stapfam

1st April and I retired. More time to get out on the bike- Sort the garden- get some maintenance on the house- Work on the Campavan-----How am I going to get those bike rides in?

I was not fit after a winter of just turning the pedals- had put on 15 lbs over a year or so from what I would like to be-and I did not fancy getting on a bike on the cold- wet and windy days that we were having.

I had recently bought a new bike- A Pinarello FP UNO as my retirement gift and I was beginning to think it was surplus to requirements. So time to get riding. I made a commitment to do one ride every week. Only 32 miles and took in some good flat road so I could work on speed- Some hills so I could work on the legs and lungs and some good scenery so I could enjoy the ride. Whenever possible I will be out with the mates on Sundays for around 40 miles and just a couple of extra rides for Pie or lunch out somewhere and I could be doing 100 to 150 miles a week.

7 weeks later and something seems to be working.Hills are getting easier so it may be time to start using the compact crankset bikes instead of the triple up the hills. Ride yesterday and a good slope and legs and lungs finally started working. Speed has gone up but as I no longer can be bothered with a computer- I can't tell you how much I have improved but riding is a lot easier and Heart rate is recovering quicker after exertion. The weight loss and I have lost 9 lbs. Now down to 146lbs and I no longer need the 34" waist- 32 is getting loose. Still got the paunch though so still some way to go.

Now about the other jobs- Getting through the list gradually but the list keeps growing as I look round the house and garden recovering from some of the rides I am getting in. Think I will have to get more rides in just so I can't find the extra jobs.

NOS88

I know that feeling. It's VERY rewarding to get back to a place where you want to be once you've strayed a bit.

And in terms of that list, isn't that one of those things that will always keep growing. The more you do, the more it grows.

andrewclaus

I met another very active retiree recently who told me that cycling was the only way he could find to get rid of the paunch. Walking, swimming, gym visits--nothing worked until he started cycling. Then, flat belly.

The 100 to 150 miles/week is a sweet spot for me, too. Enough to feel like you've done some riding, and enough rest that you don't get hurt.

Good luck with your program and new life.

qcpmsame 

Good to go there Stapfam. You are progressing well and the weight is coming down for you. I was amazed that I felt as good as I did yesterday. I think that the very limited diet and intake during the infusions kept the weight coming down and I didn't suffer from extra load syndrome. Keep up the progress.

Bill

rdtompki

You're my cycling hero.