogs are awesome

My husband saw a meme on Facebook recently.  I couldn't find it to post here, but it said that "Cyclists are the only people who understand why dogs stick their heads out windows of cars".  I don't know if I agree that we're the ONLY people who understand this phenomenon, but we certainly do understand it.

I realize that technically, while riding, I actually feel very little "wind in my hair" since I have it in a pony tail and stuffed under a helmet, but the meme is still true.  I love to feel the air on my face, the speed of it, the smells that go by so quickly that I'd call them fleeting.  I love to feel the power of the bike in my hands and under my feet; to feel my connection with the Earth revolving below me.  I miss it.


My "Team" after our 76 mile day 2 ride
during the 2014 Pedal the Plains, a 3
day ride across a part of Colorado

I've been dealing with some chronic pain recently that has kept me away from my bike and I miss riding.  I miss my medicine.  But that medicine is for my healthy self.  Medicines change as you and your body changes.  Just because one thing makes you feel awesome one day/week/month/year, it doesn't mean that it will always be your medicine.  Or that you can't change medicines for a time and come back to them when you're ready to resume.  That's what I'm hoping.

You can't force stasis.  The only constant in life and in the world is change.  And that goes for your medicine, too.

You may have read my "Find your Medicine post earlier this month about yoga for creativity.  If you missed it, you can go back and read it here.  I enjoy yoga.  I always have.  With my pain issues, yoga is still an option for me, where cycling, not so much at the moment.  It makes me sad that I am missing out on the speed and watching the river try to keep up with me on the North Platte River path.  It makes me kind of sad that I'm missing out on the "defensive riding" of avoiding the spring influx of bugs along the river.

Me and my road bike

But we change.  Over time, everything changes.  If I had to give advice to my younger self, I would tell me to never say never.  Everything changes.  Experience changes a person and their outlook. 

Nothing is finite or impossible because life is not over.

I will get back to my healthy self.  I haven't given up or sold my bikes or chucked my riding clothes.  They're hibernating like my medicine.  Waiting for me to come back for them when I'm ready.

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