Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Oh, the misery... man am I out of shape

just got back from 2 weeks of business trips and hopped on my newly refurbished bike for a quick spin tonight... 3rd ride of the year. Couldn't find a jersey that didn't make me look like a bloated ox, so I found one without pockets, tucked my cell phone inside my shorts in a ziploc and headed out. not quite 7 miles and although I thought it was really hilly, the ol' cell phone GPS revealed a net gain of 275 feet. :notamused:

*sigh* I've got some work to do.

I know how you feel. It's been a while since I rode before I got my Surly LHT. My first attempt at a long distance ride ended at 3 miles. I was gasping for air. I used to be able to do 40 miles easily on an old gas-pipe ten-speed :(

+1 - today = first ride of the season...

legs feel like I rode 100km, butt says 200km, speedometer says 47km.

I know how you guys feel. I hadn't ridden all winter. Hopped on a bike a couple weeks ago and rode maybe 12 km or so then the next day went on a 60 km ride with no padded shorts. That distance was a warm up last summer and it was tougher this time out. My big mistake was riding without padded shorts on essentially the first ride of the season. Couldn't sit down for a couple days. Gradually getting it back together. GPS dumped into Ascent software says I did a 23.7% grade today. So I'm not dead yet.

John

We who are about to die salute you!

If we can stop huffing and puffing long enough to get off the ground.

the ol' cell phone GPS revealed a net gain of 275 feet. :notamused:

*sigh* I've got some work to do.

What app on your phone shows net elevation gain/loss? Tell us more about this please.

Bob

It's a program called AllSports GPS (trimbleoutdoors.com) and works on a huge number of phones.... Apparently there are a ton of similar apps, especially if you have an iPhone (I don't) but this one is pretty cool. I think it was $20 for my blackberry.

This is my little spin from yesterday.

http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/685509

I also have a little program called Black Star that will gather GPS waypoints, but I don't know what to do with that info just yet.

, tucked my cell phone inside my shorts

My guess is that your GPS can't be accurate "under" these conditions!:roflmao2:

My guess is that your GPS can't be accurate "under" these conditions!:roflmao2:

Unfortunately, I think it was! I didn't make any claims that the phone enjoyed being there though. :D I think I need a new seatbag. Ahem.

lol about the shorts;) i can empathise though about the running out of wind. i used to be able to, and did, cycle 50 miles every night when i was younger but have been out of cycling for so long. the first day out this year and i was puffing and panting, you'd swear i was racing whereas i was trying to take it easy!! so out of shape but after 2 weeks i am getting better i think - not much but better all the same so bear with it:)

I know how you feel. I've yet to hit 20 miles this year. Yuck. :-(

I know how you guys feel. I hadn't ridden all winter. Hopped on a bike a couple weeks ago and rode maybe 12 km or so then the next day went on a 60 km ride with no padded shorts. That distance was a warm up last summer and it was tougher this time out. My big mistake was riding without padded shorts on essentially the first ride of the season. Couldn't sit down for a couple days. Gradually getting it back together. GPS dumped into Ascent software says I did a 23.7% grade today. So I'm not dead yet.

John

I'll be the iconoclast and suggest that padded short would not have helped. I used to ride "back in the day" when there were no padded shorts, just chamois. I got back into riding after an 11 year hiatus and found the padded shorts to just be too much padding. The seam from the padding even caused saddle sores for me. I have a pair of shorts with almost no padding and they're great! I have plenty of my own natural "padding" anyway...:(

I forgot to pack a pair of shorts ( I live in Iwakuni Japan) and am currently working in Ie Shima Japan, a small island off of Okinawa for a couple months). Shipped one of my folding bikes down here for this work project so I wouldn't go crazy. I bought a pair of padded Cannondale shorts, kinda mountain bike-ish and I love 'em.

On some of my bikes I can easily ride without padded shorts. It's a saddle/geometry thing. Some bikes really cause a lot of chafing and such. I'm sure the amount of or lack of sweat matters as well among a hundred other things.

John

I forgot to pack a pair of shorts ( I live in Iwakuni Japan) and am currently working in Ie Shima Japan, a small island off of Okinawa for a couple months). Shipped one of my folding bikes down here for this work project so I wouldn't go crazy. I bought a pair of padded Cannondale shorts, kinda mountain bike-ish and I love 'em.

On some of my bikes I can easily ride without padded shorts. It's a saddle/geometry thing. Some bikes really cause a lot of chafing and such. I'm sure the amount of or lack of sweat matters as well among a hundred other things.

John

Padding doesn't really do much for chafing, at least in my experience. It's the fact that the fabric doesn't move. The fabric rubs against the seat instead of your skin.

Misery loves company. I tried to do a test ride of a planned 12 mile commute to work today and made it about 4 miles before I had to get off the bike for fear of death from lack of O2. Very sad day for me. Like many here, I used to be fit, and it doesn't always compute that I'm not any more.

BTW- I'm a 35 yo father of three who used to be a soldier (required fitness)... 10 years of civilian family life and I've gone from a solid 5' 7" 160lbs to the 230lb man who couldn't bike 12 miles typing before you today.

I was depressed and it's kinda nice to not be alone.

Misery loves company. I tried to do a test ride of a planned 12 mile commute to work today and made it about 4 miles before I had to get off the bike for fear of death from lack of O2. Very sad day for me. Like many here, I used to be fit, and it doesn't always compute that I'm not any more.

BTW- I'm a 35 yo father of three who used to be a soldier (required fitness)... 10 years of civilian family life and I've gone from a solid 5' 7" 160lbs to the 230lb man who couldn't bike 12 miles typing before you today.

I was depressed and it's kinda nice to not be alone.

I was off my bike from about 1997 to 2009. During that period I think I rode five times and gained dozens of pounds. The first time back out in the summer 2009 I did OK. I think I rode 23 miles. The second time was a different story. By mile 14 I was so exhausted I couldn't think straight and could barely push the pedals. I found a spot to pull off the road and sat down in the grass for about 20 minutes staring into space before hauling myself back on the bike and just barely wobbling home.

Over this last weekend, less than a year later, I did more than 150 miles. I am still fat but I am certainly far more fit. It's possible to get back into it again.

Over this last weekend, less than a year later, I did more than 150 miles. I am still fat but I am certainly far more fit. It's possible to get back into it again.

The difference between 'fat' and 'fit' is sometimes only a vowel :) I missed my commute today because of an emergency scheduling issue at work and feel as if I will pay for it later this week/whenever I get back on the bike. Keep at it, it gets better.

a year ago I weighed 278 lbs. I got my bike out after years of inactivity. I made it a mile or so before my butt hurt so much I turned around. Not much fun. Over the summer I increased how far I could ride. Slowly. Two torn shoulders didn't help but I am now 35lb lighter and two days ago I did 28 miles. I know full well 28 miles is nothing to a serious rider but at 240+ on a mountain bike it's a small triumph. As summer 2010 begins I am much lighter and expect to continue my gain in miles and loss in weight.