Soreness and a flare reminded me to slow down — but not stop. I swapped intervals for softness and chose movement as medicine, inspired by Body on Fire.

After months of inflammation, stress, and de-training, my VO₂ max has dropped to 19.2. Today, I got back on the bike — not to perform, but to begin again. This is the first entry in Pedals & Patience, a journal of rebuilding aerobic fitness with presence, not pressure.