Eleven years

I've done the comparison before!

 

But that was drastic- Almost a two decade jump... Including a whole decade (1999-2009) of little to no cycling (I didn't even own a bicycle those days!) This one is me as a 25 year old in 2009 (the year I bought a new cycle.) Vs me as a 36 year old! With the decade where cycling was fairly constant.

*BUMP*

Yes, I am still alive (obviously... I've been blogging on my other blog/s on and off) and I've not given up cycling. Although I don't cycle as much as I used to (Varied factors.) But 2019 was an especially bad year for me and my bike as I barely cycled while my poor bike gathered dust and the bike chain jammed up and well... Not much went my way and now that I look back, and had all classic symptoms of mild depression (I'm assuming mild, I didn't consult a therapist.)

But 2019 is behind us. And 2020- although the ultimate gas leak year for the entire world... Has been rather kind to me...Or I have been kind(er) to myself in 2020. One fine day just before the government declared lock-down, I fixed my Bergamont (By myself) and began riding in the mornings. Waking up early was the first step towards mental well being, I realised. And as a result, I was sleeping early, eating optimally. It was superb.

Then one fine day they asked us to stop going out completely but that lasted about three weeks and it was fine to cycle again (but this time with masks?) I've been slowly building up my stamina with cycling, squash and yoga and a lot of walking. It's been the highlight of this period for me. Yes, a shitshow is going to hit us soon enough... but I might as well be physically fit to be able to handle it as well as I can.

I've been cycling again for the past three months and I couldn't be happier! Sometimes alone and sometimes with friends who I bump into. Summer mornings are great. and with no sun Two days ago thanks to cyclone Nisarg, it has been raining but I still managed to cycle.

It's been awesome.