A large number of good things have happened to me since first coming to the adaptive cycling center in Berkeley. Many have been a direct consequence of visiting. First, Greg, one of the volunteers there, introduced me to several similarly young, active SCI patients. More on that later. Second, because I figured out I could ride a recumbent leg bike, I got one at home. Two of my friends, when I shared my BORP experience, volunteered their bike. I now ride twice a week in the neighborhoods around my house. Their amazing recumbent even has an electronic assist: a battery-charged motor that I can kick in when the hills come. Thanks, Matt and Marie-Eve, for loaning it to me!

I live on a saddle. So far, the steep slopes in every direction from my house have kept me from biking out the door. Instead, Ben and I have a routine: he bikes us to and from the flat, quiet neighborhoods where I train. While he bikes, I sit on the platform in the back, which also hold the battery pack. We get honked at. In my backpack is a set of pedals that strap to my feet. Once we reach my flat spot of choice, Ben attaches the pedals and carries me to the front seat.

Yesterday I swam and then biked. I thought I would be exhausted but, somehow, yesterday was my strongest ride yet. I was forcing Ben to jog to keep up with me for most of it. I wonder if I had another leap in strength. Or if swimming for an hour and a half somehow was a “warm-up” that primed my legs for better performance. It reminded me of something new I learned about my body at the Absolute Center: I need a huge number of repetitions to get better at an exercise. I’ll struggle at the first five to ten. That’s when my regular PT usually tells me to rest. But if I keep going, the exercise will start to get easier and easier. My muscles and my brain take a long time to re-learn the timing, the pattern, the necessary coordination to optimize the movement. By rep forty I’ve mastered it and then it’s like a switch and my legs turn off, completely done, by number fifty. So, can something similar be happening with swimming followed by biking? I’m going to experiment by switching the order.