Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Small steps

Ok...I've managed to drop 17 lbs (397 to 380 lbs) ...so with a herculean effort...I managed to pry my wide self off the couch to ride, instead of drive, to the gym ("c'mon its only a 4mi round trip...besides you wont have to do cardio when you get there") Hit some circuit training and ride home. That along with my commute to the library where i work will give me 7 miles today.
Yeah I know...but it's better than just the 3 miles RT to work.
Oh yeah, It also helps that it will be pushing 70 F today. (hee)
I'm really making an effort to ride to anything within 2 miles of my house...It's surprising just how many places I go regularly are within that radius.

Now I need to work on keeping my cadence up around 80 and not "mashing" my way back and forth. Managed to do pretty well with that today.:o

It's kind of humbling when I read of you guys jumping back on your bikes and doing a 20 mile ride with hills...but I guess I've learned to start with the small steps and just work with what I have at the time.
My reward for keeping up with the riding is being able to justify getting a nicer bike and trying out some rides with the LBS guys. No hope of keeping up even with the slow ones on my MTB right now. (sigh)

Don't get down on yourself. Everyone starts with small steps. You'll be doing 20 mile rides quicker than you think.

It's also great that you're lifting and riding. You'll drop weight fast once you tone up muscle, dial in your diet and get a regular riding schedule going. If you can keep it up, you'll actually be on the fast track.


:beer:

I started with 5 for a week, then 10 for a week, then 15, then 20, then 25.

You'll get used to it as long as you ride daily.

Just keep at it and don't worry about how far someone else rides. IF I did that, I'd be embarrased to post here. Just because someone is a Slyde, doesn't mean they are out of shape. Isn't Lance Armstrong a Clyde?
Small steps are great! Notice that you are taking more of them. Many small steps get you just as far as a few big ones.

Ok...I've managed to drop 17 lbs (397 to 380 lbs)..........

I am in almost the same exact boat, just a little farther up stream so to speak. On Christmas I was 352 now I am 342. Thats a 10 lb drop. Also on the first of the year was when I started riding again. When I started I was dead after only 2 miles now I am able to put down 10-12 miles at a time with resistance turned up a little on my trainer while averaging 14.5mph Keep it up, there is a light at the end of the tunnel even if it looks like its a little dim right now.

Ok...I've managed to drop 17 lbs (397 to 380 lbs) ...so with a herculean effort...I managed to pry my wide self off the couch to ride, instead of drive, to the gym ("c'mon its only a 4mi round trip...besides you wont have to do cardio when you get there") Hit some circuit training and ride home. That along with my commute to the library where i work will give me 7 miles today.
Yeah I know...but it's better than just the 3 miles RT to work.
Oh yeah, It also helps that it will be pushing 70 F today. (hee)
I'm really making an effort to ride to anything within 2 miles of my house...It's surprising just how many places I go regularly are within that radius.

Now I need to work on keeping my cadence up around 80 and not "mashing" my way back and forth. Managed to do pretty well with that today.:o

It's kind of humbling when I read of you guys jumping back on your bikes and doing a 20 mile ride with hills...but I guess I've learned to start with the small steps and just work with what I have at the time.
My reward for keeping up with the riding is being able to justify getting a nicer bike and trying out some rides with the LBS guys. No hope of keeping up even with the slow ones on my MTB right now. (sigh)

Hi,

My first bike ride in my life was December 24, 2006. I rode a mile and a half and crashed when a mailbox jumped in front of me. I completed a century (100 mile ride) nine months later. I'm 42, 250 pounds, and have crooked legs and a crooked spine. You will go wherever you want to, with time and work.

Oh, and I was once 385 pounds. I dropped the weight with hard work too.

I am in almost the same exact boat, just a little farther up stream so to speak. On Christmas I was 352 now I am 342. Thats a 10 lb drop. Also on the first of the year was when I started riding again. When I started I was dead after only 2 miles now I am able to put down 10-12 miles at a time with resistance turned up a little on my trainer while averaging 14.5mph Keep it up, there is a light at the end of the tunnel even if it looks like its a little dim right now.

Yes, and the light gets brighter day by day. Even on bad days the light gets brighter. Some quotations from my first month of weight loss, in February 2006, as posted to the newsgroup alt.support.diet. I'd lost 27 pounds by then:

*********
...anything that approaches my old way of eating is a step
backwards in my book. After all, this isn't just about losing weight,
but improving myself - building the better Neil.

*********
I think
that's about the right amount for a 200 pound 40 year old man, which is
the man I am becoming. (I'm also becoming dashingly handsome, but we'll
save that topic for another newsgroup.)

Neil
385/358/200 - and ladies, he's single!

*********

My motivation was tested today. It was so tempting to pass by
the gym tonight without stopping in. Especially since I had - horrors! -
eaten SAUSAGE for breakfast as an act of rebellion against my daily
oatmeal. Nay, not just sausage, but sausage and cheese on a bagel! But
I'm glad I forced myself to go. This is a race I intend to win.

********

I'm 6'1", 350 pounds, and have a 56" waist. My seat is larger than that
of the recumbent bike. :-)

********

Walk. Swim. Use your weights at home. Mow the lawn. Clean out the
garage. Remember, you are losing weight not just to lose weight, but to
regain the ability to do all those things.

************

You will find that exercise is an effective anti-depressant. And
tracking your food and activities will give you a sense of control of
yourself - another wonderful weapon against depression.

*********

Great job with the weight loss, and you will be surprised at how soon you will be able to do big miles without even thinking about it. Keep it up and just increase your mileage gradually and keep having fun.

there is no need to sigh. keep doing what you are doing. last summer some time around august when i finally got back on the bike seriously i was 295-300. there was this 6 mile ride i like to do to warm up now, but it took me 55 minutes to complete the first time i did it. sometime in november i completed the same route in 19 minutes 55 seconds for the first time. at that point i was 270 and since then i am now 255. and now for the first time in 15 years i can go out running. i now outperform people over 50 pounds lighter than i in almost everything i do. back when i started i NEVER thought i would be where i am right now. also for the first time in 10 years my blood pressure and cholesterol is "normal". keep going you will not regret it.

What I've noticed, with myself and others, is that it isn't an issue of riding far or riding fast. The big issue is just getting out every day and doing something. You get a nice spring day here, and everyone's out "getting in shape". But when it's 40 or 100, you'll have the trails to yourself. That works out to about 60 "getting in shape" days here, and about 305 "too hot or too cold or too wet" days in a year.

What I've noticed, with myself and others, is that it isn't an issue of riding far or riding fast. The big issue is just getting out every day and doing something. You get a nice spring day here, and everyone's out "getting in shape". But when it's 40 or 100, you'll have the trails to yourself. That works out to about 60 "getting in shape" days here, and about 305 "too hot or too cold or too wet" days in a year.

Well said.

It doesn't always have to be just the bike. Take the stairs. Park farther away. Walk to lunch. All those add up, subtract a soda and you could be talking about 300 less calories a day without doing too much.

Good job and keep it up!

Thanks for all the support guys! Didn't mean to sound so gloomy...I'm actually very optimistic about the whole adventure. I know that building up gradually is the way to do it...and I can already tell that I'll be going further and faster in the following weeks. (It's more about holding myself back a bit, cause I'm more of a full out all or nothing type guy. Safe and sane leads to more riding days though)

I found that with only a little moisture, my shoes were slipping on my stock platforms yesterday. Not FUN!
Gives me an excuse to ride to the LBS today to look into some clips. (have to wear regular shoes at work and commuting is most of my riding now)

Got my clip equipped pedals and bar ends yesterday and they made a world of difference. (Gotta love the used and take off bin at the LBS)
Only got 4 miles in though. I notice I'm starting to resent events in my life that interfere with my riding.

Today I'll Probably only get 3 miles to and from work tonight, as I'm also a massage therapist and have clients scheduled all day before riding to work at the library. (grrr STOOPID Work!):(

I wonder if there is a way to build a trailer for my massage table...hmmmm.........

It's kind of humbling when I read of you guys jumping back on your bikes and doing a 20 mile ride with hills...but I guess I've learned to start with the small steps and just work with what I have at the time.
Welcome, fellow athlete!

We all had to start somewhere. The first bike ride of my adult life didn't go more than a few hundred yards. The first year I would drive to a flat area in order to ride my bike. The hills gradually got smaller and the trips gradually got longer. I can still remember the day when I realized that I did not have to chose my route based on avoiding the hills.

Keep up the good work, fellow athlete, you're getting there!

After getting back on a bike for the first time in almost 20 years, my first ride was about four miles. It took better than 30 minutes to complete my lunch time ride then. This was something a bit over two years ago. I now manage somewhere between 10 and 11 miles in my 40 minute lunch ride and do close to 100 miles most weekends.

When I started I was over 250 pounds (quit getting on the scale after I topped 250) and am now down to the mid 190's. Keep doing what you are doing, good things will happen.

Keith

Thank you for starting an inspiring thread that reminds me of where I started and where I want to go :) I started at the same weight as you, have also lost 17 lbs... and need to get riding again to lose more. (I've maintained over the winter, but I've hardly ridden at all!). Keep at it - saying that to both of us! You'll be surprised how quickly you can do more miles. 2 becomes 4, then 6, then 10... and so on.

Thanks also for the comment about fair-weather riding. :) I needed that.

Rode to/from the gym for weight training (down 2 more pounds) and to/from work today so 7 miles after not getting to ride yesterday. I have the next 2 days off, so I may ride some multi use trails...though I should also get my trusty steed into the LBS for a thorough tune up. First extended ride or shiny-clean, well-adjusted bike?
:rolleyes:
Maybe a short ride in the morning and drop it off at the shop?:D

I hate to lose momentum...it really sucks to ride after a couple days off. (looong low grade to gym doesn't look that bad...but at this point it isn't very fun.)

Nasty changes in temp here in Texas! :eek:From 77 and 83 F Sunday and Monday to Highs in the low 40's with the "icy winds of death" I need to velcro patches of terrycloth to the back of my gloves to deal with Faucet Nose Syndrome. Tied a bandanna around my face, "bandit style," tonight and saved myself from breathing frosty air. Made it much more pleasant than the ride to the gym this morning. The Skull Cap under the helmet helped alot too

Got the bike back from the shop this afternoon. What a difference! Not only is it nice and shiny, but with the new chain, it shifts MUCH better. And having everything lubed makes riding so much nicer. (Didn't know how bad it was until I got to feel how its supposed to be)

Also got a Computer that keeps track of cadence and speed (among other things). I think the temperature display may prove to be disheartening in the Spring and Summer here though.

:eek:
I have my doubts about speedometer accuracy...It said that I cruised between 10-15mph this afternoon....I'll have to get my wife to follow me in the car to see if I'm really going that fast.

Now I've officially spent more on accessories than for my bike. Yes, I feel like I have arrived.
:beer:

I have my doubts about speedometer accuracy...It said that I cruised between 10-15mph this afternoon....I'll have to get my wife to follow me in the car to see if I'm really going that fast.
You most likely are going that fast. 10 mpg is the speed at which my bike club starts beginners. 10 mpg is when you are going just a little faster than "so slow that you wobble and zig-zag to keep your balance".

Bike computers can be adjusted to make them more accurate. To me the accuracy is only important for distance - when you attempt to do a century ride (100 miles) you will want to KNOW when you hit 100 miles!
If you really get into cycling and training with a bike you may start keeping a ride log. Distance and average speed are important then too. There are threads on how to check and adjust your computer - cars are not all that accurate.

You most likely are going that fast. 10 mpg is the speed at which my bike club starts beginners. 10 mpg is when you are going just a little faster than "so slow that you wobble and zig-zag to keep your balance".

Bike computers can be adjusted to make them more accurate. To me the accuracy is only important for distance - when you attempt to do a century ride (100 miles) you will want to KNOW when you hit 100 miles!
If you really get into cycling and training with a bike you may start keeping a ride log. Distance and average speed are important then too. There are threads on how to check and adjust your computer - cars are not all that accurate.

Hey Mike
I lived in Pittsburgh and regularly rode the hills in the park connected with the zoo. Did my share of riding (plowing) through snow. Can't say that I miss the cold, but it's a beautiful place to ride.

OK...I checked to make sure the settings were correct. It turns out that I really was going that fast. The good thing is that my computer has all those other functions built in. (averaged 18mph on the short ride I took...only 2 mi...but woohoo!) Maybe I CAN take one of those easy rides with the guys in Plano after all. Looking forward to taking longer sustained rides than I do commuting.

Thanks for the ride log suggestion. I've been keeping a Gym Log with cardio and weight training stats.
The Ride log should be any easy add on. Its nice to be able to go back to older entries and notice what worked well and what didn't pan out.

And Becky...Keep in touch and let me know how things are progressing with you!

If you've got the resource$, the Garmin Edge 305 is a great tool for training. It includes a GPS (great for me in the hilly terrain I ride in, love to know altitude changes, slopes, etc.), as well as HR, cadence. The best thing is you can plug it into your pc and dl the data for further analysis, link it to Google maps or Earth, upload it to http://www.motionbased.com and share it with others. There are others that do equally as well, I'm just a happy Garmin customer.

Also, about humility: as I've posted elsewhere, I'm a retired road racer from the eighties. Took a lot of years off to make an honest living and recently returned with all those memories packed away in 90lbs. of excess flubber (as well as a bad habit, or two <kaph>). Hills are unavoidable in my neck of the woods, my home sits at 1000' elevation. My first two weeks were a daily search for the least hilly route I could find, somewhere in the ten to 15 mile range. Inevitably I found I had to dismount and walk...in cleats...at least once. One particular place happened to be along a field being worked daily by a farmer. He got to know me and I'm sure had his concerns when I'd get to the top of the hill and collapse on my handlebars gasping for breath...from simply pushing my bike up that hill.

Ya suck it in, laugh about it, and do it again the next day.
In spandex shorts, no less!

C.

Awesome post. I like your attitude regarding doing everything within a certain distance on a bike.

I moved to Okinawa just over 2 years ago and accepted on base housing. My house is about 2 miles from my office when you take the shortest route and cut corners. Consequently the exchange, commissary, coffee shop, restaurants, gym, pool are all roughly either slightly closer or slightly furthere. I decided there was almost no reason to ever drive to these places with a few exceptions. Weather, hauling a load like groceries that I can't carry on a bike......you get the idea.

Anyway some two years later and I run to work every day the weather isn't out of control. Running in the rain is no problem. You sweat here as much as the rain gets you wet. I usually find a way to make the 2 mile distance at least 3 or 4 miles. And I always walk home for lunch.

My mailbox is on another base about 8 kilometers away. That's where the bike comes in. Just like today I rode my bike to the post office and then rode a little over 20 km. to get about an hour of exercise in.

I'm going to hate it when I move someday as my health and well being have improved remarkably and not driving saves a lot of money as well as being good for the planet.

You've got the right idea and I've no doubts you're on the road to a remarkable success.

John

Awesome post. I like your attitude regarding doing everything within a certain distance on a bike.

I moved to Okinawa just over 2 years ago and accepted on base housing. My house is about 2 miles from my office when you take the shortest route and cut corners. Consequently the exchange, commissary, coffee shop, restaurants, gym, pool are all roughly either slightly closer or slightly furthere. I decided there was almost no reason to ever drive to these places with a few exceptions. Weather, hauling a load like groceries that I can't carry on a bike......you get the idea.

Anyway some two years later and I run to work every day the weather isn't out of control. Running in the rain is no problem. You sweat here as much as the rain gets you wet. I usually find a way to make the 2 mile distance at least 3 or 4 miles. And I always walk home for lunch.

My mailbox is on another base about 8 kilometers away. That's where the bike comes in. Just like today I rode my bike to the post office and then rode a little over 20 km. to get about an hour of exercise in.

I'm going to hate it when I move someday as my health and well being have improved remarkably and not driving saves a lot of money as well as being good for the planet.

You've got the right idea and I've no doubts you're on the road to a remarkable success.

John


I live in small town Iowa currently and can safely ride a lot of places, but once my children are out of high school and my wife gets her RN license, we will probably move south to a place where we can be outside 90% of the year or more in the southeast U.S. is our plan. We are hoping to get to one small vehicle and live with walking to where we are going or riding our bicycles everywhere. We really haven't decided on a city or state for that matter, but we are working on making some plans for 2010 after our youngest daughter is in college. I think what you are doing is something we want to try and push ourselves to do more of.

My problem is that I am a motorcycle person and currently own three motorcycles for myself. One is for my wife to ride on the back (Kawasaki Voyager XII), one for me (Suzuki SV650S) and a KTM 250SX for riding the local single track trails with some friends. I would probably have to drop to one motorcycle or none and that might be really hard for me. I also have a 30 x40 garage for my toys, so that will be hard to give up also.

I live in small town Iowa currently and can safely ride a lot of places, but once my children are out of high school and my wife gets her RN license, we will probably move south to a place where we can be outside 90% of the year or more in the southeast U.S. is our plan. We are hoping to get to one small vehicle and live with walking to where we are going or riding our bicycles everywhere. We really haven't decided on a city or state for that matter, but we are working on making some plans for 2010 after our youngest daughter is in college. I think what you are doing is something we want to try and push ourselves to do more of.

My problem is that I am a motorcycle person and currently own three motorcycles for myself. One is for my wife to ride on the back (Kawasaki Voyager XII), one for me (Suzuki SV650S) and a KTM 250SX for riding the local single track trails with some friends. I would probably have to drop to one motorcycle or none and that might be really hard for me. I also have a 30 x40 garage for my toys, so that will be hard to give up also.

I also lived in a small town (in Colorado) and rode my motorcycle everywhere....then I moved to Dallas, and gave it up. I quickly came to grips with the fact that I was taking my life in my hands every time I rode it here (Texas drivers are...erm...a bit more freeform in their driving). Strangely, I don't feel in such immediate danger on the bike, of course I also don't ride on the busier streets due to our special brand of driver.

congrats on the weightloss and change of life style. keep up with it!

I've been going to the gym alot too in the past 3 weeks. every day, twice a day. lift and run in the morning, and run in ther afternoon. I hope to continue this once it warms up enough for my 10mile RT commute to school. I'm ~250 now, but i havent weighed myself since i started hitting the gym hard, and i refuse to bother to weigh myself because i dont want to be disappointed. I feel good, i feel thinner, my endurance has increased, but i also guarantee that my weight is very near what it was when i started. It's replacing the fat lost with mass amounts of muscle. adding a nice length ride in there will help drop even faster. I just need to cut out soda, and juice(just stick to water and milk), get some more veggies, and actually cook more(which is difficult in college), and i'll be good to go.

congrats on the weightloss and change of life style. keep up with it!

I'm ~250 now, but i havent weighed myself since i started hitting the gym hard, and i refuse to bother to weigh myself because i dont want to be disappointed. I feel good, i feel thinner, my endurance has increased, but i also guarantee that my weight is very near what it was when i started. It's replacing the fat lost with mass amounts of muscle. adding a nice length ride in there will help drop even faster. I just need to cut out soda, and juice(just stick to water and milk), get some more veggies, and actually cook more(which is difficult in college), and i'll be good to go.

+1 on the weighing in...I'll be doing that this afternoon though (once every 2 weeks) It can be depressing to not see the scale move. Though if you do the scale along with taking measurements of waist, chest, neck, arms and thighs...you can prove to yourself that progress IS being made.

I made the mistake, however, of deciding I needed a "before picture" of me and my bike to put on my page at http://sparkpeople.com/mypage.asp?id=MAKOTODFW .

Now THAT was depressing and kept me from riding a couple of days. (How could I subject other people to that sight...etc.) I know that I FEEL, and actually am, more athletic than than a photo can show. (I can still burn up the eliptical for an hour on level 12 - 14, then do an hour of lifting)

Failure can only occur if I stop trying.

Oh yeah. The cycling shorts I ordered came today...very comfy, but 1) I won't be taking any pictures, and 2) I'll be wearing loose shorts or sweats over them when I ride. The world, at large, isn't ready for that particular sight.:eek:

You can't feel worried about before and after pics after this set ;)

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/Project1.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/Bicycle001.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/FairfieldLakesride023.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/CopyofMyNewBike001.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/Cardinal%20Greenway%20and%20other%20rides/Aerobars017.jpg

Tom

You are the MAN!...
One of the cyclists on sparkpeople.com referred me to this forum by mentioning you. And I must say that it is great to know that I'm not the only one dealing with the same issues. My sister did the bariatric surgery and is at her goal weight. I'm fighting to do everything I can to NOT go that route....but if it comes down to staying this size or surgery, I'll consider it an option.
Do you find it hard to get in the calories you need with all the riding and training you do since the surgery?

I am so looking forward to getting back on my bike! Too much snow for my comfort zone. I'm now going to the gym 3 times a week doing intervals on the stationary bike and lifting weights. So far, so good! I was surprised to see that I can easily maintain a cadence of 85 RPM! Last year it was barely 70-75. And I actually look forward to going to the gym.

And next week I am adding swimming to my routines! Can't wait!!

That's part of the reason I do the liquid nutrition route when I ride long miles, aside from avoiding nausea by consuming easily absorbed nutrients.

Tom

You are the MAN!...
One of the cyclists on sparkpeople.com referred me to this forum by mentioning you. And I must say that it is great to know that I'm not the only one dealing with the same issues. My sister did the bariatric surgery and is at her goal weight. I'm fighting to do everything I can to NOT go that route....but if it comes down to staying this size or surgery, I'll consider it an option.
Do you find it hard to get in the calories you need with all the riding and training you do since the surgery?

I am so looking forward to getting back on my bike! Too much snow for my comfort zone. I'm now going to the gym 3 times a week doing intervals on the stationary bike and lifting weights. So far, so good! I was surprised to see that I can easily maintain a cadence of 85 RPM! Last year it was barely 70-75. And I actually look forward to going to the gym.

And next week I am adding swimming to my routines! Can't wait!!

Hey there Cyclokitty!

Are you over on Spark People too? I'm MakotoDFW there.

Yeah that's one of the reasons (snow) that I don't regret leaving Colorado...OK, that and the fact that I can't afford to live the same way there that I do here. I rode in the snow, though, both there and in Pennsylvania. (Of course it was purely for transportation, as I was car-less both times)
:rolleyes:

I need to hit the stationary bike at the gym...it sounds like it's doing great for your cadence. I'm trying to get mine up, but unless i pay attention to the cadence on my computor...I wind up mashing away 60-70.

I am doing a similar ride to the gym, it is about 4.5 miles round trip, with one sizable hill, and some rolling hills as well. I have been adding mileage to this trip, step wise. First day, 5 miles total, Day eight, 17 miles total. You will be surprised how quickly you will ramp up. Note, I rode every day (I am retired, so I do not have any excuses). It doesn't matter what others do, what matters is your continual effort and commitment. I have always tried to compare to myself, not others. Example, I was using one machine at the gym, doing for my what was pretty good. Guy walks up right after I finished, and raised the weight another 120 pounds before he started. And it was easy (for him).

This does not matter for me, as I had increased the weight by 25 pounds in the last week to get where I was today.

Theres always plenty of people out there that are thinner, stronger, faster, richer, better looking, yadda , yadda. Good for them. There are also always people out there that are heavier, weaker, slower, poorer, uglier, yadda, yadda. Control what you can control, which is what is ahead. Where we are today, right now, is just a point in time. I cannot do a thing about that point. I can only influence tomorrow.

Hi Jtgyk!

Glad to see you here. See, told you everyone is great!

My plan once we have a warm spell (c'mon rain! you can do it! Sorry skiers) is ride down to the cemetery and along a 10km bike path nearby. It has some great little and biggish hills to practice on. Some friends from work and I are doing a 75 km charity ride in June (I hope I can do 75 km. I may do the 50, but I am training for the 75), and we are all desperately looking forward to riding outside. There is a nasty hill on my commute home from work that I am going to take a big bite out of this spring, as well as a stubbornly long hill that has given me grief. So, whenever I start getting bored on the stationary bike I picture riding up those hills with barely a thought of the effort.

Yep, no rotten hill is going to get the best of me this year.

Hi Jtgyk!

Glad to see you here. See, told you everyone is great!

My plan once we have a warm spell (c'mon rain! you can do it! Sorry skiers) is ride down to the cemetery and along a 10km bike path nearby. It has some great little and biggish hills to practice on. Some friends from work and I are doing a 75 km charity ride in June (I hope I can do 75 km. I may do the 50, but I am training for the 75), and we are all desperately looking forward to riding outside. There is a nasty hill on my commute home from work that I am going to take a big bite out of this spring, as well as a stubbornly long hill that has given me grief. So, whenever I start getting bored on the stationary bike I picture riding up those hills with barely a thought of the effort.

Yep, no rotten hill is going to get the best of me this year.

That wouldn't be Mount Pleasant Cemetery would it? Maybe the beltline trail.....

jeez, i can't believe that 3 yrs ago tom was on an 0^2 tank

now you can barely see him when he stands sideways!

It is! It's close to my home and I love how the Beltline just ends at a cinder block wall next to the Allen Expressway. It's kind of like the city planners said "Th th th that's all folks!"

It is! It's close to my home and I love how the Beltline just ends at a cinder block wall next to the Allen Expressway. It's kind of like the city planners said "Th th th that's all folks!"

That's quite common though, most of the bike routes go great guns, and then just end, often at a place where it's not always the best, expressways and major arterials are common. I live North of the 401, and there are no places where an actual bike route crosses the highway.

Hi Jtgyk! I see you've gotten a lot of responses. Allow me to chime in. I feel that small steps are the way to go. The world is full of people who did some sort of drastic weight loss and then ballooned up bigger than ever. Tom Stormcrowe is inspirational not just for his weight loss, but also because he seems to be sticking with it!

I think the keys to getting healthy and fit are to do it gradually and to focus on the positive. If you can ride 2 miles a day on a consistent basis, that's certainly better than 0 miles, and is going to have a positive effect on your body. When you get used to 2 miles it will seem short, and you'll start riding 3 miles. Soon it will be 10, then 20, then 30. The key is consistency. If you don't get on your bike for a couple of months, you'll be back where you started and 2 miles may seem challenging.

When you are riding, do you enjoy it? If not, maybe you need to slow down, pick a lower gear, pick an easier route, etc. (Or even pick a different form of exercise.) However, if you do enjoy it, take a mental/emotional snapshot. Remember how great it feels to be zipping along, outdoors, feeling positive, etc. Then, the next time you are deciding whether to ride or not, remember those positive feelings, and know that you'll feel them again if you get it in gear and get on your bike.

If you want to up your mileage, you still need to keep it positive. Occasionally I've pushed myself too much on my bike, and the results have been disastrous! One time I hadn't been riding much for a month or two, and decided to take a "mini-tour" to try out my new Bob trailer. I loaded it up with my camping gear and headed up to San Simeon State Park - about 28 miles. The first day was great. I felt fine the whole time. However, I decided to come back the next day instead of taking a rest day in between. I died on that ride home! I called my wife to come rescue me but couldn't get through to her cell phone. I ended up riding all the way home, but was in agony the whole way!

My point is that negative experiences like that are not going to help you with your program, so resist the urge to push yourself beyond where things stay pleasant. A pleasant 7 mile ride will further your goal of riding 8 miles. A 30 mile ride when you're not ready may make you stay off your bike for months!

Another story: I was getting a little overweight - not badly, but probably I could stand to lose maybe 20 pounds to get down to what I felt was an acceptable weight for me. I had been dreaming of a long bike tour for years, and things fell together that summer for me to ride from Seattle to my home near San Luis Obispo. Great, I thought. Not only will I have an adventure, but I'll lose this weight.

I did the tour. It was fantastic - one of the best things I've ever done. I averaged 55 miles a day for something like 1200 miles, carrying a large load and going over plenty of gnarly hills on the way - the west coast is definitely not flat!

When I got home I discovered I had gained weight! I was about 5 lbs. heavier! My paunchy belly was still there, though a bit smaller. It turned out I had put on enough muscle mass to outweight any fat loss (and there wasn't much of that.) I think the reason I didn't lose much fat had to do with the amount of food I ate. Bicycle touring makes you eat incredible amounts!

Looking on the dark side, I would have felt a sense of failure for not reaching my target weight. However, I was in the best shape of my life, I'd just had an extraordinary adventure, I'd achieved something substantial - how could that not be all positive?

Keep up the small steps, gradually add to your mileage, gradually subtract pounds, and consider someday taking a tour to reward yourself for your achievement. Focus on what you can do, not so much on what you weigh.

Cheers!

Ok...since my last entry, I managed to make good food choices and (even when eating out...alot...with visiting family) managed to still lose 4 lbs.
Valentines day was survivable in that one of the treats my wife got me was jerky...I know its a guy thing...though she did have a lapse in judgment when she also included chocolate. So far I've only eaten a little. BUT IT CALLS TO ME! I think Ill either have to throw it out or make her take it to work.
I haven't made it to the gym as much as I planned (see visiting family above) and am not looking forward to my weigh in on Wed.
I cycled a different way to work yesterday and added some distance to the route. I milestone for me is that 1/3 of the route is on a street that gets more traffic than I'm normally comfortable with. On that particular stretch I can get up to 20mph and, though it is longer I make it to work faster.
Now I'm psyching myself up to ride the Whiterock Creek Trail (14 mi RT) this morning and hoping it warms up a little before going out.

AFTER THE RIDE

dun dun DUNNNNN!
Well...THAT was .......interesting....

Loaded up the bike and tools and other minutiae. Wearing my new bike shorts (under sweats of course) and my nice under-helmet skull cap. I valiantly drove to the trail head....to find it was closed...then on to the next parking area, and unloaded, got everything out and on the bike, and went to grab my helmet and head out on the wonderful adventure of actually logging some miles...."OK where's the helmet?"
:cry:
Loaded everything up again...drove back home... found the helmet where I left it (on the porch swing, while loading my stuff) hopped BACK into the van....drove directly to the (correct this time) parking area...and redeployed the gear.

This was my first ride over 4 miles all at once, and made it 9.3 miles RT. I wound up turning back before I needed, due to vast amounts of muddy slime on the last part of the trail. I pushed on though one spot under the road that was rather squirrelly and waaay too pungent for my tastes before coming upon the next batch. Time to turn around...DEFINITELY.

I fought my way back to the van (slight grade most of the 4.5 miles back) Dragging my weight up the trail I caught myself humming "just keep swimming, just keep swimming...." (Dorey in Finding Nemo) and just concentrated on making my circles (peddles). Wound up with an average speed of 12mph.
Fastest was 23 and slowest was 5mph.

Would I do it again?
Yeah...but without the "forgetting the helmet thing" and when the trail drys out.
:lol:

Big Blue

Thanks for the word of encouragement. I AM the type of guy that has a hard time holding back, activity wise. And it did well for me...when I was young and resilient. :D

Now my favorite refrains are, "It's not so much the age as the MILEAGE." and "If I knew that I was going to live THIS long I'd have taken better care of myself."

That being said...I decided that in 2 or three years I'd like to bike tour from DFW area down to my Bother in Law's place on Baffin Bay (SW of Corpus Christi / Padre Island). Now I have something to plan and train for.

I'll be happy if, by the end of this Fall, I can work up to riding 30 or 40 miles.

If anyone has suggestions about training or routes for the Baffin Bay ride I'd be happy to hear them.

http://lightwater.1cis.com/Roll%20Aid%20poster%20web.pdf

Big Blue

Thanks for the word of encouragement. I AM the type of guy that has a hard time holding back, activity wise. And it did well for me...when I was young and resilient. :D

Now my favorite refrains are, "It's not so much the age as the MILEAGE." and "If I knew that I was going to live THIS long I'd have taken better care of myself."

That being said...I decided that in 2 or three years I'd like to bike tour from DFW area down to my Bother in Law's place on Baffin Bay (SW of Corpus Christi / Padre Island). Now I have something to plan and train for.

I'll be happy if, by the end of this Fall, I can work up to riding 30 or 40 miles.

If anyone has suggestions about training or routes for the Baffin Bay ride I'd be happy to hear them.

Jtgyk,

Here's the thing. Jerky and Chocolate exist in this world. And I submit to you that no matter how big you are or how much will power you have a hunk of chocolate now and again won't hurt a bit (unless there's some medical reason you shouldn't have it).

In fact as I'm studying up on nutrition I've found that dark chocolate over 60% Cacao has some very positive aspects on health in moderation. I eat an ounce or so of dark chocolate every few days. I factor it into my calorie intake for the day, have it and move on.

The world is full of good stuff and in my opinion cutting it all out is not something that is maintainable over the long haul. I had to come to grips with this. I think it's certainly viable to say, "I'm not going to have chocolate this week or month so I can meet this goal" but not viable to say, "OMG I can never have chocolate again".

You should reward yourself from time to time however if you're anything like me you can't just sit down and eat an ounce of chips. I'd eat the whole bag.

My current nemesis is Lays Stax chips. I eat half servings of them, six chips and I just know I shouldn't but again, I just factor it in to the calorie count and while the nutritional value of the chips stinks it makes me feel normal if that makes any sense.

I'm not advocating bad eating habits by a long shot but good foods are out there and I truly think we should have them and portion control is king.

John

OMG! You wrote "chocolate". Now I want some.... deep breaths, deep breaths, think of cute cycling shirts a size down... maybe two.... deeeeeeeep breaths.... better...

Tom-
Thanks for the heads up...if only I was ready for it now.
I'll check and see what their route will be...that should be a help indeed!

John-
Yes the portion control is a wonderful thing. My program with sparkpeople.com is all about nutrition and getting some of everything. (sometimes the meal plan includes 2 or 3 Hersey's minis)
Baked tortilla chips are also good. Trouble is, those things (tortilla chips and chocolate, ...just not together) are major triggers for me. I was anorexic/bulemic (sp?) for the 10 years I was a Dancer.
And still deal with compulsive issues.
As Dad advised me, "Son...don't poke the bear."

This was me back in the day:
http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/8/4/l84278794.jpg

(I AM, of course, the one kneeling)
(grins)

After that picture was taken...I lost another 15 lbs, had pneumonia and joint problems, and quit dancing. I live for not poking that bear anymore.

OMG! You wrote "chocolate". Now I want some.... deep breaths, deep breaths, think of cute cycling shirts a size down... maybe two.... deeeeeeeep breaths.... better...

:roflmao:

I Like the way you think!

Michael

Cool.....Good to see you've got a plan. I lost a bunch of weight once after a very regimented diet and then said, "Okay that's that" and went off the diet and promptly gained some weight back.

This time around I've come to realize that I have to just cool it but that I live in the world same as everybody else and when the fellers go to the Golf course for a breakfast buffet there really are no great choices food wise so I just eat a little of everything but not much of anything.

I always see these Nutri Systems and Jenny Craig commercials and I always think, "what happens the day you stop that program or go into the real world to a Friday's or a McDonalds.

I desperately miss some things. Before my diet I used to go to Macaroni grill and get Spaghetti and meatballs. When I got my food database software I found one bowl of Mac Grill Spag is enough calories for a whole day!!!!

I could care less if I ever saw another Big Mac, Whopper, Fries, etc. but I do miss my Lays Stax although like I said I just eat half servings of them and I've got that in control. I do with God would come down and tell me "Free Calorie Day" because I'd eat five or six tubes of the damn things.

Other than that not much tickles me food wise. I do miss buffalo wings though and beer. But I still manage to work an evening out with beer in about every two months or so now. It's a necessary evil and one that will keep me sane.

At any rate I know I'm finally doing something I can sustain. I have sustained for 7 months now and I just don't feel the need to jump off the wagon. I eat enough food and a pretty fair variety although today for lunch I had a homemade smoothie that was awesome but man oh man, where's the friggin beef?

I had a spoonful of peanut butter when I got back to work so it's all good again.

I really do need a freak out day. I haven't had one since I started and it would probalby actually do me good to eat a half a pizza and drink some beers and watch DVD's without moving all day.

John

:mad:
I was a baaaad, baaaad, person last week, apparently.

Was not meticulous about keeping my food diary and had several days that I didn't manage to squeeze in my rides. Found all 4 of those pounds that I managed to lose last week.:eek:

Now that that is behind me (literally)I'll just have to carry on from here.
Went to the gym. I had to drive as I was meeting a friend there and it is just down the street from where I drop my daughter at school...Just pulled in...then get the call that he is not going to show. :mad:
Lost a 4mi RT!
Did my gym thing and hit the LBS on the way home since its just across the street from the gym. (I live nearly 2 or 3 miles from most of the important stuff) Didn't need much...Picked up a water bottle holder for my handlebars and a new rack for the back of the bike, and ordered my fenders.

Its going to be another hectic day...but I'll get a couple sort rides in and I have Thursday and Friday off.

Oh Yeah...I've decided to ride in the Tour Dallas (choices of 8, 20, or 30 miles) in April.
http://www.tourdallas.org/home.html
Maybe I'll be able to handle 20 Miles by then. :rolleyes:
If I'm not feeling it...I can always just do the 8 mile route.:p