A hard-fought battle
It was a hard-fought battle -- and I'll have the scars to prove it -- but I won: I successfully freemounted my unicycle today.
It's been well over a year since my last post here, mostly because there hasn't been much to post. I've ridden occasionally, when my back was in decent shape and when I had the time. But I haven't been riding regularly at all, and it's only in the past couple of weeks that I've made any progress in my unicycling ability.
The last time I was out, a week or two ago, I took another small step toward freemounting. I hadn't planned on it, but it came to me while I was riding, and I think it helped.
I've been mounting with the help of a post since I started, and I'd gotten to the point where I could hold onto the post (actually the metal box attached to the post, which I could hold onto better) for only a second or two before being on my way.
I decided to try using the post for support, but not holding onto it, just touching it lightly. It seemed to help: at first I felt more unstable, but after a few times I felt like I was able to get going just as quickly. I tried freemounting for a little while, but was unsuccessful.
For some reason, last night I started thinking about the fact that I've had my unicycle for over two years, and that I'd really like to be able to ride freely before I die. And since I don't know if that's going to be tomorrow or 50 years from now, I'd better get moving.
So today I worked and worked and worked at freemounting. I got close several times, getting my right foot on the pedal in roughly the right place and balancing for a second, but I couldn't get moving. I also fell a couple of times, more spectacularly than I have since I started learning how to ride. Then I rode for a while. Then I worked again, and I had a half-success: I think I got one complete turn of the cranks before coming off. Then I rode a little more. Then I worked some more. I almost stopped a couple of times, but convinced myself that I should try just a little longer, and just when I was about finish for the day, I said, "This will be the one." And it was. I didn't ride very far, since I wasn't where I normally start riding and I was really tired at that point. But I knew that I could keep riding, it wasn't the sort of "accidental success" you can have sometimes where you're able to go for quite a ways but you're never quite in control. I freemounted, I was riding, and I was in control. That was enough for me: I dismounted and packed it up and left on a high note!
I have no illusions about the fact that the next time I work at freemounting I might only get two freemounts after just as much work -- or maybe none at all. But I got one today, and I'm confident that I'll be able to do it again at some point. Which puts me just a little bit closer to riding freely before I die. :)
It's been well over a year since my last post here, mostly because there hasn't been much to post. I've ridden occasionally, when my back was in decent shape and when I had the time. But I haven't been riding regularly at all, and it's only in the past couple of weeks that I've made any progress in my unicycling ability.
The last time I was out, a week or two ago, I took another small step toward freemounting. I hadn't planned on it, but it came to me while I was riding, and I think it helped.
I've been mounting with the help of a post since I started, and I'd gotten to the point where I could hold onto the post (actually the metal box attached to the post, which I could hold onto better) for only a second or two before being on my way.
I decided to try using the post for support, but not holding onto it, just touching it lightly. It seemed to help: at first I felt more unstable, but after a few times I felt like I was able to get going just as quickly. I tried freemounting for a little while, but was unsuccessful.
For some reason, last night I started thinking about the fact that I've had my unicycle for over two years, and that I'd really like to be able to ride freely before I die. And since I don't know if that's going to be tomorrow or 50 years from now, I'd better get moving.
So today I worked and worked and worked at freemounting. I got close several times, getting my right foot on the pedal in roughly the right place and balancing for a second, but I couldn't get moving. I also fell a couple of times, more spectacularly than I have since I started learning how to ride. Then I rode for a while. Then I worked again, and I had a half-success: I think I got one complete turn of the cranks before coming off. Then I rode a little more. Then I worked some more. I almost stopped a couple of times, but convinced myself that I should try just a little longer, and just when I was about finish for the day, I said, "This will be the one." And it was. I didn't ride very far, since I wasn't where I normally start riding and I was really tired at that point. But I knew that I could keep riding, it wasn't the sort of "accidental success" you can have sometimes where you're able to go for quite a ways but you're never quite in control. I freemounted, I was riding, and I was in control. That was enough for me: I dismounted and packed it up and left on a high note!
I have no illusions about the fact that the next time I work at freemounting I might only get two freemounts after just as much work -- or maybe none at all. But I got one today, and I'm confident that I'll be able to do it again at some point. Which puts me just a little bit closer to riding freely before I die. :)
posted by Rich | 9:31 AM
2 Comments:
You can do it, Sweetie!! :* Jen.
Persistence is the key to freemounting. I just learned to ride the unicycle last fall (at age 42), and mastered the freemount this spring. The real key is persistence and not being discouraged. I must have tried several hundred times before I had my first success. I now am batting about 7/10. All through practice and a belief you can do it.
Best regards,
Tim
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