Quote:
Originally Posted by ninjatalli My problem with such views (and that’s why I stopped going to the weight loss thread) is the weight related metric seems to justify everything.
I have done the diets in the past, gone from 96 to 72 kilos over a year and bounced back to late 80s within a few months; the moment I got of the diet to healthy food (but minimal restrictions).
For me health and fitness go hand in hand - it’s more qualitative for me than a statistic (for eg waist to height ratio, total weight, etc)
- am I able to run a half marathon with less than a week’s practice
- can I cycle 100kms (or even a brevet) without feeling like I need to take the rest of the day off just to recuperate
- do I have the energy to climb a decent sized mountain (think Harishchandragad as a good eg)
- can I swim at least a few lengths of a normal sized pool
- can I go on full day hikes (treks) for many back to back days
- can I kayak at least a few hours in rivers or the ocean
and so on. For me, it’s important that I am able to truthfully answer yes to all such questions. That’s being fit to me. I have been in mid 80s since past 2 years inspire of numerous marathons and long cycling and whatnot, and I have made my peace with it (except when I look at my naked body in the mirror ) |
Much as I would like to emulate @graaja and get a tiny waist and look like a total pro in a race fit jersey, the reality hits me every morning in front of the full length mirror after a bath. 😂
So after battling with Keto and IF both, I decided that I just did not like how I "felt" when I was in the midst of both. Not to mention my cycling performance dipping as well. And cycling is my primary sport, and I take it as a sport, as I do not consider myself to be a recreational cyclist. So my AIM is racing in the Masters and being somewhere mid pack or even in the front field. Who knows, even podium ...
Everything else is means to that aim. If I am stront on tge bike, my cardio pumping well, my legs feeling good, a 40-42 inch waist does not really matter to me at that point in time. It annoys me when I'm putting on my formal trousers though.
But I've always been a big guy. Even in my early 20s in college at the peak of my youth I was a 180 cm 75 kilo guy. In my 30s I led a very unhealthy lifestyl. In terms of duet and heavy smoking. Plus building my career and young family. I guess genes, athletic history of the first 20 years, and my hardcore motorcycling kept things steady.
I quit smoking just as I hit my 40s (after 20+ years of heavy smoking) and ballooned in weight in my early 40s. But I was feeling much healthier as my body repaired itself. When I was nudging the 100 kilo mark rhat was the breaking point and I started various fad diets and hitting the gym. I must admit gyming is addictive but gets stale really quickly. I'm a wheels guy. An outdoors guy.
That was around the time my best friend bought a Bergamot MTB and got serious about cycling. He used to drop in home often after his ride and his gear and bike and enthu were really infectious! I dusted and overhauled my old trusty Hercules Top Gear MTB at that time and came upon this thread too! The old posts and photos are still there. This was late 2016.
Once 8 started cycling the old muscle memory of my school cycling days just simply took over. As did the always present competitive edge. I got into BRMs with my then newly acquired ACT 110. I did a lot of cycling too soon and the sudden training and BRM volume overload of 3000+ kms in October to December of 2017 gave me a bad ITBS injury in my right knee. On the cusp of my 600 km SR ride in January 2018.
The major part of 2018 went in exercises, strength training, foam rolling, electric therapy and physio massages and manipulation, and stretching like a mad man. Just to get ready for the next (and last gor tge season) 600 in September.
I however made the mistake of listening to my friend against my instincts and ditched my ACT fir his brothers unused and better component Scott hybrid. Lighter. Mire gears. Better group set. Horrible geometry for me! I was never at ease on that bike. And I struggled through training rides on it, longer, and still longer. My speed a pale shadow of the previous year. And on the final day of the 600 I lined up, and 150 km into the ride, after getting over Khambatki and fighting across the Satara climbs I had a huge piece of sharp fiber rip into my rear tyre totally stranding me.
That was the end of my SR dreams for that season.
I dumped tge Scott in disgust. Got the ACT hub issues solved. And was back on her and feeling good and strong again after a year.
2019 came. I did many practice 200s and 300s. Registered for the BRM annual fee. Did the 200. Did the 300. I was on my CAAD now. Flying! Lined up for the 400. Had to go by car to Bombay the next morning for my Visa. Thought I would finish the 400 quick. Have a bath and jump onto the car with my file.
The 400 started. And I was off. Averaging 27+ till the 200 km turaround. Free massage chair by the organisers, some food, and started the return leg. Reached Satara. Just 110 km to go. And the speed I was driving at meant I had over 10 hours left to do that in.
But man proposes. God disposes! Waves of sleep were crashing and sweeping over me. And I started taking 5 min catnaps at points along the highway. Each time I thought I would feel refreshed, but it was getting increasingly hard keeping my eyes open. Finally I went to sleep on a deserted tandoor stand by the side of the highway.
The barking of dogs surrounding me woke me up. 3 hours later! Cold and muscles stiffened up. By that time I had some 80-90 kms and still 6 hours. But the kicker was that I would miss my car and the Visa interview appointment. A decision had to be made quickly and I took it. And finally got a tempo guy to stop in the dead of night. Loaded my bike on to it, and sat in front with him and was in Poona in the next couple of hours. The crushing experience of watching randonneurs strewn all along the road as I passed them. All of them who had been behind me the past day over the past 300 odd km and had passed me while I slept.
There was a fable we learned as kids that came to mind ... but at that time I was crushed with disappointment. And did not see the irony or humor in the situation.
So that was that of my shortlived randonneuring career. I decided that the Indian roads at night for something that at the end of the day is not a competition and everyone gets the same reward regardless of when he finishes was not for me. You can fight fatigue and pain. But as a biker I knew that you cannot and should never fight sleep.
Started looking at racing. And interval training. And that's what I did for the rest of the year, taking part in a few races. 2020 came. Big plans. Then COVID. And it's been indoor trainer since then, working on my aerobic base and threshold power since then. With 8 outdoor centuries on my ACT since August.
Somewhere along the way I hope I lose a few kilos. But I do not have the lifestyle and mental bandwidth to do a super involved diet anymore. I'll just go back to my old "Doc style" diet that worked for me in the past of cutting out or severely limiting roti, bread, rice, potatoes which are the bulk of a Parsi diet and stick to habing normal food "lukkha" without these staples.
Thanks for your patience, whoever has had the fortitude of reading through this rambling account of a middle aged amateur cyclist who is trying to get faster, not just slimmer!
Cheers, Doc