Back in the Saddle Again

on Monday. I fly to Nairobi tomorrow to meet up with the group, then I’ll be back on the bike to ride out with them. We leave Nairobi on the 12th on our way to Tanzania. This is the part of Africa I have looked forward to the most and I have no intention of missing it.

I think I’ve recovered enough. I hope. Yes. Definitely. Maybe. I don’t know. Only time will tell. I’ve been off the bike since February 17 and I’m feeling seriously de-trained, so it’ll be interesting to see how it goes! The ribs feel much better this week, though – enough that I was able to ride on the stationary bike a couple of times for short durations. Breathing is still a little difficult, though, but I’m hopeful that I can start riding at least for part of the day when I get back to it. Whatever happens, I’ll try to detach myself from the outcome – what will be, will be.

Thank you to everyone who posted comments or sent emails to wish me a speedy recovery – I could feel your energy & will carry it forward with me.

I’ve been reading the TDA blog for the last couple of weeks, feeling really left out of things, wondering how everyone is doing 😦 Truth be told, though, the north part of Kenya sounds like very, very tough riding so I guess maybe that was a good part to miss. Still, getting broken ribs does seem like an extreme way to get out of it……

This is the trip of a lifetime, so if not now, when? When would I be able to do this again? But am I what Bruce Springsteen had in mind when he penned “the highway’s jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive”? 😀 Maybe, but I think prefer Hunter S. Thompson’s quote: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”

So ride it shall be!