Moving along, 43 miles at a time

Yesterday was my 7 months post-op mark. 

Theoretically (according to Dr. Z anyway) I have 11 months left until my knee is “as good as it’s going to get.” Considering how good it feels right now, and adding another 11 months of healing and strengthening, I’m excited to see how great it will feel by the 18 month mark!  I’m sure that the progress will soon start to be micro-improvements and may be barely detectable. That already seems to be the case many days (weeks), suddenly I’m 7 months post-op and feeling really great! I have gone a few days in a row lately without thinking about my knee. Imagine that!

So June 2nd happened. 

My 40th birthday.

I didn’t spontaneously combust. 

I met my goal of being able to do a pull-up. 

I also rode 40 (43 actually) miles on my bike.

I also went grocery shopping and folded laundry. 

I took my boys to an Eagles event.

I went to dinner with my guys. 

I went to bed early (for me). 

I will have drinks with some friends next weekend.

I wanted nothing more yesterday, it was perfect. 

40 will likely be ok.

The best part of my day yesterday was the bike ride I went on. I took my new birthday bike. I jumped out of bed and left at 8am because the day was supposed to be a rainy stormy mess. I told myself I was racing the storms. It ended up not raining until 10pm. Leaving early (however unnecessary) was ultimately better because the Schuykill River Trail was somewhat empty the whole way out to Valley Forge. Had I planned better, I would’ve brought more water, and had some nutrition with me, and I would’ve eaten before I left. I’ll know better next time! If you don’t learn a lesson then what’s the point. Right?! By the way, 12-19 year old me is actively rolling her eyes at me right now! 

The result of me thinking I was racing against time (storms) was that I rode hard, pretty much the whole time. This wasn’t leisurely at all, and while that left me pretty beat and exhausted for the rest of the day, it was a good head-clearing experience. 

It’s funny because I was thinking: I tell myself that I rode really hard because of the storms that were supposedly coming, but I also think that maybe I don’t know how to ride/exercise leisurely. Maybe I only know how to push as hard as I can, especially now as I try to come back in some physical way. 

Regardless, it was exactly what I needed. And no flat tires!  I decided that if I got a flat, it was a bad omen for my 40th...but no flats, no wipe-outs, nothing but a good ride. 

My ride started at my house, and I headed to the SRT. I had not gone more than 30 miles with my new knee, and was hoping it all went ok. I had a credit card on me just in case things didn’t go as planned. 

I rode to this mile-marker (just outside of Vally Forge Historic Park) on my birthday bike. I ultimately named her Gemini. 

I think she’s beautiful. 

She was far easier to ride to get past the manayunk tow-path (which is mostly gravel) than my road bike. 

That little bottle of water is all I brought (insert forehead slap here) and it was HOT and HUMID even early on. Lesson learned. 

This was my mile 40 selfie. Runners (at least the ones I know) are selfie takers. They are “take pictures on your run” people. Bikers don’t seem to be. Not that I’ve seen anyway. Maybe because it’s not terribly safe and you have to stop and maybe get off your bike to do so. Regardless I felt a little silly taking pictures. Whatever. 40@40 was an important goal for me. I had to memorialize it in pictures. 

Taken at the end of my ride before I headed home. Mile 42. My favorite shot of the greatest city. 


This shows the final stats of my ride. 40 miles +3 for good luck (or because I calculated wrong). I’m grateful to have done this just one month after being cleared to ride outside.

 On my 39th birthday I was planning a 40 mile run on June 2, 2018. 

7 months ago I was just hoping to get back to anything resembling outdoor exercise. 

Yesterday was a fantastic experience that I am so grateful for. 

And my knee was intact after!

7 months post-op, and post 43 mile ride. It can only get better from here (both my knee and being 40).