It's Time.

A body at rest tends to stay at rest... unless acted on by a net external force.

-Newton's first law of motion

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It was time.

  

My body had stayed at rest for far longer than I wanted it to. The distraction of the RV project is winding down, and my epic battles with orange shag rug are at an end. While it isn't finished, it's pretty darn close- close enough for one year. My hip is still misshapen (especially in spandex), but it's not quite as noticeable if I'm standing behind a brick wall. My ribs ache and my back spasm occasionally, but otherwise I saw no reason not to ride.

  

Thing is, I wasted two perfectly good days not riding. It wasn't that I was afraid. My body was just at rest. It wasn't moving, and sometimes it needs an extra push or two to get going again. Finally, after a day at the state fair with the family, I kitted up and did a late ride. I fumbled around finding all of the stuff that had been misplaced over the past month. Everything didn't feel as natural as it once did, but I guess that's to be expected after such a long layoff.

  

I aired up the tires, threw a leg over the top tube, and with all of the grace of a newborn moose, lightly bounced off the side of the RV as I rode out of the driveway. OK, bike handling may take a while to come back.

  

I rode straight into a stiff headwind. I got into the drops. My ribs ached. I started spinning away. Quickly I found I had no sustained power. Fine. I settled into a prolonged 'meh' and tried to remember what it was like to be a cyclist.

  

It's going to take a while before I feel normal again. A long while. How long? I have no idea.

  

I'm moving, though.