Hello! This is my first post to BF. Great questions, so . . . .
I am 51 years old and got back into cycling about four years ago.
1. My rides are:
2004 LeMond Buenos Aires
2003 Specialized Sirrus (commuter/hybrid)--thinking of switching over to a Jamis Coda for the smoother ride on a steel frame
2005 Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo (Mtn.)
1970s Schwinn Continental (bought at a Good Will for nostalia's sake for $3.99 and that I'm [slooowly] restoring)
2. I take a multivitamin, Vitamin E (heart), Gingko Biloba (for memory--when I remember to take it
), Glucosamine, and the occasional Ibuprofen for aches.
3. I've slowed down quite a bit but it doesn't bother me. I've gotten old enough to know that when I try to accomplish things by hitting the grand slam home run I tend to strike out, so I'm an incrementalist, chipping away until I get to where I want to be. That includes my training and conditioning. Even so, I am a high school teacher and I KNOW I am in better condition than about 70% of my students.
4. I biked A LOT when I was a teenager. Grew up in western Oregon, so had plenty of riding time in the rain. I didn't ride for about 20 years because I was living overseas, in a country where I would have gotten smacked by a kamikaze truck or car if I'd tried to ride on the roads. After coming home, it felt great to get into cycling again.
5. I ride to work two or three days a week (16 miles r.t.). I'm mainly a roadie and ride 25-65 miles at a time. I love hill climbing, and tend to pass people on hills, then I tend to *get passed* on downhills. Go figure. I like races, start my season at the beginning of April with the Wenatchee Duathlon and finish up in October with the Manastash metric century. I did my first triathlon last summer and that was a blast. Even got third in my age group, so that was a hoot!
6. Don't really keep track. In the winter, with ice on the ground, I do the spinning classes at the local Y. I get out at least three times a week, no matter what the weather (using my mtn. bike to commute when there's snow on the ground). Probably do about 2500 miles/yr. plus whatever I log on my casual, smell-the-roses, feel-good rides.
7. I ski, do weight training for core strength (just intensifying that now after the holidays), I run, although I'm not fast (nine-minute miles) and last year I got back into swimming to train for that triathlon I did, and that's been a lot of fun. I also just like going out for a good walk, time to time. I have kids, so the physical activities I do serve as an example to their own activities. And I'm interested in nutrition-exercise, so study a lot about that, but that doesn't strictly qualify as a physical activity!
That's it from me. Have a great riding year, everyone!
Brad