In my previous post on success cycling without an issue for one month, I am following up with a reflection a minor set back that taught me a lesson.
The set back
As I could bike for longer distances without taking a break and as I grew more confident. I did not stop cycling at bumpy road and was not as careful as I used to be. Previously, I would dismount and walk through bumpy roads to avoid straining my back. Recently, I stopped doing that anymore.
My Mistake: I thought about protecting my back but I forgot about my knees
When on those rough roads I stood on the paddles to reduce the impacts on my spine (as I have degenerative disk disease), however this shifted all the pressure and shocks on my knees.
As a result, I developed a knee pain. And even though I could still cycle, I’d better limit my use of the bicycle to recover fully before. As cycling worsens my knee pain.
I require new course correct
With every success comes new challenges, which themselves requires new solutions, and this does never end especially as a believer in continuous improvement, and we want to build the best version of your life.
The new course correct, is first I am resting until the knee pain subsides. But I won’t be entirely inactive. Staying gently active—like walking or light cycling—helps lubricate the joints and ease discomfort. When I say being gently active I mean doing basic walking or cycling without aggravating the pain.
In fact, if I stay at home and do not go out a three or four times a day out, I will end up more anxious, overly focused on my pains whether physical or mental, and also if I spend most of the time using the screen of the computer or smartphone it will land me at the eye doctor. This happened to me before and I entered a vicious circle that was not easy to break.
Building a diversified life
I will add that generally working on more than one project regularly, eases the impacts of setbacks, pain, or temporary failures. Multiples projects creates a sense of balance and promotes overall wellbeing. I often compare it to a building—our life’s structure is stronger when supported by many pillars. When life shakes up these pillars help us stay strong and we do not collapse.
As an example I do not only rely on cycling as a sport but I walk and do muscle strengthening with or without weights. As a result, of cycling pain, I can still fallback to other sports activities to stay active.
Besides, other activities then sports bring me joy such as cooking or searching for recipes that meet my needs. So finding a healthy recipes and exploring the possibilities of swapping one ingredient with another , or adding a new ingredient, or changing the cooking time or method is fun and rewarding.
Another main pillar in my life is reading, or if I want to avoid eye fatigue I listen to eBooks. Getting quality knowledge and information will for sure influence our thinking, feelings and behavior. When I have some physical limitations, in this case, and I can’t use the bicycle with freedom, I simply listen to more eBooks, podcasts, or using Pocket app I to listen to articles. First, I choose the subject I want to explore then I listen to it in the format I want, books, podcasts, or articles.
Another project, is exploring and enjoying nature. It can be in a form of sightseeing, enjoying the outdoors, studying marine life, studying fishing and different fishing techniques, and actually fishing and savoring fresh fish meal.
Investing in multiple projects can bring a lot of joy, alleviate anxiety and reduces stress. There are so many things we can do, we’d better invest our time in healthy and productive projects. Especially, knowing that when in pain we can easily fall into self-destructive behaviors
More importantly, when we use the power of habits and we keep nurturing these pillars we turn into fit person, great cook, educated person and so forth.
Being Strategic & Following a Plan
Maintaining objectivity and awareness of our strengths and weaknesses for sure support our recovery & equip us to better deal with the vicissitudes of life. I have noticed myself responding more gracefully when under pressure and also responding more strategically.
Honest self-reflection after setbacks is crucial for understanding my character, automatic behaviors and recurring patterns. I often experience excessive elation when I succeed at overcoming an obstacle leading me to believe I do not need to maintain caution. To counter this is to measure my sport activities and do gradual improvements, even when there is a breakthrough in well being.
The solution involves creating a structured plan, using a dedicated app to track workouts, maintaining consistency and embracing the long-term perspective by starting small and progressively building momentum.
Conclusion
Every setback carries its own lesson – this knee pain reminded me that progress requires balance, not just momentum. As I move forward, I’ll carry these insights: celebrating small wins without abandoning caution, diversifying my activities to build resilience, and trusting in gradual, sustainable growth. True wellbeing isn’t about any single victory, but about developing the wisdom to navigate life’s bumps without losing our way.