顛簸人生，非關輸贏~Bumpy life, non-off winners and losers

[您走路，我是運動！

您慢跑，對我來說已經像是極限運動！]

[Your ambling stride, my daily exercise; your effortless run, a test of my limits.]

身為小兒麻痺患者，我走過無數顛簸的路，至今仍持續走著。我們看似走著同一路，但您的平坦，於我卻是崎嶇；您的慢跑，於我，已屬極限運動。回首過往，我的雙腳，一長一短、一強一弱，卻能相互扶持，讓我得以在顛簸中穩步前行。

隨著年紀漸長，活動力也大不如前。某個早晨，我起床下床時，赫然發現患腳無法支撐體重，只能又坐回床上！還好是在床上，若是在地板上，後果不堪設想！盥洗時，妻子在旁細細觀察；早餐時，她看著我纖細的小腿，語重心長地勸我一起上飛輪課。我嘴上雖嘀咕，心裡卻清楚明白：運動對我的長遠健康至關重要。於是，我報名了飛輪課。一練就是一兩年，說實話，真的累斃了！剛開始還摔了一跤，但現在，踩飛輪已成為我生活的一部分。

在飛輪教室裡，我面對鏡子，隨著音樂節拍踩踏，在無止境的喘息中奮力向前。看著朋友們在臉書和LINE上分享河濱自行車道、安農溪畔的悠閒騎乘，還有各種秘境單車探險……我的心也嚮往著！但話一出口，朋友們就斬釘截鐵地說：「你不行啦！平路騎不遠，更別說爬坡了。騎自行車需要自身動力，旁人很難幫忙。」我明白，他們的坦率並非殘酷，而是切中要害。畢竟，在路上騎車和在飛輪教室裡踩踏，完全是兩種不同的情境。但我還是渴望迎風騎行於山間、河畔。因此，我開始思考其他可能性，最終，我決定購買一台電動輔助自行車！這將是我的第一輛自行車，除了休閒，我也打算用它來代步。

週末，我到自行車店試騎了電動輔助腳踏車。騎乘感覺與預期相符，老闆還貼心地建議我選擇輪徑較小的車款，更適合我的情況。

最後，必須強調一點：我屬於輕度肢體障礙，經過長時間調整和鍛鍊，才敢嘗試騎自行車！我們必須清楚了解自身狀況：長期不運動，不只會加劇肌肉萎縮，就連健康的肢體也可能受影響！但如果您想動起來，請務必找到適合自己的運動，循序漸進地鍛鍊，再逐步提升難度。我嘗試過許多運動，有些受傷，有些則提升了我的耐力。年齡越大，越要小心謹慎！

You walk, I exercise. You jog; for me, that's already an extreme sport! As a polio survivor, I've traversed countless bumpy roads, and I'm still walking. We share the same path, yet your smooth surface is my uneven terrain; your jog is my extreme sport. Looking back, one foot is shorter, one weaker, yet they cooperate, enabling me to progress steadily despite the uneven path.

As I age and my activity level decreases, one morning I woke up, stepped onto the floor, and realized my affected leg couldn't support my weight. I had to sit back down on the bed! Thankfully, it was the bed; a fall onto the floor could have had serious consequences. My wife observed me during my morning routine. At breakfast, she saw my thin leg and earnestly encouraged me to try spin class. While I grumbled, I knew exercise was crucial for my long-term health. So, I signed up for spin class. I've been going for a year or two now, and honestly, it's incredibly exhausting! I even fell off once at the beginning! But now, spin class is a part of my life.

In spin class, I pedal furiously, facing the mirror, following the music's rhythm, breathlessly pushing forward in this endless cycle. I see friends posting on Facebook and LINE about cycling adventures—river paths, creekside rides, exploring hidden trails... and I long to join them! But when I mentioned it, my friends firmly said, "You can't! You can't cycle far on flat ground, let alone hills. Cycling requires self-propulsion; others can't easily help you." I understood their honesty; it wasn't cruel, just realistic. Road cycling is vastly different from spin class. Yet, I still yearn to feel the wind in my hair, cycling through mountains and along rivers. So I explored other possibilities, and ultimately, I decided to buy an electric-assist bicycle—my very first bicycle—for both leisure and commuting.

I test rode electric-assist pedal bikes over the weekend. The experience matched my expectations, and the shop owner helpfully suggested smaller wheels would be more suitable for me.

Finally, let me emphasize: I have mild physical disabilities, and it took considerable time, adjustment, and training before I even considered cycling! We must understand our physical limitations: Inactivity leads to muscle atrophy, affecting even healthy limbs. If you want to become more active, please find a suitable activity and train gradually before increasing the intensity. I've tried many activities—some caused injuries, others improved my endurance. The older we get, the more cautious we should be!