Biking

“The first 15 minutes was horrible. Aside from the fact that the lessons were on a mountain bike and that I could not pedal or even find my balance even if my fiancé was holding the bike, I was experiencing an uncomfortable feeling in the butt and lady parts area. The saddle was narrow and elongated and didn’t have enough cushion. I could not even maneuver the handlebar because I could feel the strain at my back from leaning forward, reaching the handlebar and then trying to pedal and finding my balance all at the same time. My fiancé probably didn’t have any idea how much that pained me physically and thought I wasn’t trying. It just didn’t give me the right posture and my body was aching all over in just a matter of 15 minutes.”

“Slowly, he let go of me without me noticing that he’s no longer there to support me. Of course, I was still supporting myself by immediately planting my feet on the ground whenever I feel like I’m going to lose control of the handlebar. After 10 more minutes, I told my fiancé to just walk by my side without touching the bike and to tell me a story so that I won’t feel like someone’s watching me like a hawk while I learn how to balance. [...] After several minutes of practice, I was able to bike without falling for 5 seconds with hard turns and zigzag paths. I gripped the handlebar hard for my dear life because I don’t want to land on my butt, my side or my head.”

“My first experience mountain biking ended up being a 100+ mile, 7-day bike trip on the White Rim trail through Canyonlands National Park. It was intense, strenuous, and taught me exactly how not to start a new sport.”