Yesterday I had a wonderful adventure. I’ve been thinking about doing it for a while with some hesitation. But as I’ve decided I want to say yes to life as often as possible, I decided I had to at least give it a go.
Some friends of mine (Lynn and Brian) run a bike shop in a village just down the road from where I live. In my healthy time between the two incidences of this illness I used to go out mountain biking with Lynn, but for a long time I’ve chosen not to even think about those times.
Recently Lynn’s been talking about the new e-bikes that they have for hire in the shop and how they make cycling so easy. She’s so passionate about these bikes that she challenges anyone to have a go without returning with a massive smile on their face.
The idea has been building in my mind that maybe I could manage on an e-bike. Straight away I knew just the route I wanted to take, I wanted to visit a waterfall I haven’t been to in years. Could I (a 50 year old woman with ME, albeit relatively mild) really go out mountain biking again? Lynn assured me that although you still have to pedal, the electric motor makes it easy, especially in turbo mode. Now, that’s the key for me. I know that I can achieve a lot as long as I don’t have to employ a great deal of effort. If I could stay relaxed it was doable. So decision made I was going on an adventure again!!!
I had a wonderful time. I took two breaks on the climb as although the motor made the pedaling relatively effortless the repetitiveness of the movement did take a toll on my thighs. Stopping to stretch them out and take a drink did the trick though. On the second stop we bumped into some tourists who happily agreed to take our picture. At that point we’d done the majority of the climbing. A few minutes later we overtook another friend who’s a mountain bike guide, leading a small group on non-motorised bikes. It was only then I realised just how fast we were able to go with so little effort.
The weather colluded to making it a very pleasant ride; the cloud came up the valley to cool us down. Although I didn’t get to see all the views that I was hoping for, cycling at midday at this late stage in June would have been quite uncomfortable under the full beams of the sun! I love the atmospheric nature of being in the clouds anyway.
I absolutely love waterfalls and it was so nice to visit ‘Tajo Cortes’ again; it used to be one of my favourite destinations for walking or cycling. This wonderful excursion was a resounding success and yes I had that massive grin on my face for the rest of the day.
I have to admit to feeling pretty exhausted once the adrenaline/endorphin rush had calmed down, but I relaxed for the rest of the day, replacing any worrying thoughts about whether on not I was going to crash with several reps of ‘I breathe in energy, vitality and healing, I breathe out tension and fatigue’. Amazingly I’ve woken up feeling relatively normal today so I chose to believe that as long as I take it easy today too, there will be no nasty after effects! I may have slightly sore muscles tomorrow, but that’s normal and I have my doTERRA deep blue to massage into any sore muscles. So it’s all good, everything is under control!
The main message behind this post, is to remember that with a little creativity we can get around some of our limitations. Keep looking out for ways that you could say yes to life, as long as you make the appropriate adaptations! I’d love to hear about any experiences you have, where adaptation has made something accessible to you, that you never thought you’d be able to do.
If reading about all of this and seeing the pictures has made you yearn and wonder, why not consider a personal coaching retreat with me here in the Alpujarras. If you have an active partner they can hike in the amazing Sierra Nevada National Park or hire a bike from Lynn and Brian while we work on creating a life that you love! We could even go out on the e-bikes together if you’re well enough!
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What a lovely post! I remember how everytime I came home from school on my bike I was completely exhausted and out of breath. That’s why I stopped cycling but the idea of an e-bike sounds like the perfect plan! I might have to rent one to try that out. Thanks for the tip! x
I’ve been a sufferer of fibromyalgia following a car collision last year and thought my cycling days were over. I’ve loved cycling since I learnt to ride aged 10 and lived in Amsterdam, the city of bikes for several years. I sold my old ambulance/ camper van which had no power steering as impossible to drive now, but with the money bought an electric bike. Still learning to walk before I run and do overdo it sometimes but my ebike has given me a new lease of life and can’t recommend them highly enough to anyone struggling with chronic pain/ fatigue. Well done you! I’m wondering if I can set up some kind of initiative here in South Wales UK to help others like its helped me. Thank you for your inspirational post. Wishing you wellness and many happy milestones on your journey s to recovery x
Hi Mia,
Thanks for commenting it’s great to hear more inspiration about e-bikes. If you do get to set up some initiative to help others, please let me know. I’d love to share it on my social media and maybe write a blog post about it!
Wishing you continuing improvements to your health and happiness!
Julie
P.S. I love your chosen surname! But you’re not just good enough you are essential!