I have always been an active and athletic person. I have played soccer, volleyball and done some Taekwondo. Due to injuries and pain, I slowly had to give up each sport. With that I noticed my enjoyment of food and beverage caused me to gain some weight...not a lot, but more than I definitely wanted.
I found that I really enjoyed watching cycling and thought "really how hard can this sport be?" So I bought my first bike, a Specialized Allez Elite. Oscar was beautiful and fast! In my mind I was riding often and far. Turns out a 12 mile ride is not considered far, and three days a week is not considered often. However, it was a start and I quickly progressed.
After a year of riding, I decided to set a monumental goal. I was going to do my first century ride. I started to train in earnest and after a couple of months decided my goal would be to finish in under 5 hours and 45 minutes. I guess I did well with my training, and I finished in 5 hours and 28 minutes. Between my wife's encouragement and the result, I decided to work harder to continue my improvement.
I started to ride further and faster each month, and soon I was completing 40 - 60 mile rides. Two years ago a friend asked me to do the STP, Seattle to Portland, in one day. I decided why not and began to train for it. Then the unthinkable occurred while out for a training ride, I was hit by a car!
My bike broke in half, the gears were bent, and the cranks were bent along with an assortment of other issues. That said, I had it worse...I flew into the car, over the car and into the road. My clothing was torn, I had road rash, a cut on my head and an ambulance was called. When I arrived at the hospital they discovered those were the least of my worries...I had also broken my neck and had a severe concussion.
I was flown from the small hospital to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. I spent the next 5 months recovering and seeing doctors. I was eventually cleared to work and ride again at the end of August. I am not sure how I did it, but with encouragement from my wife, again, I bought a new bike and started to ride.
The next 10 months, on the bike, were not the most pleasant. At first, any ride more than 15 minutes caused severe pain in my neck, shoulders and back. However, each ride was a little better and longer. Soon I was back up to 20, 25, 30 and 40 miles. My fear slowly started to dissipate and I began to meet people at a local bike shop.
With the encouragement of my friends and family I rediscovered why I loved to ride. The feeling of going fast, pushing hard, the wind in my hair, the burn in my lungs and legs, and mostly the satisfaction of setting a new personal best for a given route.
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