05/26/2026
2017 me averaged 19.5 km/h on this ride.
2026 me — 8 months after a total hip replacement — is sitting around 17.6 km/h.
And honestly?
That perspective changes everything.
Because for a long time I kept looking at the gap instead of the context.
The context being:
* years of hip degeneration
* chronic compensation patterns
* surgery
* rebuilding strength
* rebuilding confidence
* relearning power output
* a knee still figuring itself out under tension
* and a nervous system that spent YEARS protecting me
Yet somehow… I’m still this close.
Not unable to ride.
Not starting from zero.
Not miles behind.
Close enough that I can actually see the possibility of getting back there.
And I realized something lately:
I cannot chase “2017 bike performance” while under-fuelling on high output days.
Especially on days where I:
* accidentally hit 13,000+ steps
* do a strength class
* ride
* and still expect my body to recover, adapt, stabilize joints, and produce power
The old version of me would’ve answered slower progress by eating less and pushing harder.
But my body has been pretty clear lately:
Cramping.
Weakness.
Heavy legs.
Reduced power.
Slower recovery.
Those aren’t signs of laziness.
They’re signs that my body is asking for enough support to do what I’m asking it to do.
At almost 48, post-hip replacement, trying to become athletic again, the goal isn’t just getting back to my pre-surgery weight.
It’s getting back to feeling capable.
Strong.
Fast.💨
Powerful.
Confident on my bike again.
And honestly?
I think I’m a lot closer to 2017 me than I realized.