Fear doesn't get to steer

The View

A year ago I T-boned a car on my bike and broke my right wrist, my left hand, and my left ankle. Three bones, one bad day.

Here's what the year taught me: the body heals on its own schedule, and so do the nerves. Getting back on the bike turned out to be both a physical and a mental challenge. The mental half is the slow work of convincing your nervous system that it's safe to try again.

From the Road

Last week I flew to Spain with five friends and rode outside for the first time since the crash. I booked this trip shortly after the accident because I needed a goal. One climb went up 2,200 feet, and I brought up the rear the whole way. My inner critic got loud up there. You should be fitter. Your wrist isn't ready. You have no business out here. Those same voices would have kept me on the trainer these last few months. This time I noticed them, let them talk, and kept pedaling.

It's okay for fear to come along for the ride, as long as it doesn't get to steer. I made it to the top. Both wrists intact.

Worth Your Time

If you're coming back from something, an injury, a surgery, a long scary stretch, here's the one move I swear by: book the thing. Pick a date that feels slightly unreasonable, put real money on it, and tell someone out loud. I booked that Spain trip while I was still in a cast, and the deadline did half the work of dragging me back. Cheapest physical therapy there is.

One Question

What's the one thing your body has been keeping you from that you miss the most? I'd genuinely love to know.

Take care of yourself,
Tony