GOT Fitness LOG

[ArtetaMoney]

There's a guy I work with, who I used as a bit of motivation for the run I just done. He is 50, used to smoke 40 a day and drink 3-5 nights a week, he started running a couple of years ago, couldn't do a mile without stopping. Now he hammers out between 10 and 20KM every time he runs, his fastest 5k (under 20 min) and 10k (under 40) times are phenomenal and it's all through just keeping at it. He's lost a ridiculous amount of weight and stopped smoking.

He does all his training on a treadmill cos this is what he prefers. I can't run on a treadmill as I find it boring, but not everyone likes to train the same way. My boss has just started running and cycling as well, I think good training stories are infectious, when you see someone doing well and feeling better you think yeah I want some of that.

I have admiration for anyone who decides to train, it really does take alot of commitment and can be easy to 'just sack it off'. As people have said here already it doesn't matter where you start at, everyone has to start somewhere. If you persevere your own goals and gains will improve as will your motivation. I find if I have something to train for I keep it up a it better, like a run, a holiday, etc.

Good luck to anyone who decides to go for it.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

There's a guy I work with, who I used as a bit of motivation for the run I just done. He is 50, used to smoke 40 a day and drink 3-5 nights a week, he started running a couple of years ago, couldn't do a mile without stopping. Now he hammers out between 10 and 20KM every time he runs, his fastest 5k (under 20 min) and 10k (under 40) times are phenomenal and it's all through just keeping at it. He's lost a ridiculous amount of weight and stopped smoking.

He does all his training on a treadmill cos this is what he prefers. I can't run on a treadmill as I find it boring, but not everyone likes to train the same way. My boss has just started running and cycling as well, I think good training stories are infectious, when you see someone doing well and feeling better you think yeah I want some of that.

I have admiration for anyone who decides to train, it really does take alot of commitment and can be easy to 'just sack it off'. As people have said here already it doesn't matter where you start at, everyone has to start somewhere. If you persevere your own goals and gains will improve as will your motivation. I find if I have something to train for I keep it up a it better, like a run, a holiday, etc.

Good luck to anyone who decides to go for it.

Aye, it certainly helps to have a goal in mind as you can then train with a purpose and a plan rather than just training for the sake of training. If you have a key race or event or something, you'll probably have various smaller events in the lead up that you can do to give you stepping stones along the way. It all helps.

I find now that it's become almost a kind of good addiction. I've been training for so long that if I have to stop for an extended period of time I get pretty grumpy, sluggish and all that.

 

[Deleted member 28206]

Did the Atkins diet for 2 weeks. Shed 5KG. Currently at my preferred 74kg fighting weight!

 

[sbbefc]

Can anyone recommend any cycling magazines?

Purchased cycling plus the other day and it was awful, 90% adverts and reviews. Cycling weekly is better but not great either.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Do you own a carbon fibre bike @Bruce Wayne? And do you think they're worth the cost? In your experience which components on a bike make uphill climbing easier? I live in a ridiculously hilly place and I'm sure its not my legs which are the problem.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Do you own a carbon fibre bike @Bruce Wayne? And do you think they're worth the cost? In your experience which components on a bike make uphill climbing easier? I live in a ridiculously hilly place and I'm sure its not my legs which are the problem.

I do yes. A carbon bike for proper riding and an alu run about that I use on the turbo trainer. Depends how much you'll be using them I guess. I got mine primarily for riding in the mountains of France and Italy and have ridden a good few thousand miles on it in the 5 years I've had her. The original bike cost £1,000 and with components over the years (new wheels, replacement chain/cassette/bottom bracket/tyres etc.) it's probably another £1,000 over that time-frame. Not that cheap, but I reckon I've saved a good amount on bus/train fares in that time.

With regards to components, you're probably looking to be as light as possible and to have enough gears for your climb.

With the former you can spend a whole lot on making pretty much any part of the bike lighter, but it's usually much cheaper and easier to make yourself lighter. Gearing is something many get wrong. A good rule of thumb is to try and maintain a cadence of around 80-90 when climbing. If you can't manage that then you might need a lower gear.

Most of the time when you struggle up a climb though, it's always your legs that are the problem

 

[sbbefc]

The right gearing is more important than bike weight if you want to get up steep hills. The weight difference between a cheap road bike and a more expensive carbon bike is about 4-2kg, in most cases it would be cheaper to lose body weight, unless you're already stick thin.

Although saying that, if you have the money carbon bikes are a nicer more comfortable ride.

 

[thirdmantackle]

Deadlift up to 140kg, squat 115kg, vertical box jump 45".

 

[Bruce Wayne]

The right gearing is more important than bike weight if you want to get up steep hills. The weight difference between a cheap road bike and a more expensive carbon bike is about 4-2kg, in most cases it would be cheaper to lose body weight, unless you're already stick thin.

Although saying that, if you have the money carbon bikes are a nicer more comfortable ride.

For most UK climbs I'd say it's usually all about power because they're usually quite short. Can't think of many climbs in Britain that you'll be spending more than 20 minutes on. Not to say there aren't any of course, but not many.

If you think of something like the Tour of Flanders, the successful riders in that are not your typical weight weenie climbers, but Boonen/Cancellara/Sagan all have a whole lot of power in their legs. I'd guess that Flandrian style climbs are more common here than Alpine style ones.

Obviously down here in London we sure don't have any long climbs really. The longest I regularly do is around 3km and takes around 8-9 minutes to climb. A world away from the 1h50m it took to get up the Stelvio.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

I do yes. A carbon bike for proper riding and an alu run about that I use on the turbo trainer. Depends how much you'll be using them I guess. I got mine primarily for riding in the mountains of France and Italy and have ridden a good few thousand miles on it in the 5 years I've had her. The original bike cost £1,000 and with components over the years (new wheels, replacement chain/cassette/bottom bracket/tyres etc.) it's probably another £1,000 over that time-frame. Not that cheap, but I reckon I've saved a good amount on bus/train fares in that time.

With regards to components, you're probably looking to be as light as possible and to have enough gears for your climb.

With the former you can spend a whole lot on making pretty much any part of the bike lighter, but it's usually much cheaper and easier to make yourself lighter. Gearing is something many get wrong. A good rule of thumb is to try and maintain a cadence of around 80-90 when climbing. If you can't manage that then you might need a lower gear.

Most of the time when you struggle up a climb though, it's always your legs that are the problem

Haha, I was hoping you wouldn't say the legs. I think its partially got to do with me owning a very upright road bike (more of a commuter bike really), rather than a more traditional road bike with lower handles. But I imagine you're right and that rather a lot has to do with my legs too, I don't get out nearly as much as I did when I cycled to work and back every day last year.

I'm in the market really for a good road bike and I don't know if its worth going as far as Carbon Fibre, or whether its worth going for an aluminium one round the £500 mark? Suggestions from anyone welcome really.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Just bought a turbo, but yet to spin it in anger.

Going to use trainer road - heard good reports on it. Uses virtual power ouput via a speed sensor and a known calibration curve on your model of turbo. Absolute power may not be bang on (although it's meant to be close), but relative power across different sessions is accurate.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Haha, I was hoping you wouldn't say the legs. I think its partially got to do with me owning a very upright road bike (more of a commuter bike really), rather than a more traditional road bike with lower handles. But I imagine you're right and that rather a lot has to do with my legs too, I don't get out nearly as much as I did when I cycled to work and back every day last year.

I'm in the market really for a good road bike and I don't know if its worth going as far as Carbon Fibre, or whether its worth going for an aluminium one round the £500 mark? Suggestions from anyone welcome really.

Best value is second hand on ebay IF you know you'll be happy with the size - sizing v important on a road bike as you don't change position all that much [Sizing key on a mountain bike too, but it's a bit different as you're trying to compromise more differentiated riding positions].
Many's the man who's bought a shiny new 1.5K bike on the basis of Wiggo et al, only to not ride it at all and sling it on ebay for buttons. Bargains to be had.

Second best value is a decathlon triban or a halfords boardman line. Gone are the days when these bid department stores sold [Poor language removed] - both ranges are respected and cannot be beaten on price and component spec due to their buying power. Canyon is another good brand that offers a really competitive spec, but they are internet only so again you have the issue with fit.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

-

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Haha, I was hoping you wouldn't say the legs. I think its partially got to do with me owning a very upright road bike (more of a commuter bike really), rather than a more traditional road bike with lower handles. But I imagine you're right and that rather a lot has to do with my legs too, I don't get out nearly as much as I did when I cycled to work and back every day last year.

I'm in the market really for a good road bike and I don't know if its worth going as far as Carbon Fibre, or whether its worth going for an aluminium one round the £500 mark? Suggestions from anyone welcome really.

Haha, it's usually a case of diminishing returns. So the difference in ride quality between 500-1000 is bigger than between 1000-1500. I got my alu bike (Giant SCR 1.5) probably 5-6 years ago and I think that cost around £600 at the time. Decent enough bike, but it's not as nice as my Focus

I dare say I could whip my 2009 self if I was riding the Giant and the old me was on the Focus though simply because I'm a lot fitter now than then (if that makes sense). You see a lot of blokes around this way with incredibly expensive bikes, often with a bit of middle age spread, puffing up the hills. It's hard to get away from putting the work in

Just bought a turbo, but yet to spin it in anger.

Going to use trainer road - heard good reports on it. Uses virtual power ouput via a speed sensor and a known calibration curve on your model of turbo. Absolute power may not be bang on (although it's meant to be close), but relative power across different sessions is accurate.

Reckon with most of these things it's just about consistency and motivation. As long as the readings are consistent between each session then it doesn't matter too much if they're not all that accurate. Sufferfest seem popular too, although I confess to not having used any of them.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Best value is second hand on ebay IF you know you'll be happy with the size - sizing v important on a road bike as you don't change position all that much [Sizing key on a mountain bike too, but it's a bit different as you're trying to compromise more differentiated riding positions].
Many's the man who's bought a shiny new 1.5K bike on the basis of Wiggo et al, only to not ride it at all and sling it on ebay for buttons. Bargains to be had.

Second best value is a decathlon triban or a halfords boardman line. Gone are the days when these bid department stores sold [Poor language removed] - both ranges are respected and cannot be beaten on price and component spec due to their buying power. Canyon is another good brand that offers a really competitive spec, but they are internet only so again you have the issue with fit.

I'm always wary about using eBay for fear of buying a knocked off bike. I remember how I felt when I had my first road bike knicked so wouldn't want to buy a hot product.

Good recommendation with the Boardman machines. They always seem well reviewed. When I was buying mine, the best two for 1000 were the Boardman and the Focus Cayo. Went with the Cayo in the end, but I'm sure the Boardman would have been just as good.

I'd also second having a bike fit if you ever start doing serious miles. Probably only worth worrying about if you are riding a lot though.