The triathlon was a good time. I really enjoyed the swim. It was different to go without the interruption of a pool lane ending. It was harder. Eventually I got into the rhythm, the hypnosis of repetitive action. The lake water was lovely that morning. I swam on my back and Ben swam beside me, acting as my sight. He would point and I would try to steer in the right direction. It wasn’t the most efficient system. But it worked. The half mile flew by.

After being carried out of the water like a wet, slimey princess (everyone cheered) I started the bike portion. I decided to leave the battery behind. This was my first time biking solo without the e-assist. I was the slowest cyclist by far… the nine miles took me nearly two hours. But I made it! I made it up rolling hills and took the flats at a decent pace. Ben ran (okay, mostly jogged) next to me during this leg. He had to push me up two short, steep hills. But that was what we expected from scoping out the course the day before. I am excited about how quickly I’m progressing with biking. These are real changes happening on the scale of weeks.

I wanted to, but couldn’t do the “run” portion. The trail had several steep section of gravel, which is definitely a no-go in a wheelchair. We were a team, so Ben ran that section for me. My next goal is to do a triathlon where I can participate in all three legs. There’s one in Oakland at the end of month….

After the tri the teams of “challenge” athletes bbq’ed together. I talked to Greg from BORP about getting a better bike. He was excited for me to use something light and more race-worthy. Since I’m weaning myself off the battery, it’s time to think about the next step. BORP has something I can borrow for the Oakland Tri. But I think it’s time for me to come to terms with the fact that I will likely be riding a recumbent for a significant time to come. So it is worth purchasing something. I can bike and swim for hours, forgetting I’m doing useful exercises. This is not the case for the resistance band workouts and other PT moves at home. I know a bike will be a great investment in my recovery. But at 3-4k.. oof. Recumbent bikes here and here for your browsing pleasure.  Just check out that German engineering…