Fall and Winter have always been tough for me, or rather, mostly winter. It seems like after a tough summer, by late August/early September I run out of gas (proverbially) and take some time off from the bike, gain some weight, then re-focus sometime in late September. This year has been no exception, right there right now, etc etc. Winter is the problem, once it starts getting really cold all I want to do is eat, drink, and stay warm.
Which is, you know, the perfect opposite of what needs to be done to lose weight/stay fit.
So this year, after three years of cold season errors, I'm putting everything together. Finally. Step 1 is that yes, I'm planning to continue bicycle commuting all year round. I rode in some pretty dang cold and slick conditions last winter, so I know what it takes to Not get hypothermia or break bones. I'm not going to even try for long commutes, and there's a complex answer to why not, but it simply breaks down to time. So my rides will amount to about 12 miles a day, which I'm going to use for the mental health benefit, when I ride at a reasonable pace (like I did yesterday) I just feel damn good afterward.
What about exercise? The other day I renewed my Y membership for that. This is where making time comes in to play, I'm blocking off 90 minutes on M-W-F to go over my "lunch hour" and hit the elliptical hardcore. Tuesdays and Thursdays are pretty crazy for me, so I generally work through lunch on those days anyway (well, right now EVERY day, but I'm working this out..). It's not the 6 hours a day they talk about on the biggest loser, but it's better than 0.. right?
Yesterday was also the first day on the elliptical and.. there's work to be done :). I keep reminding myself that I'll get there (I think I can I think I can I think I can..).. which is where it's at every year it seems like, when I first get back on those horrid awful machines. That I love. We have an odd relationship, that's for sure. I'm thinkin this year, that I won't suspend that membership over the summer.
Thank You for the support via comments, tweets, and emails after my last post - as my wife commented, it means a LOT to me. It's been a tough couple months, but my head is up, and man are those leaves gorgeous on the bike path. Go check 'em out, fall only happens once a year.
3 comments:
I agree, just getting out on a bike ride, now matter how long, is good for the soul. The darkness in the mornings and after supper is killing me - taking a long time for me to acclimate this year.
I hit the weight room this week, and my arms are so sore that I'm having trouble riding! Keep up the good work, I know you can do it!
I go through the same cycle as you every year. Train like crazy for some intense riding in the summer. Once the epic rides are over eat a lot of ice cream and cookies. Then, start training again in Oct for the next summer. I'm getting to the point that I kind of like this schedule.
Kept this post in my RSS reader, as it served as an inspiration to another "chubby super biker". Reading the comments made me feel not alone - I've been off the bike for a month now as the winter descends in Canada.
I'm looking to do a few things this winter:
1) Core strength
2) Leg and upper body weight training
3) bicycle trainer in the basement.
Bicycling mag has a couple of workouts for #1 and #2.
Post a Comment