dumb fat person post

"Redfoot" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sorry if I come across like an idiot - but maybe I am!

Dumbass -

You are correct, you come across as an idiot.

Quoted message said:

Is it too much to expect to lose 40 pounds in 3+ months and also get into reasonalbe shape to

finish the

Quoted message said:

ride? It's probably 35 miles a day at avg. 8000 t. elevation - I'm not

looking

Quoted message said:

to set any records, but I don't want to die of exhaustion either.

Just run a 1000 calorie/day deficit. That includes exercise, because if you diet without exercising,
your metabolism drops and you still don't lose much weight.

Redfoot said:

Hi, my brother talked me into signing up for a 7-day / 6-night mountain bike ride from Telluride,
CO to Moab, UT coming up early June (mostly fire trails). Trouble is that as a parent of a very
young child, and also finishing up a graduate degree in EE and working fulltime, I've become
grossly overwight and have not train in almost a year. I'm 6'0" tall and 240 pounds, yeah I'm
normally heavyset anyweigh (usually around 200 even if at fighting weight) but I am scared now
because I'm afraid I won't be able to cut it unless I seriously lose some weight and get training.

I was wondering if someone could point me to a resource which would not only recommend some good
training regimen, but also spellout a good diet for losing some extra weight. Ideally an online
"diary" type of thing where I could input my food for the day, it would count calories, and also
what I did in the gym or on the road that day. Or does it make sense to hire a personal trainer
for this?

Sorry if I come across like an idiot - but maybe I am! Is it too much to expect to lose 40 pounds
in 3+ months and also get into reasonalbe shape to finish the ride? It's probably 35 miles a day
at avg. 8000 t. elevation - I'm not looking to set any records, but I don't want to die of
exhaustion either.

Pay no attention to the [censored]-lick who first replied to you, and just start riding at every
opportunity and eating healthier.

Then go on your trip and have fun.

Bill "progress not perfection" S.

On 2004-02-22, Redfoot penned:

Quoted message said:

Hi, my brother talked me into signing up for a 7-day / 6-night mountain bike ride from Telluride,
CO to Moab, UT coming up early June (mostly fire trails). Trouble is that as a parent of a very
young child, and also finishing up a graduate degree in EE and working fulltime, I've become
grossly overwight and have not train in almost a year. I'm 6'0" tall and 240 pounds, yeah I'm
normally heavyset anyweigh (usually around 200 even if at fighting weight) but I am scared now
because I'm afraid I won't be able to cut it unless I seriously lose some weight and get training.

I was wondering if someone could point me to a resource which would not only recommend some good
training regimen, but also spellout a good diet for losing some extra weight. Ideally an online
"diary" type of thing where I could input my food for the day, it would count calories, and also
what I did in the gym or on the road that day. Or does it make sense to hire a personal trainer
for this?

Sorry if I come across like an idiot - but maybe I am! Is it too much to expect to lose 40 pounds
in 3+ months and also get into reasonalbe shape to finish the ride? It's probably 35 miles a day
at avg. 8000
t. elevation - I'm not looking to set any records, but I don't want to die of exhaustion either.

Three months, at 4.5 weeks a month, is 13.5 weeks. Doctors generally say that healthy weight loss is
no more than 1-2 pounds a week, putting you at an upper bound of 27 pounds, although very heavy
people may be put on more aggressive diets *with doctor supervision*.

Losing 1-2 pounds equates to a calorie deficit of 3500 to 7000 calories a week, so an upper bound of
1000 calories a day. I'm no nutritionist, but from the reading I've done, a drastic reduction like
that can be unhealthy, can result in you not getting the vitamins you need, and can actually be counter-
productive by slowing down your metabolism as your body goes into starvation mode.

Sooo ....

If you really want to go through with this, I strongly urge you to talk to some people who *do* know
about this stuff. Find a nutritionist type who can help you come up with an exercise and diet plan
that will keep you healthy while you lose weight and train for your goal. Also, a nutritionist can
tell you whether this is a reasonable goal to have, or if you're just going to tear yourself apart
reaching for it.

Good luck, and stay healthy.

--
monique

In article <[email hidden]>,

S o r n i said:

Pay no attention to the [censored]-lick who first replied to you, and just start riding at every
opportunity and eating healthier.

I think it's been established that she isn't into that.

--
tanx, Howard

"We're not laughing -at- you, we're laughing -with- you..) "But... I'm not
laughing???" Happiness

remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?

"Monique Y. Herman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Three months, at 4.5 weeks a month, is 13.5 weeks. Doctors generally say that healthy weight loss
is no more than 1-2 pounds a week, putting you at an upper bound of 27 pounds, although very heavy
people may be put on more aggressive diets *with doctor supervision*.

Calories in, calories out. It's that simple.

Ride lots more, eat lots less. How much riding you can endure and how few calories you can survive
on varies by person.

15 pounds in three weeks can be done...even with the occasional beer and pizza.

Of course, YMMV.

Monique Y. Herman said:

On 2004-02-22, Redfoot penned:

Quoted message said:

Hi, my brother talked me into signing up for a 7-day / 6-night mountain bike ride from Telluride,
CO to Moab, UT coming up early June (mostly fire trails). Trouble is that as a parent of a very
young child, and also finishing up a graduate degree in EE and working fulltime, I've become
grossly overwight and have not train in almost a year. I'm 6'0" tall and 240 pounds, yeah I'm
normally heavyset anyweigh (usually around 200 even if at fighting weight) but I am scared now
because I'm afraid I won't be able to cut it unless I seriously lose some weight and get training.

I was wondering if someone could point me to a resource which would not only recommend some good
training regimen, but also spellout a good diet for losing some extra weight. Ideally an online
"diary" type of thing where I could input my food for the day, it would count calories, and also
what I did in the gym or on the road that day. Or does it make sense to hire a personal trainer
for this?

Sorry if I come across like an idiot - but maybe I am! Is it too much to expect to lose 40 pounds
in 3+ months and also get into reasonalbe shape to finish the ride? It's probably 35 miles a day
at avg. 8000
t. elevation - I'm not looking to set any records, but I don't want to die of exhaustion either.

Three months, at 4.5 weeks a month, is 13.5 weeks. Doctors generally say that healthy weight loss
is no more than 1-2 pounds a week, putting you at an upper bound of 27 pounds, although very heavy
people may be put on more aggressive diets *with doctor supervision*.

Losing 1-2 pounds equates to a calorie deficit of 3500 to 7000 calories a week, so an upper bound
of 1000 calories a day. I'm no nutritionist, but from the reading I've done, a drastic reduction
like that can be unhealthy, can result in you not getting the vitamins you need, and can actually
be counter-productive by slowing down your metabolism as your body goes into starvation mode.

Sooo ....

If you really want to go through with this, I strongly urge you to talk to some people who *do*
know about this stuff. Find a nutritionist type who can help you come up with an exercise and diet
plan that will keep you healthy while you lose weight and train for your goal. Also, a
nutritionist can tell you whether this is a reasonable goal to have, or if you're just going to
tear yourself apart reaching for it.

Good luck, and stay healthy.

I agree. It's hard to get into shape quickly; it's even harder if you try to do that kind of
training burning mostly fat, which a major caloric restriction is going to require. I'd set
more modest weight loss goals and focus on long steady distance early on.

Steve

Redfoot said:

I was wondering if someone could point me to a resource which would not only recommend some good
training regimen, but also spellout a good diet for losing some extra weight. Ideally an online
"diary" type of thing where I could input my food for the day, it would count calories, and also
what I did in the gym or on the road that day. Or does it make sense to hire a personal trainer
for this?

Eat around 2k kcals per day with plenty of protein. Restrict your carbs enough to deplete muscle
glycogen and increase AMPK without killing your ability to train (try 200 grams a day for starters).
Allow yourself a cheat meal every a couple of weeks so you stay sane and don't forget to ride a lot.

--

Scott Johnson "I made the best gains of my life when I dumped the "oh me so tired" [censored] and started
getting on with it for real." -Bryce Lane

Redfoot said:

Sorry if I come across like an idiot - but maybe I am! Is it too much to expect to lose 40 pounds
in 3+ months and also get into reasonalbe shape to finish the ride? It's probably 35 miles a day
at avg. 8000 t. elevation - I'm not looking to set any records, but I don't want to die of
exhaustion either.

As Sorni said, riding (a LOT) is the key. Train for what you're preparing to do - RIDE.

I lost 20 pounds the first two months I started riding, and I WASN'T trying to lose weight (and I
wasn't any sort of clydesdale). I was just having a good time mountain biking! I rode pretty much
every day, usually 45 minutes or so. But I was NOT ready for multi-day marathon rides at the end of
that period, so guess what - you'll have to work harder than I did!

So don't worry about the weight; that'll just happen as a consequence of your preparation. Just make
sure you're eating the right stuff for a heavy exercise regimen; there are books about that sort of
thing. If you ride as much as you'll need to, you'll put on some muscle anyway - so weight really
isn't a totally meaningful thing anyway.

The real question is whether you have the free time to commit to the necessary level of effort.
You'd need to ride virtually every day, preferably working up to multiple rides a day as soon as
possible. You'd also need to work in very long rides no later than halfway through. Being able to
ride 35 miles of fireroad is one thing - being able to do it every day for a week is a whole 'nother
thing. You sound like you already have a busy schedule, so I'd wonder if you will be able to work
all this in.

You also didn't mention your age. If this is one of those mid-life things, then your brother
probably just signed you up for some likely hospitalization.

--
-BB- To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)

"Redfoot" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

deally an online "diary" type of thing where I could input my food for the day, it would count
calories, and also what I did in the gym or on the road that day.

www.fitday.com counts calories taken in using a diary format. You might have to subtract the
calories burned riding on your own. That shouldn't be so hard if you're using workout bikes in a gym
as they will typically calculate it for you. As to getting to the 35 per day mileage you would be
there in time for the trip if you start where you are comfortable and ad 2 miles per week. Check if
the bike can simulate a hill to account for the elevation change. (Though I've never had much
trouble riding in Moab the air feels thick enough. :-) )

--
- Joel C.

"Smile and take your awkward bow. Turn and stumble off the stage. Let the rain be your applause,
every encore soothe your rage." - "Benediction" by The Weakerthans

Redfoot said:

Sorry if I come across like an idiot - but maybe I am! Is it too much to expect to lose 40 pounds
in 3+ months and also get into reasonalbe shape to finish the ride? It's probably 35 miles a day
at avg. 8000 t. elevation - I'm not looking to set any records, but I don't want to die of
exhaustion either.

TIA,

Fat Red

It DOES make sense to hire a personal trainer for this sort of thing, but choose wisely. Find one
that won't try to push a bunch of expensive supplements on you, AND who understands endurance
training. Most CPTs focus on improving health through weight training, not that there's anything
wrong with that.

While you're willing to pay for expert advice, get some input from a nutritionist (check
credentials) on the diet. A certified personal trainer (like me) is not qualified to give dietary
advice (much) beyond what the FDA and CDC tell us. Most people need about 1200 cal/day, and you want
60-70% carbs, 20-30% protein and 10-ish% fat. That's probably all you really need.

There's certainly software that will help track your diet but I don't know if there's anything on
the web. It wouldn't surprise me if there was. (And let me know if you can't find any. I'm also an
unemployed programmer who always needs potential money-making ideas.)

Ease into an exercise program, period, every time you start one. Increase your time and intensity
gradually, always. You have three+ months to build up to riding 4+ hours a day, every day. Reaching
that point any earlier will be too much too fast for your needs. An injury will set you back in your
schedule, so don't get one by overtraining.

Keep it simple: You want to ride various terrain for X hours at X speed for X days. You can ride so
far, so long today. You have 100-ish days to reach your goal. Interpolate & train. (Okay, maybe not
that simple but to a math whiz it is.) Feed and rest yourself as needed so long as you meet your
training schedule.

Focus on strength and endurance gains. If you're ten pounds "too heavy" it doesn't matter as long
as you can move the "extra" weight across the ground all day. So forget about your weight. Don't
sweat the weight. Ignore the poundage. (As Monique asserted, 40lbs in 3 months is pushing the
healthy limits.)

(BTW, you got Dumbassed because you x-posted to rec.bicycles.racing.
A.M.B is much nicer.)

--
--
Lynn Wallace xmission.com~lawallOpen ↗
"We should not march into Baghdad. ... Assigning young soldiers to
a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning
them to fight in what would be an unwinnable urban guerilla war, it
could only plunge that part of the world into ever greater
instability." George Bush Sr. in his 1998 book "A World Transformed"

BB said:

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 01:39:52 GMT, Redfoot wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

The real question is whether you have the free time to commit to the necessary level of effort.
You'd need to ride virtually every day, preferably working up to multiple rides a day as soon as
possible. You'd also need to work in very long rides no later than halfway through. Being able to
ride 35 miles of fireroad is one thing - being able to do it every day for a week is a whole
'nother thing. You sound like you already have a busy schedule, so I'd wonder if you will be able
to work all this in.

<snip>

I'm with BB. Being overweight is one thing but you do have 13 weeks to get into some aerobic shape
and just prepare your body for the week of riding. I believe it's quite acheivable and that purely
measuring potential performance against how many pounds you are overweight can be misleading. You
can be quite capable of riding those distances but be "overweight" too. I'm a shade under 200
fighting weight and I'm sure with 13 weeks to prepare that I could manage the week's riding just
fine - but I would need to ride 30-40+km every second or third day minimum for the next 13 weeks.

I'm sure you can do it, and don't worry about the weight thing - it will come off as a consequence
of riding a lot. Eat healthy but don't obsess about it. Just stay away from the KFC and beer (sob!)
ride as much as you can for the next 13 weeks. Nothing prepares you for lots of riding like lots of
riding. I just hope you can find the time...

Wish it was me. A week of firetrails sounds like fun. :-)
--
Westie (Replace 'invalid' with 'yahoo' when replying.)

"Redfoot" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

<snip>

Quoted message said:

I was wondering if someone could point me to a resource which would not

only

Quoted message said:

recommend some good training regimen, but also spellout a good diet for

losing

Quoted message said:

some extra weight. Ideally an online "diary" type of thing where I could

input

Quoted message said:

my food for the day, it would count calories, and also what I did in the

gym or

Quoted message said:

on the road that day. Or does it make sense to hire a personal trainer

for

Quoted message said:

this?

<snip>

Quoted message said:

TIA,

Fat Red

I use www.fitday.com as an online diary. It's free and works well for me. If you get a personal
trainer get one that knows cycling. A suggestion would be ridefast.comridefast.comOpen ↗ (Carmichael
Training Systems). They have different plans depending on the amount of support you need.

Good luck on your trip. Sounds like you are doing the Kokopelli Trail. I would also assume that
since you signed up with a guide (I'm assuming) that you should have sag support. Ride till you
can't go any farther then enjoy the ride in the sag vechicle...

BTW, have fun...

-p

Quoted message said:

I was wondering if someone could point me to a resource

Get a Niterider Blowtorch or similar quality light system and ride hard at least five days a week.
Epic rides in the weekends, short fast 1.5 - 2 hrs rides in the evenings after work, riding close to
your cardiovacular limits, on a road bike for just an hour and half will work wonders. After three
months u will be fit for any epic ride, and probably add 20 yrs extra to your life if u keep it up.

Per lowdin.nulowdin.nuOpen ↗

A lot of people here have given you well intention advice. God, I wish losing weight was a simple as
those who posted made it out to be.

First, thing, check out Weight Watchers site. They have what you are looking for. Their program
encourages exercise and rewards those who are active. They have an online program and some great
support. There is also several news groups on the topic.

Second, you need to change your self image. This is the part that most in Mtn biking group will not
be able to address. Not a put down just it is not the focus of the group. Yes, WW has a section for
that. There is a big mental aspect to serious weight loss. Ask Oprah.

How do I know this? I have lost a 128 lbs on weight watchers and have used bicycling as a tool to
help me do it. Today, I use both to maintain my weight. Have gone in a year from struggling to do a
metric century or just do a fairly decent trail ride to training for my first double century. I can
keep up with most on the hills. My point is not to brag but to show I speak from personal
experience. I know that what you want to do is possible and you have the tools to do it.

Redfoot said:

Hi, my brother talked me into signing up for a 7-day / 6-night mountain bike ride from Telluride,
CO to Moab, UT coming up early June (mostly fire trails). Trouble is that as a parent of a very
young child, and also finishing up a graduate degree in EE and working fulltime, I've become
grossly overwight and have not train in almost a year. I'm 6'0" tall and 240 pounds, yeah I'm
normally heavyset anyweigh (usually around 200 even if at fighting weight) but I am scared now
because I'm afraid I won't be able to cut it unless I seriously lose some weight and get training.

I was wondering if someone could point me to a resource which would not only recommend some good
training regimen, but also spellout a good diet for losing some extra weight. Ideally an online
"diary" type of thing where I could input my food for the day, it would count calories, and also
what I did in the gym or on the road that day. Or does it make sense to hire a personal trainer
for this?

Sorry if I come across like an idiot - but maybe I am! Is it too much to expect to lose 40 pounds
in 3+ months and also get into reasonalbe shape to finish the ride? It's probably 35 miles a day
at avg. 8000 t. elevation - I'm not looking to set any records, but I don't want to die of
exhaustion either.

Wow, a lot of varying advice. I'll chuck my opinions in, which are along similar lines to those of
Westie and BB.

Firstly, I'd worry less about the weight loss and more about your endurance ability. Your primary
goal is to finish this ride, losing weight should be a secondary goal, or side benefit. Keep this in
mind over the next few months.

You should find that as you increase your exercise levels and change your diet, the weight will
drop off anyway. Obsessing about your weight is likely to lead to you eating badly, overtraining or
dehydrating as you try desperately to hit target weights. Having said that, do monitor your weight
- it acts as a good psychological boost to see that the training and diet change are having a
positive impact.

Diet - You don't mention what sort of diet your on now, but you should know what foods are good and
which are bad. Adjust your diet so that you take in lots of fruit, vegetables, carbs, some protein
and plenty of water. Again, your primary focus is being fit enough for the event, not losing weight,
so your diet should reflect that. With any luck, you shouldn't have to make any major changes - just
make sure you eat healthily and that you have 'normal'-sized portions.

Training - Sounds like your days are pretty full. Are you going to find the time to spare a few
hours, 4 times a week to go riding? I doubt it. For great aerobic fitness training, go running in
the evenings after work and before dinner. 30 minutes to an hour running will bring your aerobic
fitness levels up really quickly and as an added bonus takes less time than a ride and can be done
in the dark on your own. You can then spend the weekends translating that fitness to the bike.

Just a final couple of points. The initial effort involved may seem daunting, but do not try to do
too much too early. Gradually build up your fitness and endurance as the weeks progress. Ensure you
build sufficient rest time in to your schedule. Rest is just as important as the exercise itself -
overtraining can lead to disaffection, fatigue and injury. Linked to that, listen to your body. If
you really feel exhausted, skip training and add in a little extra to your next session.

Good luck!

"Raptor" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Redfoot said:

Sorry if I come across like an idiot - but maybe I am! Is it too much to expect to lose 40 pounds
in 3+ months and also get into reasonalbe shape to finish the ride? It's probably 35 miles a day
at avg. 8000 t. elevation - I'm not looking to set any records, but I don't want to die of
exhaustion either.

TIA,

Fat Red

It DOES make sense to hire a personal trainer for this sort of thing, but choose wisely. Find one
that won't try to push a bunch of expensive supplements on you, AND who understands endurance
training. Most CPTs focus on improving health through weight training, not that there's anything
wrong with that.

You don't need a trainer! Ride your bike hard, fast and long distance, eat healthy, you already
know how to.

Don't waste your money by giving it to someone that probably knows less than you do about health.

Dashi

Quoted message said:

While you're willing to pay for expert advice, get some input from a nutritionist (check
credentials) on the diet. A certified personal trainer (like me) is not qualified to give dietary
advice (much) beyond what the FDA and CDC tell us. Most people need about 1200 cal/day, and you
want 60-70% carbs, 20-30% protein and 10-ish% fat. That's probably all you really need.

There's certainly software that will help track your diet but I don't know if there's anything on
the web. It wouldn't surprise me if there was. (And let me know if you can't find any. I'm also an
unemployed programmer who always needs potential money-making ideas.)

Ease into an exercise program, period, every time you start one. Increase your time and intensity
gradually, always. You have three+ months to build up to riding 4+ hours a day, every day.
Reaching that point any earlier will be too much too fast for your needs. An injury will set you
back in your schedule, so don't get one by overtraining.

Keep it simple: You want to ride various terrain for X hours at X speed for X days. You can ride
so far, so long today. You have 100-ish days to reach your goal. Interpolate & train. (Okay, maybe
not that simple but to a math whiz it is.) Feed and rest yourself as needed so long as you meet
your training schedule.

Focus on strength and endurance gains. If you're ten pounds "too heavy" it doesn't matter as long
as you can move the "extra" weight across the ground all day. So forget about your weight. Don't
sweat the weight. Ignore the poundage. (As Monique asserted, 40lbs in 3 months is pushing the
healthy limits.)

(BTW, you got Dumbassed because you x-posted to rec.bicycles.racing. A.M.B is much nicer.)

--
--
Lynn Wallace xmission.com~lawallOpen ↗ "We should not march into Baghdad. ... Assigning
young soldiers to a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning them to fight
in what would be an unwinnable urban guerilla war, it could only plunge that part of the world
into ever greater instability." George Bush Sr. in his 1998 book "A World Transformed"

Redfoot said:

Hi, my brother talked me into signing up for a 7-day / 6-night mountain bike ride from Telluride,
CO to Moab, UT coming up early June (mostly fire trails). Trouble is that as a parent of a very
young child, and also finishing up a graduate degree in EE and working fulltime, I've become
grossly overwight and have not train in almost a year. I'm 6'0" tall and 240 pounds, yeah I'm
normally heavyset anyweigh (usually around 200 even if at fighting weight) but I am scared now
because I'm afraid I won't be able to cut it unless I seriously lose some weight and get training.

I was wondering if someone could point me to a resource which would not only recommend some good
training regimen, but also spellout a good diet for losing some extra weight. Ideally an online
"diary" type of thing where I could input my food for the day, it would count calories, and also
what I did in the gym or on the road that day. Or does it make sense to hire a personal trainer
for this?

Sorry if I come across like an idiot - but maybe I am! Is it too much to expect to lose 40 pounds
in 3+ months and also get into reasonalbe shape to finish the ride? It's probably 35 miles a day
at avg. 8000 t. elevation - I'm not looking to set any records, but I don't want to die of
exhaustion either.

TIA,

Fat Red

Having read through the replies, you should also know some other things about these trips.

First, these rides are not races. Although there will probably be a few "A" riders, you are under no
obligation to match their pace and you should not think you have to. There is no such things as
"can't cut it". You need to ride at least 30 minutes a day, everyday, until you go. At least this
will help build your endurance. You are not grossly overweight, but you should condition yourself at
the very least.

Second, they take frequent stops. There is usually a guide in front and one in back. You won't be
the only stragler. If you're tired, stop and take a minute or two and then continue on. This will be
necessary on the inclines.

Next, try to think of it as a scenic trip, rather than a biking marathon. Enjoy the beauty of the
wilderness around you. That's one of things these trips are designed for and few people rarely stop
to look at.

If you are coming from a seal-level area, you MUST arrive at the launch area at least one day
before. As soon as you land start drinking water. It takes most people at least a day to get
acclimated to the altitude. Otherwise, prepare to be light-headed, dizzy, and potentially naseaus.
If you start drinking water (and I mean gallons) and get a fair amount of rest, you will be much
better the next day. You will probably still be short of breathe the whole trip, but you won't feel
like going to sleep every hour.

If you want a diary to log your fitness, try www.ifit.com.

You're brother DID NOT talk you into this. Stop using him as the excuse. You have your own mind and
somewhere in it you want to do this. Unless he was holding a gun to your head, you signed the
contract and paid the deposit on your own.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Redfoot said:

Hi, my brother talked me into signing up for a 7-day / 6-night mountain bike ride from Telluride,
CO to Moab, UT coming up early June (mostly fire trails).

Quoted message said:

Fat Red

Independent of your conditioning, I have a friend who has ridden and it can be a tough ride. He is
in excellent shape and has done several centuries in the Colorado high country.

You are correct, it is mostly fire roads, but it is at elevation and depending on where you are
coming from, that may be an issue. 8K feet and more is not insignificant for someone living near sea
level. If you have rain or snow (easily possible in early June) the muddy trail/road is even
tougher. Lastly, we have had a much better than average winter (compared to the last 5 years) down
here in SW Colorado/SE Utah. Again, I do not know the trail, but you may encounter lingering drifts,
slides or snow in shady pockets, forcing you to walk a bit as well.

Having said that, it should be fun, but it may also be very, very tough, even for someone is good
condition.

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado (remove ".nospam" to reply)

RE/

Quoted message said:

Is it too much to expect to lose 40 pounds in 3+ months and also get into reasonalbe shape

Yes
--
PeteCresswell