I Did It! NSV XP

 Anyone who knows me knows that me and exercise do not get along.  I am 53 years old and I have never liked structured exercise, or any real activity to be honest.  I am a hope to die lazy person.  A few times in my life I have set out to change that but never for very long.  After my first WLS I joined Curves.  I paid for a year and went 3 times a week faithfully until that year was up and then never went back.  I once took water aerobics for about 3 months but found excuses not to go anymore.
So, for years my doctors have always nagged me to exercise.  For a few years I suffered from severe fatigue and the thought of climbing the stairs was daunting, much less getting exercise.  But I suffer from severe, debilitating, chronic treatment resistant depression and they always urged me to get exercise to help it.  I finally gave in and last month I joined my local community center, which has a pool and a gym, and I bought a bicycle.  I bought a cruiser to ride around my neighborhood and I really enjoyed it but my neighborhood is mostly flat and the cruiser was a single speed and I got to where I wanted to go further so I bought a cruiser with 7 speeds so I could go up hills.  After a while I wanted to venture out more so I decided I needed a mountain bike with 21 speeds so I could have more control.  I bought one last week and had it modified so I could ride it sitting up instead of leaning down because it was killing my back.  That is why I liked the cruisers, because you can sit straight up.
Anyway, today I decided to hit the local bike path.  It was great going for a while, pretty smooth going.  Then I hit it.  The hill.  I have driven up that hill many times and even my car has a hard time climbing it.  It looks like it goes straight up.  I am not familiar with the bike path and didn't know I would wind up there.  I had no choice.  I had to go up it.  I put the bike into the lowest gear and forged ahead.  And I made it.  I didn't have to stop once.  I rode my bike up the hill.  It was very slow but I did it.  And I didn't feel like I was going to die.  I was actually able to continue riding for a few blocks, until I got to the store to buy something for dinner.  I finished my ride and went home and I felt fine.  I didn't feel like I was going to pass out.  I wasn't even that tired.
I can't tell  you the sense of accomplishment I felt.  I really wanted to be able to go up hills because my goal is to take some long bike rides eventually and I knew I would have to get over my fear of hills in order to do that.  
After I did it I was thinking that I would never do that again but later I decided I am going to do it again tomorrow and keep doing it until it was no longer so intimidating to me and I didn't feel like I had to avoid steep hills anymore.
I am glad I got the 21 speed because I can adjust it so it is a little harder to pedal, to hopefully build up some endurance.  When I first started my legs felt so weak, like they had no strength.  Given a lifetime of inactivity it was a surprise I had any strength at all.  Now I feel like I am getting a little bit stronger.
I doubt I will ever be some kind of exercise fanatic but at least I have found something I enjoy and look forward to doing.  It feels good to get out of the house and away from the stress and enjoy riding.  I am trying to talk my daughter into riding with me but so far she refuses.  I regret that I didn't do this when she was younger so she wouldn't be so resistant to exercising now.
Anyway, for me it is a miracle to even be active at all given how sick I was a year ago.  I hope I never take my health for granted again.  

Ha! We've converted another one to the cult of the bike! Welcome! 

Seriously, I love biking the best of all the things I do. It gives you such freedom to just be able to pick up and go somewhere and have an adventure.

Hooray for you! 

This is so awesome.  DH and I bought bikes at the beginning of the summer.  It is so brutally hot here that we haven't had them out much, but I love biking too!

Kay

How Exciting!!!!   I always loved to ride my bike growing up but the closests I've come to one since I lost weight was jumping on my 11 yr. old's and she was so impressed that grandma could ride a bike...LOL.  I might just have to get my DH to dig me out an old one and give it a whirl around the neighborhood!

LOL, Ladytazz, that is great.

I'm with you on the "die before exercise" type person but biking is fun.

Liz

Hurray that you have found something you love.  It makes such a difference to really like what you are doing.

Congrats! That is one great nsv!

Such a great story - thank you so much for sharing.  I'm so glad you are feeling this much better.  Keep up the greak work.
Linda

Congratulations!!  You inspired me to find my old bike, but my ex sold it (I told him he could last year)... here there are great places to ride, not so much last yeara.

Great NSV. Hills intimidate me too - and kudos for wanting to do it again!