Nat’s doing her best Lucky Cat impression

December 20, 2025 natalieh (she/her)Leave a comment

My latest physiotherapy move is designed to help my shoulder stay seated in place.

Emily demonstrated the move, arm out sideways and bent at the elbow up. Gripping a tension band rotate the hand down, parallel to the ground and back up.

“Oh it’s like the waving cat statues!”

“Yes!” Emily grinned “A Lucky Cat!”

It’s a classic silly little move that hones in on a weakness. I could only do 4 reps and completed the remainder without tension.

I’m grateful for more days pain free. I’m glad I’m seeing progress. It’s very slow but definitely happening.

Strength has returned to my left hand. The nerve pain has retreated to my shoulder. I have a buffet of simple exercises I use to keep the healing on track.

If I’m very lucky I’ll be able to have a full range of motion in 2026.

Strong Enough for Egypt Vacation

October 16, 2025October 22, 2025 elan.paulsonLeave a comment

I knew my 16-day trip to Egypt with 3 midlife friends would be a fun, budget-friendly adventure, but it also became a test of stamina and strength for me.

We had no tour big bus providing a comfy, air-conditioned bubble. Rather, our ambitious travel schedule took us through half the country, hauling our backpacks up modest hotel staircases and navigating every natural and human-made obstacle in our path. Although we had quiet evenings, including a few days by a rooftop pool, by day our bodies were moving in lots of ways.

Our first of many tomb and temple visits, the burial chamber of Bannentiu, 26th dynasty (Roman Era) in the Baharia Oasis.

Bodies in Motion

In the desert near the Baharia Oasis we climbed up (then surfed down) sand dunes. In downtown Cairo, the honking cars, uneven pavement, and throngs of moving people in the street demanded constant physical manouvering. We toured ancient sites out in the hot sun, including Luxor’s Avenue of Sphinxes and Aswan’s Forgotten Obelisk. We also used steep ramps and narrow tunnels inside multiple tombs and pyramids, crouching under low ceilings carved over three and four thousand years ago!

Folks climbing a ramp in one of the Giza Pyramids, built for Pharoah Khufu in the 2500s BCE. Kim said the ramps were put in after her visit 16 years ago: before it was just dirt.

As well, we hiked three silent, stunning canyons in the South Sinai region that shimmered white, red, and multi-coloured in the sunshine. The next day, after a caravan of camels and their handlers got us most of the way up Mt Sinai, we used 750 steep steps to get up to its peak.

Riding Asfour (the Second), a 7-year old camel up the first 3000 steps of My Sinai was a highlight. And although Asfour did most of the work, my legs were still sore the next day!

Later, it was a relief to float face down in the salty water of the Red Sea over the most beautiful coral and schools of fish I have seen. We snorkelled twice: off the beach in Sharm El Sheik and off a glass-bottom boat in Hurghada. But even in and near the water, I had to be thinking about dehydration and sunburn.

Kimi and me snorkelling just off the beach in the Red Sea. Video by Lisa Porter.

Getting hurt could mean getting stuck. I nearly did a few times, once when I mildly rolled an ankle in the Coloured Canyon and when I jammed a finger on a tomb doorway at the Saqqara necropolis. But it felt good to keep moving. At least twice we saw a tourist who seemed unprepared or was having great difficulty getting through the tomb shafts.

Kim and Lisa going down the low-lit ramps in what I think was the Step Pyramid, built for Pharoah Djoser in the 2600s BCE. Video by Kimi Maruoka.

We covered thousands of steps per day, even on our 2- to 7-hour travel days. At the last minute I decided to leave my fitness tracker at home, and I’m glad I did. It helped me to make sense of how I was feeling in my body rather than by stats on a screen.

Rope repelling, then a rebar ladder, just to get down into the White Canyon. Our guide admitted he used this to judge hikers’ readiness for this canyon.

Caring Co-Travellers

And my body did feel many things, as I was under the weather for a good part of the trip: first menstrual cramps, a head cold that turned to cough, then mild heatstroke after the first time snorkeling, and finally a stomach bug. On my worst night, I laid awake shaking with chills, sipping tepid tablet-purified water, and waiting for dawn (or death, I had thought self-piteously).

A short video of Cairo’s downtown streets at night. Our group kept close watch on each other to avoid getting lost or run over.

But I survived. As a white, English-speaking tourist with a credit card and travel insurance on a holiday, I was never really in serious danger. I saw many Egyptians who may have been facing economic hardships and health risks I will never have to deal with as a middle-class Canadian.

Nevertheless, I am so grateful for my three travel buddies, who showed each other constant care throughout our journey. We divided snacks, each bought rounds of water, shared everything from tissues to electrolytes, and carried the mood for each other until someone sick (usually me) recovered.

A cat next to my day pack and water bottle. I stayed hydrated with old and new friends!

Kim, who had planned the travel and booked the local guides and drivers, happily made last-minute arrangements to help me join later when an early morning tour of Isis Temple in Aswan wasn’t possible for me. This caring company was the heart of my trip.

Me in a feeling-better moment, making silly Instagram poses with the backdrop of the Red Canyon behind me. Photos by Kimi Maruoka.

Proof of Life

I believe that our greater exertions paid off in greater fun. In exchange for living out of packs and in our sore, dust-covered bodies, we got to see and sleep in neat places, including under the desert stars, where we felt extremely lucky to be there, together and alive.

Our remarkable view of the white desert at night. This photo was not taken with a black/white filter.

There’s a certain idea of midlife that says to slow down, be careful, rest more. This trip refused that. It demanded and invited all kinds of motion, reminding me how much the body can still do when it must. It turns out that I was strong enough for Egypt.

Lisa and Elan racing (falling?) down a sand dune in the White Desert. Photo by either Kim or Kimi.

And by the end of the trip, I used nearly every pill I’d packed and every muscle I had. But getting over everything became part of my adventure story. I came home with a mildly sprained finger, hardwon but still overpriced souvenirs, and a feeling that my flawed and frustrating body could still bring me much, much joy.

Our fearless foursome trekking in the desert. To borrow a phrase from Kimi and her sisters: “We did it!!”

cycling · fitness

Sam’s surgeon checks out her new knees, all is good is except for this annoying form

October 21, 2024October 22, 2024 Sam B1 Comment

I’ve just had a two year check up for my left knee. It went well. All is good. Except for the annoying form they have me fill every visit.

Why are bowling and golf ranked as more active than cycling?

Also, don’t you think it’s an odd list? Acrobatics? Ballet.

It’s okay. I add in my own comments each time. I Just can’t let the categories go unchallenged.

And I’m on my own for two years. Next check in is 2026. Wow.

fitness

Maybe: In the Washing Machine of Life

July 3, 2024 Mina2 Comments

Last month I wrote about healing rollercoasters. I had planned to write something less turbulent this month. Instead, I’ve gone from rollercoaster to washing machine.

As I write this, over the holiday weekend in Canada, I am surrounded by the Rockies in Canmore, Alberta. I’ve been looking forward to this sojourn for months. The gift of looking up from my computer to see mountains outside my window. And to get out on the trails every day, to trail run, hike and mountain bike.

My fourth day, finishing up a run, I sprained my ankle. Badly. I watched it swell as I hobbled home crying, as if my ankle was being inflated by a bike pump. The physical pain was eclipsed by my mental anguish. Really? Was I going to be imprisoned inside, when just out my door there were miles and miles of forested mountain trails?

What was the universe trying to tell me? What message was I supposed to receive?

I was devastated. Here I am, trying to rebuild my life and instead of three weeks of heavenly nature immersion, I was going to have three weeks of psychic torture and physical pain. Here’s the first message I received: You, Mina, are a detestable person who deserves to be knocked down, repeatedly. Your ongoing, excruciating divorce is not enough. Nor is your financial precariousness, nor the Addison’s Disease. You have still not been punished enough. Yes, even as I was hearing this particular voice in my head, I was fully aware that whether or not I was going to engage with this psychic torture was in my control. Or at least theoretically. It’s easy to say that our state of mind is a decision we make. It’s harder to actually exercise that control.

I have been trying hard to control my mental condition. And for those of you who have read previous posts from me, you know that I was already fully immersed in an effort to visualize my future health (I am actively exploring the potential to heal my Addison’s Disease with a functional medicine practitioner). In that context, injuring my ankle felt like the universe just being plain mean. Understanding that the universe is not personal was my first bit of mental jujitsu. This is not a punishment. I was trail running. And as my friend Kim reminded me, ankles get twisted. This did not happen because I am a bad person. I realigned expectations.

I put flat pedals on my mountain bike and imagined riding around very gently on the flattest ground I could find with the hard plastic sprain boot on my foot. I have some experience with sprained ankles. I’ve also broken my foot, cracked ribs and done quite a number of other things to myself. So, I’m familiar with the healing trajectories. I was calm. Or resigned. It’s sometimes hard to discern the difference. I knew what to expect. A lot of streaming Pilates at home. A sore hip from wearing the hard boot, which makes one leg longer than the other. Enforced stillness. Restlessness.

At the same time, I redeployed the Gladiator Therapeutics far infrared wave device I’d been using to heal my adrenals, and am now wearing it night and day around my ankle. While I have no idea if it’s actually working for my adrenals, I know it’s been working for my ankle. How? Because, as incredibly swollen, ugly and wildly-colored my whole foot is, including my toes and my lower leg, I have experienced little pain. Certainly, there’s discomfort when I walk, especially down stairs. My ankle is stiff when I get up from sitting or lying down. And, I can walk on it, progressively more each day. It’s only been 9 days, as I write this and I went out for a 30-minute walk today (wearing flip flops). And I can ride my bike. On anything. Wearing a small ankle compression support and regular running shoes.

On my bike with the Three Sisters in the background. Inspect before riding sign, which made me laugh and was also accurate. And a surprisingly gentle section of the Rundle Riverside Trail.

I have never experienced ankle healing this quickly before. So, now what is the universe trying to tell me? What message am I to receive?

I feel like I’m living in a washing machine, being savagely bounced around from one emotion to another. I am realigning expectations almost daily.

At this very moment, I am not hiking in British Columbia with my work colleague and friend, Michelle, who I’d planned to meet in person for the first time this holiday weekend. I was so excited to be with her. Michelle was going to drive from Nelson, B.C and we were to meet up in the middle, in Invermere. Instead, I’m alone in Canmore, nursing the enormous disappointment of not connecting with her. And then the washing machine flips me around, and I’m simultaneously ridiculously grateful for the grace of being able to mountain bike and get outside in the mountains, when I thought that would be impossible. Every turn of the pedal, every technical trail section I walk my bike, every mud puddle I splash through, I’m filled to the brim with the sheer unexpected pleasure of communing with nature.

Daily, I spin through a cycle of emotions, from devastation to elation and back again. I keep hoping to be rinsed clean, to spin into stillness, to be hung out to dry in a gentle mountain breeze. I am searching for meaning in what’s happened, for a story of why. I wonder, is the universe offering me evidence that I can heal? To shore up my faith for the steeper climb to health I’m facing with the Addison’s? Or is the message more straightforward, simple—be grateful for what you can do, it’s not nothing, in fact, it’s a lot of something pretty joyful.

Maybe that’s the story. Or maybe not.

Michelle, my Nelson friend, reminded me of this Taoist story: An old farmer’s horse ran away, so the farmer could not tend his crops. His neighbor said, how awful, to which the farmer replied, maybe. The next day the horse returned, with three wild horses. What good fortune, the neighbor said. Maybe, the farmer replied. The following day, the farmer’s son tried to ride one of the wild horses and was thrown off, breaking his leg. What misfortune, the chatty neighbor said. The farmer replied, as always, maybe. Not long after, war broke out and the army came around to the villages to draft the eligible young men. Not the farmer’s son, who was healing from his broken leg. The neighbor, always quick with his take on any situation, said, well aren’t you lucky. Guess what the farmer replied … Maybe.

The story isn’t over. There’s no clear message. Maybe. In the meantime, I can try to minimize the frustration and be grateful for my body’s (or is it my mind’s?) capacity to heal and move.

fitness

More than 8 months out since my last knee surgery: Here’s 8 things that have changed

December 11, 2023December 11, 2023 Sam B

For the first few months after total knee replacement surgery, the changes were big and dramatic. Lately, things have leveled off, and I started to wonder if I’d reached the new normal. Will this be a good as it gets? But there are still changes and occasional surprises.

Here are eight of them:

👍Where’s the ibuprofen? For months after the serious prescription pain meds, I was still taking over the counter ibuprofen and acetaminophen, and then all of a sudden, I wasn’t. While I was going through my recent bout of flu followed by covid, I went to look for some, and they had migrated to the basket of less used bathroom items. Without even being deliberate about it, I’d just stopped taking them.

👍Stairs! I’m climbing them. Up and down. More than one flight. With and without handrails. Also, carrying things. Don’t get me wrong, if there are handrails, I’m using them, but even going down, which is harder, I’m still walking down normally without handrails. Which also reminds me to remind you, please don’t decorate rails with lights and garland. Pretty? Yes. But not functional for those who rely on them.

👍Getting up and getting down again. For the first while after knee surgery, I was only getting down on the floor at physiotherapy where the floor is cushioned, and they have extra cushions that fit under your recovering knees. To get up, they give you stability poles to help you balance. After that, I started doing floor exercises at home with a yoga mat on top of the carpet, but it still felt very deliberate. Now, I’m not really thinking much about it. I got down on the floor to untangle Christmas lights this week. It feels pretty easy to get up. But more importantly, I don’t have to psyche myself up for it. I just do it.

👍More active around the house. For the first while after surgery, I focused on knee physio but didn’t do much around the house other than make the bed, cook, put clothes away, and empty the dishwasher (Sarah loads. She’s the Scandinavian architect. I’m the raccoon on meth.) But the thing is normally I’m someone who prides herself on strength and on carrying things. All the groceries in one trip? Got it. Carrying laundry up and down multiple flights of stairs? Check. Swapping winter and summer tires from bedside the house for many vehicles? Can do. Carrying bags out to the car for road trips? On it. (Sarah loads. See the dishwasher comment above. ) And the good news is I’m myself again. If I couldn’t ever do it again, that’s okay. I’d adjust, and everyone would still love me. I know that. But it feels good being strong and capable.

👍Bend! One of the main goals of post-operative physio is regaining flexion and extension. I work on it most days. I saw great progress in the weeks after surgery, but then I got to a certain degree of bend and then hit a plateau. I kept working at it and working at it, and now everyone once in a while, I surprise myself with some terrific bendiness. Nothing like the super bendy yoga lady in the stock image below but bendy for me.

Stock photo of very bendy woman doing a dance/yoga pose.

👍 I can kneel! After knee replacement surgery, some people never regain the ability to kneel. My physiotherapist says it’s mostly a matter of desensitization. There’s no actual harm to your knees by kneeling. But it feels very weird. Luckily, she’s right. Kneeling is feeling much less strange after doing a lot of it. I can do cat-cow pose in yoga without concentrating on my knee. I’m looking forward to gardening again in the spring.

👍I’m wearing shoes again. Shortly after the second knee surgery, I bought a pair of the world’s most comfortable running shoes, Hokas, and I wondered if I’d ever wear anything besides them. I contemplated getting pairs in lots of different colours to match my clothes. Lately though, I’m back to wearing Danskos, my usual work shoes.

Here’s my latest pair.

👍Muscles. Right after surgery and for months after, I hated the way my legs looked. It wasn’t the incisions or later, the scars, but legs had lost all their shape. They didn’t look like my legs. But lately, when I catch a glimpse of my legs in the mirror, I see that my muscles are back. If you’re a runner or a cyclist, you just get used to seeing your activities reflected in the shape of your body. I’m happy my leg muscles are back.

Anyway, all of this is just to say that I’m still making progress. It’s a reminder to keep on doing the physio even after you’re through the early stages of change.

fitness

Sam’s knee surgery recovery, second time round

April 17, 2023April 17, 2023 Sam B1 Comment

I’ve been home from the hospital for a few days now. Surgery was last Tuesday and I came home Thursday. That’s not exactly as planned. See here for details. But I’m very happy to be home.

How’s it going? How does this round of recovery compare to the last?

In some ways it’s easier. I’ve got one good knee now, more upper body strength, more core strength, and I feel pretty confident moving my recovering body around. Thanks Meg (personal trainer) and Estee (physiotherapist) for all of your help and recommendations. I ditched the walker for crutches after just a couple of days.

I’m doing lots of at home physio. This is the drill three times a day. It’s quad sets, heel slides, short arc leg extension (with rolled towel), calf stretches.

At home exercises after knee replacement

I’m also taking breaks to walk around the house. The helpful guide to recovery from knee replacement says that walking to the kitchen and the bathroom isn’t enough, but also that it’s easy to overdo yourself. I’m doing little laps of the house and the backyard.

Here’s a good description of the kinds of exercises one does when recovering from knee replacement surgery.

Later I’ll work my way up to fancier in bed knee exercises to start the day.

True confession: I fell off the no shopping wagon. There’s not a lot I can do right now–even reading is tricky– and I enjoy shopping. So I’ve ordered some new clothes and shoes and I’m trying not to judge myself too harshly for it. But I stuck to things I needed and I didn’t go overboard.

Here’s what I’m not buying this week.

The real challenge is sleep. OMG it’s tough. I can sleep a few hours at a time and then the pain wakes me up. I go through a little routine of taking more pain meds and getting fresh ice but there’s no guarantee it works. Then I’m sleepy during the day and nap and that makes it worse again at night. Middle of the night binge TV watching becomes part of the routine pretty quickly.

My week’s highlight was an actual shower. That felt so good. I laughed when I read about the climber who lived underground in a cave for more than 500 days and who said what she wanted most after was a hot shower. Me too. Me too.

I’m sitting in a comfy chair, hanging with the dogs and visiting with family. It’s not too bad really.

What I’m watching this first week home from surgery: The Expanse, Season Three of Picard, and Crazy Ex Girlfriend.

Here’s what I’m reading:

And in clinic physio starts Tuesday. Wish me luck!

Defy sports performance and physiotherapy

fitness · rest

One month fitness countdown to my next knee replacement. Yikes!

March 6, 2023March 6, 2023 Sam B5 Comments

Today is Monday, March 6th.

Last Monday, February 27th, I spent the morning at the hospital, London’s University Hospital, getting my left knee checked out by the surgical team. It’s been 6 months since total knee replacement surgery. While there we discussed the timeline for the next surgery, total knee replacement of my right knee. I left thinking it would be sometime before September. I kind of had July in my mind.

And then the next day they phoned. It’s April 11th. Wowsa.

So I am rescheduling my life, cancelling some trips and conferences, and getting ready for another 6-12 weeks off work. And MORE PHYSIO!

For example, I’m now not going to this great looking conference. If post secondary education is your thing, you should go and tell me all about it.

I am also not judging the National Ethics Bowl in Canada.

I am going to spend the next month getting ready for surgery.

That means…

Physio, physio, and more physio. It’s rehab and prehab at the same time.
Personal training for strength, mobility, and balance and general fitness. (I’m adding in a bunch of extra sessions.)
Taking iron supplements and eating lots of green, leafy veggies to get my iron levels up
Getting lots of rest

I’m doing better at getting the same amount of sleep each night rather than wildly inconsistent amounts, after reading about the health risks of inconsistent sleep schedules.

Collecting the walker, knee ice machine etc from friends who’ve also had knee replacement surgery in the past month
Organizing my life at work so things are ready for an Acting Dean to step in
Cleaning and organizing the house as much as possible
Finding people to help out. This surgery is the day my mum leaves for England for two weeks and we’re on dog duty so we are reshuffling things in the family so other adult kids can step in.
Sneaking in some things before surgery that I can’t do after such as a spa day
Luckily I don’t need any special pillows!
Making stacks of books and lists of things to watch while I recovery.

I was amused to see this colouring book but I don’t think I need it!

Wish me luck!

fitness · health · illness

Easing back to ‘normal’

December 6, 2022December 6, 2022 Christine Hennebury2 Comments

…or at least normal for me. 😉

After spending the better part of two weeks dealing with Covid, I am finally feeling mostly like myself.

I missed two weeks of Taekwondo, missed lots of walks with Khalee (I didn’t miss two full weeks of walks, those are easier to scale to my current energy levels) and kept my yoga mat rolled in the corner.

I really missed my usual activities. Aside from my enjoyment of the movements themselves, I missed the shape that yoga and walks give my days and the shape that TKD give my weeks. Without those things, my last two weeks have had a ‘stepped out of the normal flow of time’ kind of feeling.

A GIF of two characters from Doctor Who saying ‘Wibbley-wobblye timey-wimey. Misspellings are in the original. — (Yes, I know wobbly is misspelled) A GIF from the BBC show Doctor Who in which two character are saying ‘Wibbley-wobblye timey-wimey’ to each other.

This time last week, I had to sit down after putting in a load of laundry (there are two flights of stairs involved) and trying to do even gentle yoga left me feeling not quite dizzy but definitely disoriented.

And aside from the physiological evidence that I needed to take it easy, I also have read (and heard evidence from friends) that pushing yourself too hard when you are recovering from Covid can lead to complications.

Today though (I am writing this on Monday), I did a little gentle yoga and my walk with Khalee, while somewhat short, didn’t leave me feeling worn.

In fact, the movement in both cases felt GOOD instead of being mostly tiring.

I’m taking that as a good sign that my recovery is on track and that I am easing back to my regular life.

I’m still going to rest when I can and pay close attention in case things get to be too much for me but I’m glad to be stepping back into *my* normal flow of time.

A GIF of a person making air quotes while saying the word ‘Normal’ — A GIF of a person with white hair and glasses, wearing a dark pink sweater and a flowered scarf saying the word normal while making air quotes with their fingers.

fitness · Zwift

Eight weeks after total knee replacement Sam’s life is returning to something closer to normal

October 24, 2022October 24, 2022 Sam B2 Comments

It’s been eight weeks now since I had total knee replacement surgery on my left knee. The incision has healed nicely. The swelling is down and my knee sort of looks normal.

What’s up on the movement front?

💟 I’m doing aquafit twice a week

💟 I’m riding my bike on the trainer most days

💟 I’m also doing physio most days, seeing the physiotherapist, Estee at Defy, twice a week.

💟 There are also short dog walks.

But beyond that, things are seeming more like normal. What do I mean by that?

💟 I mean, I’m sleeping through the night without a constant waking and rearranging of pillows.

💟 I’m back at work, walking around campus, enjoying seeing people and finding the work challenging and satisfying in the usual ways.

💟 Some days I forget to take painkillers.

💟 I’m using the cane but I keep leaving it places!

💟 I can easily put on socks and shoes, but perhaps even more importantly I can sit with one knee crossed over the other.

💟 And maybe most strikingly sometimes hours go by in which I don’t think about my knee.

Goals for the next 4 weeks?

💟 No big distances and very much weather permitting, I’d like to ride outside on an actual bike just once before winter hits. Likely it will be my Brompton with the step through frame.

💟 I’d like to start regular spin classes. Don’t worry I’ll tell the teacher I’m recovering from knee surgery and I’ll take it at my pace.

💟 My gym has hot yoga and I want to get back on the yoga studio. Again, I’ll be reasonable about going at my own pace.

💟 I’m starting personal training at the university again (hi Meg!) this month and I’m looking forward to doing more physical activity that’s not all about rehab.

Wish me luck!

Here’s me checking in after Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week Four, Week Five and Week 6 and Week 7.

fitness · strength training

Checking in after total knee replacement surgery, 7 weeks out: Sam is returning to her Activities of Daily Living

October 18, 2022October 19, 2022 Sam B2 Comments

First, I had my six week follow up with the surgeon last week. Everything looks good. Next check up is by phone at 3 months and we’ll talk then about the schedule for my right knee.

Second, the physio recommendation from the surgeon says to focus on five things: extension and flexion (bending and straightening of the operated knee), strength training, balance, gait, and a return to the Activities of Daily Living. It actually said “return to ADL” and I had the look up what that meant.

I think that means stairs, dishes, laundry, etc. I’m walking about the house now loudly proclaiming, look at me doing an activity of daily living. The thrill will wear off I’m sure.

Third, in addition to physio and my daily living activities, I’m busy with aquafit two or three times a week. I’m also riding my bike on the trainer 15-20 minutes a day. Cheddar and I are walking again. He’s such a patient lovely dog and great walking at my speed, whatever that speed is, and not taking off after squirrels.

Chase and Cheddar. My mum’s other dog Charlie is a little camera shy.

Fourth, I’m back at work and feeling happy to be re-engaged with the wider world outside my house, my left knee, and physio. The trick will be not over extending myself. I had the option of staying off work for 12 weeks, rather than 6, and so I am thinking of the first 6 weeks back as a chance to say no to some of the weekend and evening dean stuff and involve other people.

I’m trying not to fret about late fall, and dark November days. I’m going to all the holiday parties this year, no matter how early. I’m going to enjoy the hot tub and sauna at my fancy new gym. It also feels good to be back in my office clothes and not just wearing shorts, t-shirts, sneakers, and hoodies. I’m also very much looking forward to extending my time on the bike. Right now, I’m spinning most evenings for 20 min or so, while watching campy movies with my son Gavin. But soon I’ll back on Zwift doing some of the slow social rides.

The tree in my front yard that’s gloriously red in October, stick like in November.

Here’s me checking in after Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week Four, Week Five and Week 6.

Tag: recovery

Nat’s doing her best Lucky Cat impression

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