I recently wrote about how I'd got my mountain bike sorted and built my kit with the help of Halfords, as well as how this summer I was finally going to brave it, at some point. Alf's been begging me to ride bikes with him from as soon as he was old enough to say the words and it's taken so so long.
I did try a ride a few years back when Soph was a baby, but with my back and pelvis problems, I was in agony in minutes and it took a good week or two to recover, so to be honest I've been scared of feeling like that again and also looking silly having gained lots of weight again and rarely venturing out without a full face of makeup.
Last week though, Alf lost one of his little friends and it's totally put everything in perspective, even more so than I've felt before. Firstly, I don't care if I look silly, I'm trying to get fit and making memories with my family which is far more important than anything anyone could think of me. Second and most important of all, Alf has wanted me to ride so much, I'm keen on it not just being a boys thing, especially as Soph enjoys it sometimes too, so I needed to show her us girls are more than capable. Getting going on my bike and actually riding and spending that time with Alf and Soph is more important than anything, so this past weekend we headed for the forest and I FINALLY got going.
I had no issues getting started, I didn't have the instant surging pain I'd had last time I tried and apart from being fried alive by the crazy sunshine (30 degrees, what is this nonsense?) it was amazing.
Me and Alf left Soph on her balance bike with Adam so they could go a little slower with Peggy dog whilst we zoomed off and did around six miles of riding. Hearing Alf compliment me on my riding, tell me how much fun he was having and saying it was the best day ever just because I finally rode a bike was perfect.
I'm going to try really hard now to step up, get a bit fitter, stronger and do all the things they want me to do with them. I'm not going to care what I look like to others in the process either as the kids having new memories and having a good time is far more important to me. It always has been, but never more so than right now. I think the next challenge may well be rock climbing by the looks of it and I'm already having nightmares about my bum oozing out of the harness, but do you know what? I couldn't give a monkeys.
I can't wait to get out on our bikes again! A bit colder would be nice though...
