The Conservative Cave

Interests => Health & Fitness => Topic started by: fatboy on November 01, 2018, 09:30:15 AM

Title: I don't know why
Post by: fatboy on November 01, 2018, 09:30:15 AM
So... (how is that for a conservative thread beginner?).

I'm 60 years old, still working full time, active volunteer firefighter, main hobby these days is competitive handgun shooting. I'm not in any way you care to define of the word athletic. However 15 years ago I managed to make it to Black Belt in TKD and before that I did a lot of bicycle riding. Cycling has been something that I have done on and off since childhood. Years ago I rode in many half and metric century rides, they are road rides of 50 or 64 miles. But that was long ago and far away. I'm out of shape and about 7 years ago suffered a tib/fib fracture so I have hardware in my lower left leg/ankle assembly. I have not exercised much for the last 13 years.

So, I think I would like to lose a little bit of belly. Starting to get a gut. I'm actually fairly slim in stature, I haven't weighed myself in a while but somewhere around 145 pounds at 5'.6" tall. Because of my ankle running is out of the question. A few weeks ago I started to accumulate things that I want to get my old but not bad shape road bicycle back to ship shape. I think I paid about $400.00 prolly a little more, for it in 1985, an Asian bike with a steel frame and 700x25mm tires, 2x6 gearing basically set up for semi-serious cyclist. Dated but serviceable for now.

I took the thing completely apart, replaced most of the bearings, shift and brake cables, new brake levers (aero style) new calipers (double pivot side pull), saddle and clipless (SPD) pedals and trued the wheels. I do ride a mountain bike on occasion on a local rail-trail. Anyway last Sunday got it all buttoned up and since I'm fresh out of stalling tactics, so I took it out for a ride in my somewhat rural/hilly neighborhood. Rode 5 miles. I basically though  that I was going to die on our hills.

So the purpose of this bouncy is for me to simply make the public announcement that I'm going to get on a regular training schedule and commit to riding a metric century 64 miles in late July 2019. I'm going to (fingers crossed) ride in a charity event the Tour-de-Shore from Philly to Atlantic City. I plan on riding with a local team although that team doesn't know it yet LOL! I have a long way to go to get ready for anything like this kind of ride but I also need to set a goal or I will never get to it.

I know that I have a lot of work to do on this. Will try to post an occasional update. I'm not exactly sure how I will train as I need to maximize the effort with limited time. Also the main thing is to lose a bit of gut and I need to figure out exactly how cycling will do that for me.

Have a great day everyone, thanks for reading this.
Title: Re: I don't know why
Post by: J P Sousa on November 01, 2018, 05:46:13 PM
See the Cardiologist FIRST.  :-)
Title: Re: I don't know why
Post by: Eupher on November 01, 2018, 05:49:20 PM
Sounds like a great goal! Cycling is a great low-impact aerobic way to get fit. Haven't done any of that in a long time, and before I did anything remotely like that, I'd have to gut the bike I have -- which isn't anything to write home to Mom about.

Will be looking forward to your progress reports!