LowCel 

I was just looking around at some pictures and I came across a picture of me racing back in 2004. That was my second year racing but my first year in Sport. At the time I was struggling to just finish. My goal was typically to just not be last. It was tough for me since the year before I raced beginner and I did six races and won all six. Looking back I should have moved up earlier but didn't. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to finish the longer sport races. I'm pretty sure I was right.

Anyway, here are the pictures from 2004 and a current picture side by side. I still need to lose another ten pounds or so but I can tell a huge difference. What's bad is that after the picture was taken in 2004 I still gained another 15 pounds or so.

drombat

Your physique is noticably different in the pictures, as is the feeling each picture conveys. "Man I'm tired" on the left and "This is fun" on the right. Great going!

free_pizza

I wish i could lose weight like that.... soon johny, soon.

Maelstrom 

Congrats...I find biking is too anaerobic to loose much weight, I haven't had much luck. But I have gotten faster...good job

free_pizza

Wait a minute, you were talking about the bike right?! It DID loose a lot of weight!

Eatadonut

Only two years and you moved up 42 places in registration! Good job!

The first pic says "laugh at me" (sorry, but it does. Don't worry, there's a reason there are very few pictures of me on a bicycle)

The second pic either says "I knew this pic was coming and wanted to look cool" or "I actually am cool"

Either way, you obviously made good use of your time.


Oh, and Maelstrom - switch to road. Not that I'd ever leave the trails if I lived where you do.

born2bahick

Great job Lowcel! You look awesome dude! Your bike has changed Quite a bit too!

C Law

Yeah, well, riding the lift doesn't exactly melt the pounds away.........

Just teasing of course

Great Job LC That last ten pounds is rough

free_pizza

bwahahaa.... ZINNGGGGGGGGGGG!!

dminor 

Ahh, the way Mael knows the 'other' Whistler trails (the XC ones), I'm pretty sure he does up as much as he does down. Whistler valley is a lot like where I live: to get anywhere fun you gotta go UP first.

Good job, LowCel! Keep hammerin' away like you have been and you won't be fighting 'bracket creep' at 50 like I am

Maelstrom 

5 mountains...yep lots of up...not the best at the ups...by any means, but its there and gets done

Pheard

That's because you aren't doing xc. Xc is almost all aerobic.

Lowcel, you don't even look like the same person in the second pic lol. The first one I'm thinking "who's that chubby guy trying to race", the second one I'm like "damn that's one sexy racer".

Maelstrom 

No the xc here, its just to physical. You almost never get longer than a minute to spin before you are torquing...

Whoever mentioned above road work, that would be the best way, but I can't bring myself to ride concrete.

apclassic9

and you're still fretting about Flick??

Cai just did a lap at the Calhoun Park - dry & fast - took him 43 minutes & change.

LowCel 

Honestly, I don't lose much weight on the bike either. Most of my weight was lost on the stairmaster and on the treadmill.

LowCel 

Actually the bike in the first picture is lighter than my Ellsworth Truth. The KHS hardtail weighs about 22.5 pounds. It is the shop owner's bike. At the time I owned a Superlight but I had shipped it off to Moab since I was going to be heading there to ride for a week a couple of days after the race.

LowCel 

Believe me when that picture was taken the last thing on my mind was "posing" for them. All I wanted to do was get to the top of the climb and try to make up a little time in the process. It ended up not mattering much though since I flatted about ten minutes later. Ended up fifth in that race.

LowCel 

Nope, not fretting about him. If I beat him great, if not that's fine as well. It would be really nice to beat him once this season though.

Sounds like a pretty fast lap he's doing. Wish I could have pre-rode it at race pace. I'll be doing it pretty slow on Saturday. Last year my time for two laps was 98 minutes (according to the race time, real time was probably 96 minutes). I'm hoping to do it in well under 90 minutes this year. Have to wait and see what happens.

I have had a pretty good week training so far. It has all been on the road though, haven't been on the mountain bike since Revenge of the Rattlesnake. Tuesday I did 60 miles with 2,500 feet of climbing. Yesterday I did a timed loop to see how I would do. It was 22.2 miles, 1,660 feet of climbing and I did it in 67.5 minutes. Today I did some tempo work. I got in 39 miles with 652 feet of climbing. I did 40 minutes of constant tempo at 250 watts, around 22 - 23 mph average speed during the tempo. Tomorrow I'm resting.

LowCel 

Everyone else, thanks very much for the positive comments.

Crono

Damn, nice.

I hope to look that good at 30

Then again, I'm Filipino so people will be carding me for alcohol well into my 40's

mx_599

great improvement. evidenced by a slimmer face and arms

idleuser

Wow that's really awesome. That's something to be really proud about

mtnbiker66

You da man LowCel.....

never

Way to go LowCel! Keep up all of the good work. I'm sure you already knew it was paying off but a photo comparison like that can really hammer it home!

Flak

I want to have lowcels babies.

By babies i mean bikes ofcourse