Saddle Sore

While at my parents over the weekend, I borrowed my dad's bike. My plan was to use it to ride to school and possibly work in order to conserve gas for our "spend-free April". While it was nice to ride the bike today, I haven't ridden one in probably around seven years and there were a few complications...

First off, I had only gone a few hundred feet when I needed to go up over a curb. I had a very, very heavy backpack (not so bad when you drive a car) and I tried to pull up to jump up onto the curb and... I didn't quite make it. Down I went. It wasn't a hard crash and I landed on the dirt, but I did dirty myself, tear my pants and the contents of my backpack made themselves comfortable all over the dirt (For some reason my backpack doesn't stay closed when it's that full, so I even had to stop a few times after this to retrieve my sandwich and books from the ground). What kind of an idiot can't ride a bike? At least nobody saw, but it wasn't a good start.

It was cold today. Colder than usual and the heavy breathing in the cold air gave me a headache. It was also very windy with a north wind so I was riding into the wind. It doesn't help that I am probably about 40 pounds heavier than when I last rode a bike, needless to say, it was a bit of a struggle to propel myself to school. It's not like it's a long ride to school either, it's only a couple of miles max, but I was pretty tuckered out by the time I got there.

Coming home wasn't too bad except for one little thing (which turned out to be the most miserable of them all). The wind was at my back, I had eaten my lunch so my backpack was lighter, but my crotchal area was as sore as it gets. I tried standing while I pedaled but that felt odd with such a heavy backpack, I tried sitting on one cheek or the other, but I could only ride side-saddle for so long. Now tonight, anytime I sit or move I am reminded of today's little jaunt on the bike.

I haven't given up yet, I just need to work up to it I guess.