Less Than Month to Go

Realization has come finally that I am less than a month from starting this challenge. I have been riding between 80 and 120 kilometres per week, however, that will jump to my daily ride in just over three weeks. I am pleased that my left leg is spinning much better than when I first started riding, however, I am now really noticing how much fitness I have lost since my stroke. I will be doing 180 kilometres over three days this weekend riding three days in a row so that should be an interesting test. I suppose putting all the weight back on that I lost in the hospital hasn't helped. However, I find it hard to find an exercise that my body can do at a hard enough intensity to actually get aerobic exercise. My cycling is just about there, but my running is still just a walk.

The good news is that I honestly think that I am going to be able to ride the whole way now. The $64 question is how long will it take? Now I am trying to spread the word about the fund raising part of the trip.

A Challenging Day

I've had great days and challenging days on my recovery road. Today has been a challenging day. I am working hard these days at finding employment which is a not easy in the current employment market. Another challenge is maintaining a positive attitude when you are constantly being evaluated by people. In our society, one of the big signs of one's worth and one of the first things people ask is - so where are you working? Although I have only recently been capable of working, being unemployed is a bit of an additional stigma. It appears that my disability provider has deemed that I am able to work so my benefits have ended. Finding work is one of the steps in my validating who I am post-stroke.

I have tried to overcome the disabilities that I currently still have through determination and positive attitude, but to an employer who doesn't know me yet is that sufficient to overcome the visible shortcomings I have in their eyes? I don't know the answer to that question yet as I haven't been given that chance. I sometimes wish my employer had handled things differently so that I would have had a job to return to. Returning to work and learning a new job will be challenging. Now I just need someone willing to take the chance and let me do it.