Another annual awful August arrived and then announced adieu in Austin, Texas. We now have hit 100°F or more for 41 days. Meanwhile, my slow and unsteady comeback has also been heating up. A break put the brakes on my outdoor biking for just over a month, while I managed to maintain my yoga and missed only one walk. Strava the sports app kindly provided graphics for last month’s activities. Let’s look at the stats.

Every day I exercised, just without  nearly much distance. When I was commuting, running errands, or doing longer weekend rides, the miles added up. Sitting and spinning on a stationary bike just ain’t the same. It can be pretty boring, actually. I’m not complaining about the air conditioning or avoiding our assholian car drivers, though.

Yoga being my top activity says a lot. How the mighty have fallen in terms of my 100 miles of biking a week on average for 10 years that ended back in November 2025. That is fine and by design because goals are different now. Mileage is just one measurement; health and fitness are much bigger ones.

I don’t have a problem with consistency. But worshiping the deity of distance has it’s downsides… and detractors. To wit, Half Fast Cycling up in Wisconsin is a guy who’s done multiple cross country and half cross country trips and has way more mileage than I ever will, ironically. He just doesn’t care to count it.

Here are some more images describing my last month or so.

You can see the Big Dipper–my drop off of activity–and the slow, unsteady climb back. The biggest change is of course the addition of swimming, which I haven’t done in some time thanks to injury. Alternating days of upper body and lower body is probably good for me. (Although workouts in the water are full body, it’s my less-used upper body that really feels it.) And the cardio required feels much harder to the point that I take frequent rest breaks. The hot tub before and after is a nice perq, too.

The great irony of this is that I lost the piece of my stationary bike at a time I needed it most. So I’m driving to ride a bike indoors, which kinda stinks. I’m making my way back towards activity, but I have no desire, need, or plans to bike 100 miles a week again for years on end. The forced sabbatical has taken its toll. I have gained weight and lost muscle mass and cardio capacity.

We do our best and forget the rest. How about you? Have you ever had to go through a period of limited activity (specifically no bicycling) and then made a come back? How did it go? Did you end up better than before? Or make peace with a new normal? (Nice) comments are welcome.

Be well, y’all. Fall’s a-comin’. Stay frosty in the heat.

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