Walking on a Wire

Hi, my name is Donna and I’m a trike addict.

When I set out for my ride on Saturday morning I was molto bummed to find my left rear wheel flat. FLAT! The nerve, the gall! Annoyingly, and this’ll def change, I don’t know how to fix my own damned flats.

Oni offered but he and Jen were busy helping Erin move over to Rigel-3. So the fix would have to wait.

Meantime, I went for a long walk and was jarringly reminded of what I love most about the trike.

I don’t fall over.

Yeah, I’ve always been a big ol’ klutz but that was ramped up after my first surgery (at the tender-ish age of 23) when the first of my balance nerves was severed (had to be so my awesome surgeon guy Ojemann, AKA God, could get at and remove Moby Schwannoma). My foozle footedness went into overdrive after the second and final balance nerve was clipped (at 40).

So, how the hell do I stay upright at all? There’s three systems working in concert to keep each of us from toppling over like drunks on a Saturday night bender.

From Writings on the Martial Arts, The Real Sixth Sense, Balance in the Martial ArtsBy Stefan Verstappen

You've got three mechanisms keeping you upright. Your vestibular system (inner ear) senses rotation in all three rotational axes. Your proprioceptive system tells you where you are in space by where your muscles feel *they* are in space. Your vision tells you where you are in space by a combination of binocular vision and shading interpretation.

So, I’m down to two now. Here’s the dealio -- I have to train my vision and proprioceptive system to pick up the slack. This isn’t some magical, automatic Sixth Sense thing. Sadly, I didn’t spring out of my hospital bed with the grace and talent of Gelsey Kirkland. Very sadly. I need to walk regularly and concentrate so that I’m not weaving all over creation and toppling over in slight breezes. I need to visually pay attention to where I’m at in relation to my surroundings. That is, I do if I want to stay all perpendicular like.

I still need muscle memory and touch when I’m triking, in addition to vision (duh) BUT it’s easier than walking. Way. The two wheels at the back end provide stability -- I don’t tip over as I surely would with a two wheeler. That this is a recumbent trike ups my balance quotient  -- I’m not leaning forward (which always throws me off).

Where does all this leave me? Resolving to, once again, take long walks -- that’s where. The trike is 999 levels of fun AND it’s actually real and true exercise too BUT I also need the work out that walking affords to my proprioceptive system.

Hmmph. When the snow comes (and sticks and piles up) walking will be it -- I'll be off the road. I need to get into shape for it now. Maybe some hikes in The Blue Hills would make the trike-less months less onerous, eh?

Meantime, Oni fixed the flat and I am OFF!

Walking on a Wire -- Richard and Linda Thompson