Paris to Istanbul
On Sunday, I fly to Paris to begin a 7 week bicycling trip to Istanbul. Above is the route that I will be cycling. The color changes for each day of cycling. A typical day of riding will be about 60 miles. After every 3 to 5 days of cycling, we will have a rest day. This trip is organized by TDA Global which offers long distance cycling trips throughout the world. The route is about 2400 miles long and will travel through 8 countries.
Two weeks ago, I did not think I was going to be able to take this trip. As I mentioned on my last blog post from Croatia in mid-May, my left knee started bothering me significantly. Except for a brief reprieve from the lidocaine in a cortisone shot I got, my knee was painful and significantly limiting my mobility through mid-June. Coming back from Becca’s graduation in Denmark on June 16th, I was very discouraged. I was giving myself a 25% chance of recovering enough to go, but I also felt that I was being very optimistic.
On June 17, I got on a bicycle for the first time since early May. I was very unsure what to expect. Walking was uncomfortable and I had to be very careful going up stairs. While leaning against the garage door, I made sure that I could unclip from my pedals without hurting my knee. With that success, I headed out the driveway wondering if I would even get half a mile before my knee started to complain significantly. I was stunned to discover that despite the pain walking, cycling was pain free. I ended up riding 20 miles that day without a problem. The next day I rode 30 miles. On Friday, I rode 60 miles including climbing Mount Wachusett, the only mountain nearby. Over the past 2 weeks, riding has continued to be pain free.
This past Monday, I met with my orthopedist to go over the MRI. My knee is a bit of a mess. The meniscus is in terrible shape and the inner part of the knee is bone on bone. There isn’t really a surgical option other than knee replacement which I will need to consider after my trip. However, my doctor said that as long as my cycling was pain free, I should go on my trip and have a fabulous time. I am very excited to be going as well as a bit nervous that my knee might flare up at some point.
I have packed my bike in a cardboard bike box which I will dispose of at the hotel in France. At the end of the trip, TDA Global will provide us bike boxes for our flights home. On TDA trips, everyone brings their own bikes. This Patagonia duffle bag is the only piece of luggage that I am allowed for the trip. What makes this even more challenging is that I need to have basic parts for servicing my bike in addition to all of the clothes, toiletries, etc.
I will be joining the trip 2 days late. Kate and I have a wedding to attend on Saturday. The trip leaves from Paris on Sunday, so I will be meeting up with everyone on Monday afternoon in Troyes France, about 100 miles east of Paris.
As usual, I will try to post blog entries most nights. My next post will likely be next Tuesday night.