In the 20 months since we completed our 60 4 60, we’ve ridden only a handful of times and one of those was this morning. I guess I could say that life got in the way, but looking back, I think that after 60 rides, most of them in a 5 month period, we simply chose to let it. 

Since that last ride we hosted a wedding and welcomed a son-in-law into the family. A fourth grandchild was recently born. We moved my mother-in-law from her big house in the suburbs to an independent living apartment and then to an assisted living facility. We are anticipating another level of care is just around the corner. It's been a steep and sad and time consuming decline. My dad, still in the nursing facility, has remained rather unchanged. He sits. He smiles. And seriously, that’s about it. My mom’s unexpected hospital stay that summer of 2023 was a bump in the road. She carries on.

Reading through this account of our 60 4 60 rides I am surprised at how poignant the details are. The edges of the hard rides have softened and we remember the excitement of our accomplishment way more than the pain. 

While we did this, we were facing some hard realities. Dave’s foot issues had been exacerbated by lingering neuropathy due to the side effects of chemotherapy. It was becoming clear to both of us that it was going to be a lasting side effect. We wanted to be active, to have adventures, but pain, this unwelcome and uninvited guest, was turning day-to-day life into drudgery for Dave. Depression can be the companion of pain and 2023 found Dave feeling pretty down about pain that he simply could not escape. 

What to do? How to stay active, work our bodies, and exercise together when one of us has pain with every step he takes? How do we face this new reality without succumbing to the inactivity, passivity and surrender that plague so many people as they hit their 60s and beyond? 

I pondered this puzzle, at the same time I was adjusting to my dad moving into a nursing facility due to advancing Alzheimer’s. The reality of what aging looks like for many was laid out for me every time I walked in those doors. It was and remains a constant reminder to keep moving, keep moving, keep moving. And I was determined to keep us moving.

Biking seemed the best option at the time. It was non-weight bearing so perhaps it wouldn’t hurt Dave’s feet quite so much. When I suggested our 60 4 60 it felt like a last ditch effort. Going back and reading my account of our rides makes me realize that it may have been the logical option, but it certainly wasn’t pain-free. 

Although Dave still deals with constant foot pain, it isn’t quite as intense thanks to help from a kinesiologist he is now working with.  He has also figured out how to keep moving in spite of the pain. Mind over matter, he has learned, can be life changing. 

In a big step forward, so to speak, hiking replaced biking this January when we went to Tucson. Trips to Europe always demand a lot of walking and we have gone twice since our year of bike riding. There has been a lot of forward momentum. We are doing activities that back in 2023 I feared were things we would not be able to enjoy together again. 

This morning’s bike ride wasn’t one of our most pleasant. It was hot, the sun beat down and the air was thick. We should have left earlier in the morning to avoid the worst of the heat. The wind picked up as we rode which was great until it was time to turn around. Those last 9 miles we faced a headwind the whole way. To get home, there was no way to avoid the hard part but to go through it. And so that’s what we did.  We rode side by side in silence for most of the way home, pounding it out, dreaming of the air conditioning and watermelon that were waiting for us as soon as we got off our bikes. When I was tired I fell back behind Dave and let the rhythm of our pedals sync up as he kept our momentum going and drafted me home.