Port De Soller Mallorca

Port De Soller Mallorca
Sunset

Saturday 28 January 2012

Mr Fat gets on his Bike

You'll recall that December was a pretty quiet month for me in that I completely took the month off.

To get back on track I decided to increase my step count from 10000 steps per day to 12000 per day.  that has been going well and in fact I am averaging between 13 and 18000 steps per day.

Additionally, I have decreased my calorie intake dramatically, but, and again I am not to worried about it, although slightly frustrating, I still don't seem to be shedding the weight!

This morning I decided to get out on the bike for the first time in months.  Now I don't have a super expensive all singing all dancing road racer or even an off road bike.  No, my bike is a bog standard, less than £200.00, street bike that I bought in 2009 when I first gave up the car, with panniers so that that I could do the shopping, sad but true.....

When I bought it in 2009 and got on it for the first time, it was sheer hell, I was so fat and so unfit I was in agony.  I couldn't even swing my leg over the cross bar to mount it. I had to lower the bike down to one side to allow me to get my 'leg over' as it were! But I persevered and enjoyed it.  After a while the sore legs and the very sore ass got less sore, and I always wondered how an ass my size, with so much cushioning, could hurt so much!

Anyway, I haven't been on the bike for a few months as, concentrating more on the steps as I think unless you are cycling for a couple of hours and a lot of miles, you get more benefit from a brisk walk, than you do from a cycle to the shops and back.

So, that's what I did, I got on the bike to go to the shops this morning which are a ten minute walk or a three minute cycle.  I've discovered that if you don't cycle regularly that getting back on to it, even for a few minutes, makes you feel as if you have just taken part in a gruelling stage of the Tour De France, seriously, you start to get pains in the top of your legs caused by the unfamiliar rotational movement, your ass starts to hurt again, even although there is still plenty of cushioning there and all of this as you cycled to the end of the street, shit what's it going to be like by the time I get to the shops.......  Do I stop and walk the bike back to the house or carry on pushing those stiff pedals that seem to be in need of some oil as they really don't feel like turning after being neglected for so many months.  Persevere was the answer so off I went teetering on my way to the shops to buy some paprika, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers and corn, for a spicy sauce I'm making later.

It was only when I got home later, that I realised and remembered that there are 27 gears on my old bike and guess why the pedals were so hard to turn............ yeah Mr Fat Numpty had them on the lowest gear or is it the highest, I never know which is which, anyway the one that makes it harder to pedal, but I suppose in a way that's better for me, right, so my stupidity is actually helping my fitness....

I think the answer may be that as I am managing to get my steps in from my morning walk and then by getting away from my desk while at work, that as the lighter evenings are starting to come in, instead of going for another walk, would be to get out on my bike for an hour or so as well and then get the benefit of the steps and the cycle each day.... I'll let you know how that goes

12 comments:

  1. There you go! 27 gears? I still have my older 12 gear model. That's about all I can cope with.
    Glad you are out and about though.

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  2. Yes Julia, but it would help if I knew how to use them......

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  3. I understand laughing is good exercise. If so, then I got my bit in for the day.

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  4. what are you doing with 27 gears?? How can you possibly need that many!
    My bike has 3 and thats enough, it also folds up so I can put it in the boot and go somewhere nice to cycle, the cycle paths round my town are lethal and my house is on a hill whichever way you get to it!
    But I find it easier than walking doesnt hurt my knees!
    keep it up Tom, youre going to be fit if not sylphlike

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  5. Jaye, Thanks for popping by, why is it that all the women in my life are always laughing at me I'M A SERIOUS PERSON, I am too xxxxx

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  6. Sandi, Yes I think it does have all those gears, but as you may have guessed I am not your typical guy, I don't understand them. I get on (eventually), I pedal, I get off I collapse knackered and sore, but my wife seems to think that is hilariously funny, and I do like to make people laugh even if unintentional....
    xxxxx

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  7. I'm a bit surprised about the 27 gears too.

    I'm just glad to see you can get on a bike. Though heavy, I've always been in decent shape. But for some reason, I swear the US doesn't make bikes for people over 250 lbs (just under 18 stones I believe).

    Three bikes ago, I climbed on and my seat broke off. Figured I'd just pedal a bit down the road see how it felt... a pedal broke off. I just thank the gods I wasn't going very fast and that I still have my man parts.

    Two bikes ago, seat leaned back and pointed upward. Couldn't straighten it back up.

    Current bike. This seat leans back as well. Doesn't matter how much I yank on the *#^@#$ with a wrench, it will not stay down.

    If I wanted to make this comment shorter I could have just said, I'm still too damn heavy to ride on a bike, haha.

    Thanks for the laugh Tom!

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  8. Oh Kirkus, you should do a blog on that my fat gut is hurting....
    Seriously, when I went to buy the bike I tole him it needed to be sturdy enough to take my weight, which at the time was 23 stone WHICH WAS OVER THREE HUNDRED POUNDS.

    I had similar problems to you but youngest daughters partner is a Heavy Goods Vehicle mechanic and previously worked in a bike shop, so he sorted it out and continues to, every visit he gives it a going over.

    Oh and I was wrong on the gears, what's new, it isn't 27 it's only 21!

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  9. 27 Gears??? I would be so confused I'd just for go the whole bike thing. Biking is great though, I think it offers so much more than a way to get in shape. Way to go you! Hope the biking is still going well for ya.

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  10. Lacey, Thanks for stopping by.

    Yeah well as it turns out it is only 21 gears, but that's part of the story of my life; numbers and me have never really been comfortable bedfellows, just as my weight and laziness have been far to comfortable together. Bit like that old adage, familiarity breeds contempt, well that's me and my body.

    2009 until 2011 fired up and feeling better but strangely 2012 can't be bothered

    Ah Well...

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  11. Old post, but gosh I cannot stop laughing because you sound just like me!
    When I was younger, and smaller biking was my life. But I've gotten so fat since then, though losing weight now and trying to get back into it but feel like I broke my butt. Need some time to recover.

    ;)

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous thanks for sharing, it does get easier, honest xx

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