I am new.. I am fat.. and I want to ride... How?

Fat Chef said:

Hello all! I am new to this forum and would like to give a brief history of myself before I get to my question.

I am now 24 years old and currently a chef in Washington State. About 7 years ago, I used to ride a lot. I rode the STP, MS 150, and Reach the Beech and also Tour de Blast.

However... now I am out of shape..... but a lot and havent rode for like 6 years. I want to get back into it. I still have my road bike but I will be overhaulin it next week and I am going to buy all the stuff like helmet and riding shorts, etc soon.

So... my question is.... does anyone have a riding plan or schedule that will ease me into riding again? I just do not want to get on the bike and ride. I need some goals to get back into shape.

any help would be great!

You don't need a great bike or fancy clothes. A HR monitor would be good, but not necessary. It's all about time on the bike. I'd say start off with 1 hr a day and work up to 2 hrs a day in 2-3 weeks. If you stay under 75% of max HR and spin at a high cadence (90-100), you won't do any damage, you won't have to take any days off for recovery and you'll lose weight. After 2-3 months, you can get more exotic with intervals or fast tempo rides, etc. If you don't want to invest in a HR monitor (~$100), just ride at a pace at which you could easily carry on a conversation. I started riding again after a long layoff on March 20th and I've lost 40 lbs so far by just riding 2 hrs a day. I didn't change my diet one iota, so I know it was the riding. But, the bad news is that not one pair of pants or shorts fits me anymore. Oh, well. Go for it -- you can do it. Good luck.

I am in the same boat. Been unable to do much exercise for the last few years. Put on 30kg of tubbyness and endurance is zippo.

Motivation is high though!

Got a MTB and have started short rides by myself and longer rides with friends.

Trying to do some road riding but finding with a wider butt the old saddle is pretty uncomfortable. Also find the gears are a bit high for any inclines.

Biggest thing is finding time and the Southern Hemisphere winter.

All the best

Hamish Ferguson

Guys,

I'm in the same boat as you. Several years off the bike, several stone heavier and wondering if I could EVER get back into it.

Dusted off my old bike, got a new a comfy gel saddle (can stress that highly enough - worth the cost), new tyres and tightened all that needed tightening.

now into my third week of regular commute. 5 x 16 km (10 miles) each way (basically flat with three or four medium hills).

Week one
day one.

Thought I has entered hell. Took about 60 - 70 mins each way. Nearly DOA.

Day two

Similar to day 1

Day three

Slightly better. Decided not to bother about speed, just worked on keeping pedalling up. Tried shifting down and determined to keep cadence at 80 - 100 at all times. Felt stuffed. Cursed all bicycles and cyclists to hell.

Day four. Still in pain. similar to day three. Noticed time was actually 5 faster each way. Figure it is like golf. Try to hit the ball too hard, ball goes not so far.

Day five. Same time, same cadence. First time didn't feel like dying

Week 2

Day 1,2,3,4,5 boring. Felt better each day.

Week 3

Day 1 (today)

I feel great . did the trip in 50 there 45 back. Actually felt like I wasn't really stretching myself too badly. Enjoying it. Hills were enjoyable (must admit, enjoyed down more).

Haven't noticed a weight loss yet, but I feel much better and the initial "I'm dying" feeling is well and truly over

Keep it up guys

First week or two will suck, but you'll feel 100% better for it.

Scotty

Fat Chef said:

I just do not want to get on the bike and ride. I need some goals to get back into shape.

There's a great first step for you. Pick one of those rides that you've done in the past (or even a new one that sounds fun) and make a commitment to riding it next year. Register for it in advance, tell all your friends and family that you're going to do it, get that bike fixed up now, etc. -- anything that helps solidify your commitment to the goal. Take a test ride to find out where you stand now, and then search the forum or write another post asking for tips on how to get where you need to be by the event.

It is certainly more helpful to train *for something* then it is to just get on and ride with the hope of getting smaller or fitter. I try to pick a goal ride each year.

Hi Chef,

Welcome aboard. As I'm sure you know, the hardest part is starting. Here's some advice I gave out in a thread a few weeks back...

1). The hardest part is starting.
2). The next hardest part is sticking with it.
3). It will get easier (until you start raising the bar)
4). If it were easy, everyone would be in shape.
5). Set realistic goals. I'd concentrate on riding for time rather than riding for distance (at least at this point). Increase this gradually. After you've reached a certain goal (let's say riding for 60 mins non-stop) try to increase the miles you can go in that time.
6). Find a group of folks at about your same ability (or maybe slightly better) to ride with. It's always easier to keep going if you have someone to work with.
7). As you progress, you'll start to learn your body, when you can go hard and when you can't. Listen to what your body tells you.
8). Take advice from other riders and don't be afraid to ask questions. (this one isn't a big for you since you've ridden quite a bit in the past.)
9). Keep your bike well maintained. Why work harder than you have to?
10) Try to have fun!!

frenchyge said:

It is certainly more helpful to train *for something* then it is to just get on and ride with the hope of getting smaller or fitter. I try to pick a goal ride each year.

I couldn't agree with this comment more. For me anyway, it's essential to be working toward something. I ride in a couple of races a year so I'm always training for the next race which gives me something to structure my training around.

Also, be sure to measure yourself from the very beginning. Pick a fairly short ride, something that will take you a little less than an hour, and time yourself on it. Then come back to that test ride every so often. You don't have to ride two hours a day to get signficant fitness benefit but you do need to ride at least 3 to 4 days a week and recognize that time spent is directly proportional to improvement. Anyway, if you ride regularly and you put in some time, you will see significant improvements - and I mean quickly!!! In the beginning, when it's hard to stick with it, the satisfaction of finishing that loop faster and faster will keep you going. I started riding almost three years ago now. My test ride, which is a pretty hilly 5.6 mile loop, took me just over 45 minutes when I started and I absolutely felt like I was going to die. But improvement came quickly. In the beginning I would shave minutes off my time from test to test, and I felt stronger and stronger. I still test on that loop but only about once a month now, because the rate of improvement has slowed with improved fitness. I'm happy now if I can shave a few seconds off, and my latest (and best ever) go at it was a little under 18 minutes. The best part is that rather than feeling like I was dying, I felt like a damn stallion!!!!

I would definitely invest in a HR monitor. It also provides a means of measuring progress. And, if you're heavy you might measure your weight, but be careful. You can be making significant improvements in fitness without seeing much weight loss for quite a while. If you tie your motivation up in measuring weight loss, you could get discouraged. So, even if weight loss is your primary goal, aim to improve measureable fitness indicators - time to complete a known course, average heart rate for a known course at a target average speed, etc. Focus on fitness level, stick with it, and mind what you eat just a little bit. Weight loss will come.

Good luck!

J