We did the Park to Port Bike Ride this morning, my mom and husband and brother and I. Originally, my brother was the support car, and he had a spare bicycle on the back that fit him, so that he and I could switch places whenever my body said I needed to be done. However, I really settled in okay after the first three miles, and ended up doing the whole first half without having to switch. When we had only three miles to go, I told my mom to have my brother go park at the turn-around party and ride back to meet us, so he could ride with the three of us for a bit. He ended up doing the last mile+ with us, and he and my husband clearly had a blast together for it.
After the turn-around party (aka real breakfast and chocolate milk and a short rest), I was still feeling very okay, and so we just left the car at the turn-around, and we all rode the whole way back together. The boys had a great time going wild off-course. My mom went at her own pace and occasionally stopped to let me catch up. And I just did what I could without pushing anything. I ended up riding the whole thing, which was 18 and a half miles all together.
To be clear, the last time I exercised was in May. I have only just been able to starting going on walks, and they are mostly just over half a mile each time, and they’re only every few days or more. I rode the bicycle for about seven minutes about two weeks ago, when we adjusted the seat height and angle so that my rolled hips could actually handle being on the bike. Basically, it speaks volumes as to how fit I was before the pregnancy, that I was able not only to do this ride today, but that I was able to do it pregnant.
What was funny to me was how people mostly had no idea I was pregnant. From behind, I don’t look anything other than a random slim girl. From the front and side, of course, I look like I have a basketball shoved under my shirt. Haha
That being said, the uphills were the only really hard parts for the ride. You see, I had a few things going against me on these. 1)My abs don’t really do any muscle work these days. They have just have spread apart and chill mostly. They don’t really flex. So, 2)I couldn’t ride standing up or use my core. 3)When pedaling on an uphill, my knees would slam into my belly, since it sticks out so much. So, I had to pedal the uphills with my knees splayed outward, as though I were on a little kid’s bike that was way too small for me. 4)My muscles are all smaller than they were in May. So, my thighs were not accustomed to working quite so hard all on their own. And 5)I weigh a lot more, percentage wise, than I ever have riding a bicycle. So, uphills were with splayed knees, only sitting, no ab support, heavier weight, and weaker muscles. Yes, they sucked.
So, I was moaning and groaning aloud for each of the uphills. And, unless the person turned to look at me while passing or afterward – they rarely did – the only thoughts people could have had were versions of, This girl sucks at riding a bike.
So, yeah, that happened loads. Haha. But the photographers noticed me quickly and were sure to get some photos of me and this baby. In ten years of this ride, we have never seen a pregnant woman doing the ride. I was definitely an anomaly for the event. But I held my own, and I am proud of it.
I am grateful to my family for being so supportive and so patient. I am grateful to my husband for making the bicycle actually fit the weird angle I needed. And I’m grateful to the midwife who had encouraged me to listen to my body and trust its messages, versus most common behaviors. (Most women don’t end up riding bicycles when pregnant, both because of the change in center of gravity and because of the effort.)
The only issue I had was that, though my hands always end up hurting by the end, because my handlebars have these weird 3-d design grips on them, today was the worst ever. My palms and my wrists were truly hurting before the end of the ride. I imagine that, since my seat had to be so far angled forward, to the point that I was half-leaning against it and half-sitting on it, that created much more pressure on my wrists and hands. Not to mention my heavier weight in the first place. So, what normally is only a touch painful by the end was like fire by about halfway. I did get paper towels to be a buffer against the handlebars at the halfway point, and that helped immensely with the grips situation and my palms. But that didn’t change the pressure on my wrists, and that really sucked by the end. Haha
But we made it! I’m sure my wrists will be sore tomorrow, as still will my lower palms (as they are now, raw-feeling and sore). And my groin area with have the same bruising it gets every year – yes, it was hurting already before we finished the ride, as always. And attending two Halloween parties tonight was not the greatest idea, given that my feet started hurting terribly and my tailbone’s sudden discomfort that turned into actual pain in a short period of time tonight made me cry before we left the second party. So, yeah… that sucked. Tailbone part still sucks. It hurts.
We’ll see how tomorrow goes.
God, thank you for today. Thank you for the fun and love and joy and ability of today. Thank you for my family and for bicycles. Make us well, please, and keep us safe. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Post-a-day 2024
hannah ananas 