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| At the fascinating Hopewell Mounds Park near Chilicothe, Ohio during a trip earlier this summer. The park contains Native American ceremonial and effigy mounds that are about a thousand years old. |
Willie Nelson's iconic song On the Road Again has long been one of my favorite tunes to sing to myself as I ride. Usually it means I'm on a road trip heading for a distant destination.
Today it has a special meaning quite different than past rides - it literally means that after a month I was back on the road again. Because of some fairly major surgery to repair meniscus, muscle and tendon damage in my left knee, it has been over three weeks since I took even a local ride of a few miles, and the last time I took a ride of more than a few miles was over a month ago.
But today I rolled the bike out and headed toward one of my favorite local back roads rides. It was only about 25 miles but that's fine - I was on my bike on a beautiful day under blue skies.
Unfortunately the incision for the surgery was on the inside of my knee - exactly at the spot that the knee rests, or bumps, against the gas tank. I had to adjust my sitting position to keep the knee away from the tank because otherwise it was less than comfortable. I also found that although we shift gears with the left foot, the muscles that move the toes up and down all come through the knee.
But despite the small price to pay in a little discomfort it was the first step forward after too long out of the saddle. After a few break in and readjustment rides I hope to be somewhat back to normal in a week (though the doctor warned it would be another month.)
I'll soon find out whether years of surgical training or pure determination win this disagreement.
