My Joy Ride

I never owned a bicycle, until a few weeks ago.  This is my new ride, Matilda, a Mother’s Day gift from my husband. Matilda has vintage swag, is uncomplicated (not too many gears), and a cross between Jadeite green and robin’s egg blue in color—she’s perfect for me.

Since moving to Montana, I have pushed myself to go “where I have never gone before.” I’ve learned to swim (enough to save myself), attended painting classes, embraced the responsibility of the cutest little dog in the world, braved blogging, and now, I’ve taken up riding a bicycle. Until Matilda, I had been on a bicycle exactly two times since I was sixteen. It’s not that bicycling frightened me like swimming did; I just never put “get a bicycle” on my bucket list.

In complete transparency, I did have a bike of sorts when I was ten. It was a hand-me-down, blue, boy’s bike from a cousin, and I shared it with my siblings. Until I sat astride Matilda, I’d forgotten those infinitely long days of youth, when I pedaled into the wind as if the devil was chasing me, no destination in mind.

Encouraged to test-drive Matilda, my heart pounded against my chest and adult insecurity invaded my consciousness like a big, black crow pouncing on road kill. Was I going to fall over, scrape my face beyond recognition, and break an arm, right there in the REI parking lot, for all to see? But, with my husband (an almost pro cyclist in his youth) encouraging me, I found my balance, pushed against a pedal, and voila. Who knew Matilda doubled as a time machine? Insecurity winged away, and pure joy inflated my lungs and my spirit. Squinting into the sun, hair flying behind me, I was ten again and I did not want to stop riding my bike—ever. I pedaled and pedaled and pedaled, on that asphalt, picking up speed, while the pleasure of unadulterated, no judgment glee became the name of the game. I was, dare I mention it, having fun!

A year or so ago, I worked on a project with Dr. Jade Wimberley, author of the The Health Revolution (www.thehealthrevolution.com), and she explained to me that movement (exercise) should be something you want to do, something you look forward to, and not something you feel you have “got to do,” such as “I have to go to the gym” or “I have to get a workout in.”

Dr. Jade, I get it, now! When I’m on Matilda, I’m once again astride that battered hand-me-down, with nothing but a summer day in front of me, and the promise of a slice of cold watermelon as a treat at the end—all of it guilt free and just for the joy of it!