Cut from a Different Cloth
They Said I Wouldn't Be Ready. I Proved Them Wrong. They said I wouldn't be ready. That I'd be lucky to ride a bike again in six weeks. That it would be months before I could train the way I used to. That chasing a 24-hour ride just a few months after a total knee replacement was unrealistic. That riding from Lubbock to Albuquerque two months after the canyon ride? Out of the question. But here's the thing about me: I've never accepted the limits others set for me. Twelve years ago, after my knee replacement, I told my doctor I planned to ride 200 miles in 24 Hours in the Canyon. I told him I'd be ready to take on a five-day, cross-state ride not long after. He said it wouldn't hurt to try—but warned me not to be disappointed if I couldn't. Two days post-surgery, I was in physical therapy. I spotted a stationary bike in the corner and asked to ride it. The therapist told me no. Not because it would hurt me—but because he was sure I wouldn...
