Back, I've had a love hate relationship with cycling. Rode as a kid, and some as a teen with a Sears Free Spirit ten speed through my early 20s... Was in the Navy, got married and missed my bicycle... The Navy was kind enough to send me to Hawaii, and I fell in Love with cycling again.. Five years... Then back to San Diego, rode some, took a bike on the carrier I was on. Rode in Singapore, Australia, Acapulco and got the crap scared out of me in the 15 minutes I tried riding in Hong Kong... Rode less and less. Transferred to the middle of nowhere, met a RAM winner, got a little reinvigorated, but fell away again. Retired from the Navy, weight started creeping up. Fast forward a few years, moved to Utah, had my left knee replaced, and used the bike to recover. And tried to lose some weight. Nine months later, doing good, I crashed badly, broke my back and had fusion surgery. Long recovery. I am LUCKY to be walking. TERRIFIED of hills now. Lost some weight, not a suggested weight loss program though! But, the weight crept back on as I did not feel "sturdy" enough to exercise. Took three years to get back on a bike. A kid I got into cycling in Hawaii sent me a 29er... Of course, I rode it. Not much. But enough for a while. Fixed the bike I crashed on, Rode it a bit, put it on my trainer. Then my right knee started failing, and my right ankle developed a heel spur, I couldn't even ride the bike, the heel spur was bad. 2 years ago had it cut down, but,it had been cutting my achilles tendon, So that was repaired at the same time. Then of course, I sprained my other ankle. Packed on pounds.
Nothing I tried to lose weight worked. Every time I tried to get on the bike, I had an injury. Not bike related. Last year I decided I needed to do something drastic. I looked into weight loss surgery. Then my world fell apart. Dad had cancer, and he passed in a couple months I couldn't get my head together. My weight went up. Finally got my head straight. But I was 378 pounds. I tried getting on the bike on the trainer. But felt too top heavy and afraid I would fall. I was approved for surgery, and took all the classes required, the sleep study, proved I had SEVERE obstructive sleep apnea. Then, the cardiologist scared the crap out of me. Retaining fluid, hard to breathe, swelling in my lower legs... High resting heart rate and high blood pressure. At least I didn't have diabetes. But was in danger... I was prescribed cardiac rehab gym. Oct 22, 2018 I had the gastric sleeve. I had lost 22 pounds before surgery. I've lost 64 since then.
I've got my original bike on the trainer. A 1986 KHS Fiero. Three years ago, I put newer stuff on it. Updated it. Still fine tuning it, But getting back on it a bit most days. Hitting the cardiac gym once week, and the regular gym at least twice a week..I am down 86 pounds since my heaviest. No real goal other than being healthier and more fit. again. Hi. I'm Roger, and I'm trying to be a cyclist again.