Bicycle lessons (continued)

When I started this blog last year my original intention was to jot down a few random observations from a year in the life.  Specifically the 64th year of my life.  I even had a title that perfectly captured my state of mind.

When I'm 64:  Pedaling Downhill

"Pedaling downhill" pretty much sums up what we all face by our 60's or earlier -- the downhill arc of our physical lives that we can either embrace, ignore, or resist.  By my 64th birthday I already knew that my days in the construction/remodeling business  were at an end.  My body just couldn't recover fast enough (if at all) from any more drywall hanging or framing or trips up and down ladders to paint and repair.  Ten years or so prior to that, in my mid-50's, I made similar adjustments to my running habit.  Thank you to whoever invented the elliptical trainer.    What I turned to for exercise outside the gym was my bicycle, a horse I could still ride, and without the wear and tear.  The pleasant surprise, once I got accustomed to regular rides, was the discovery that even an old geezer could ride longer and faster, if he stuck with it and didn't try to do too much too soon.

To be honest, the "faster" parts have taken place mostly on the downhills.  That's where I started to push my limits about a year ago, once I had the stamina and confidence, cranking like a banshee to see if I could register 30 mph on the odometer.  This attraction to speed didn't happen all at once.  It took a couple of years for me to succumb to a bit of recklessness and ride "on the edge," as skiers say.  Even though I had always been more interested in endurance than speed, I slowly (irony intended) succumbed to the lure of acceleration.  Riding far is a challenge.  Riding fast is a thrill.  

Pedaling uphill builds strength.  Pedaling downhill, oddly enough, restores dignity.  And nourishes self-confidence, maybe even a little cockiness.  In my case, that cockiness has been tempered by a broken bone and torn muscle, the result of two spills in the past year.  But neither has changed my mind about how I intend to face whatever time remains for me.  If I'm headed "downhill" at this point in my life -- then why not with some pizzaz?  I'm not in any hurry to reach the end, mind you.  But whenever it comes, here's hoping I'm still pedaling like mad -- or at least like mad for my age -- to cover the most ground possible.