czar

All the recent weight loss posts got me motivated to submit one myself. I am 36yo and weight 245 lbs, I am about 6'2" tall, I was told that my target weight should be ~175 to 185lb. I used to lift weights for about 15 yrs until about 3 years ago when we had our first of two daughters. Essentially for the past 3 years I have made excuses for not working out....On top of this I picked up the nasty habit of smoking when I was in graduate school (10 yrs ago).

This past Dec, I finally decided that enough was enough and bought a road bike (C'dale Synapse) and have a KK indoor trainer. I also quit smoking, which has been tough (3 mths w/o at the moment). Over the past few weeks I have realized how out of shape I really am. I cannot do more than 10 continuous mins on the trainer at ~75rpm. I plan to slowly increase the time by 5 mins each week and hope to hit minimum of 30mins each session before spring.

The funny thing is that the very first time I took the bike out on the road in Dec, I was able to ride 16 miles at an avg speed of 13mph w/o killing myself. I cannot wait for warmer weather to start riding regularly.

jaxgtr

that is fantastic and keep up the great work.

edbikebabe

Try turning down the resistance on the trainer if you'd like to ride for longer.

10 Wheels

Go Slow. You will get stronger each week.

sstorkel

The Kurt Kinetic trainer that the OP owns only has one resistance level. You vary the work-out by shifting gears. I would suggest switching to an easier gear and pedaling faster. If I'm riding in a gear that I can only push at 75rpm, I wouldn't last much more than 10 minutes... if that! But I can ride all day in an easy gear that lets me turn 90rpm.

neilfein

Cold weather riding has its own rewards - solitude, a sense of accomplishment, and that whole thing where people say "you rode in that weather?"

edbikebabe

Huh. Good to know. In that case - ignore my advice and keep going. You'll get there....

flip18436572

Great job on the NO SMOKING!!!

As far as the trainer goes, you should be able to more than that on the trainer, but it will depend upon the gear you are in.

Keep working on it and your body will appreciate it by spring.

EasyEd

Kicking the tobacco habbit is quite an accomplishment. Good work. Keep spending time on the bike. After a while, it sort of becomes it's own addiction. Which is a good thing, imho. I can't get into trainers. Going outside to ride, even in winter is more enjoyable for me. If you find yourself getting bored, unhook that bike and take it out side. As long as it's not icey where you are.

billydonn

You are well on yor way... ride long and slow for awhile to build your base. Double good job on the smoking!

Richard_Rides

Good job!

Bone Head

From a reformed smoker (17+yrs), MAJOR CONGRATS on kicking the habit!! You are well over the hump. The urge may still strike from time to time but will pass quickly. Keep up the good work !!! Once you start riding out on the road, you will be amazed at how rapidly your endurance will increase. Enjoy !!

StephenH

From my own experience, I find it very easy to make excuses not to exercise. So one thing I try to do is just get out and ride anyway. Down here in Texas, it's too cold to ride 1/4 of the year, and too hot the other 3/4, and if I'm going to do any riding, I just have deal with it. Don't let yourself fall into a mental trap of waiting until it's "right" before you head out- that can keep you from ever doing anything. Good luck with it all.

Fantasminha

Congrats on kicking the habit!

I quit about 5 years ago and it was rough at first. When I felt weak, I chewed on straws. I figured if the straw did it for me, it wasn't really nicotine I wanted. Worked for me so I always pass it along to folks who are trying to quit (or stay quit).

neilfein

This works for me: I tell myself all I have to do is get on the bike. Once I'm there, I realize that I might as well go for a spin...

czar

Thanks everyone for your kind words! I really appreciate them.