Electric Bike Fitness

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  • Medical Checkup Results

    On Friday I went for my first medical visit after I got my Optibike.

    I’ve lost 16 lbs since the I started using my Optibike I went from 306 lbs to 290 lbs. My total cholesterol is down from 285 to 217 (from pre-medication vs. biking).  It is still over the new 180 TC maximum guideline (used to be 200) – but for the first time my cholesterol came significantly down without dieting nor medication. I checked this site and read Lipitor’s information insert that comes with the drug  and even with 80 mg daily intake the average lowering of TC (total cholesterol) is only -45 points. I achieved -68 with the only side effects of a belly getting 2.5 inches smaller, which translates to 3 belt holes towards the right direction  and my thighs getting 1.5 inch larger.

    I hope you noticed my mention of “without dieting nor medication”. I have not altered my eating habits in any significant way since the start of my adventure. Yes I did moderate my participation on the Donut of the Week at work and stopped gorging in a Churrasqueria buffet after riding the bike for 2 hours – but as all my co-workers and family can attest, I’m still their Gordo!

    How things change. I’m now looking forward to seeing my doctor.

  • May 2010 be a good year… but Atlanta colder than Alaska?

    I’m going to my 1st weight in at my Doc this Friday a.m. and the plan was to bike the 10 miles to his office.  Can someone tell me how do you bike when it is below 20 degrees F? How do Alaskans bike in the winter?  Last night Anchorage Alaska was 20 degrees, Duluth – GA was 18 degrees, global warming k!ss my Opti@ss!

    check out how cold it is at my town!  Here is Alaska weather at Anchorage

    brrrrrrrr

  • Happy Holidays Everyone

    Just had my latest doctor visit and while I haven’t lost that much more weight, my blood pressure is much lower. The doctor is talking about eliminating some of the BP drugs I’m taking. Great news!!!!! Lately I have been researching a product called Kneesavers. This is a spacer that goes between the crank and the pedal. It the pedal away from the bike. On other bikes that I have, this has been a great product. Keeps my heels from rubbing on the bike. I will let you know how they work on the Optibike.

  • All about lists

    I turned the wheel past 50 a few days back and all I want to ask the Lord for my next 50 is to grant me the blessing to pass on my love for biking to the next generation which is addicted to video games and avatar like experiences in etherial worlds. (yes – I did see Avatar! – “I can see you”).

    What are my goal list items for next year?

    1. Accomplish my 10% body weight challenge with Opti before the deadline next September

    2. Reach the Alabama -Georgia line on my bike riding the Silver Comet.

    3. Learn to pedal using clip ons…. (before this year end).

    4. Learn to layer warm clothes properly and conquer winter riding.

    5. Conquer the fear of night riding.

    6. Dabble in Mountain Biking.

    7. Ride while at my time sharing adventures this year (Anaheim, San Diego, New Orleans, Destin, FL )

    8. Take my grand-kids on bike rides (non powered).

    9. Ride to work daily for a week (250 total miles). Want to average at least once a week for the full year (about 2000 total miles).

    10. Ride with my wife (need to teach her to use the Opti since she can’t exercise due to her lungs).

    * * * * * * * * *

    This past year I broke through many self created limitations and I want to thank our Lord for allowing me to go past them.  If this past January 2009 I would have been asked these questions I would have laughed all the way to the floor:

    1. Eric will buy a $10K bike

    2. Eric will lose 10 lbs in 6 weeks.

    3. Eric will ride 300 miles in 8 weeks

    4. Eric will ride 30 miles in a day and over 50 miles in a weekend.

    5. Eric will bike from work.

    6. Eric will enjoy exercising.

    7. Eric will bike successive days.

    8. Eric will dress in lycra.

    9. Eric will ride a bike in the rain.

    10. Eric will wake up early to exercise using a stationary bike daily.

    Those who know me would have agreed and would have bet real money against me completing any item on that list.

    Thanks to Craig @ Opti who assisted me in pursuing a joyful activity that will repay itself in dividends of health and joy.

    Thanks also to my loving wife Nancy for supporting me on this re-kindled love affair with biking.

  • Post-Thanksgiving Blues?

    Weather have turned cold and wet in Atlanta. My last ride was on Thanksgiving day.  I drive to work and see random bikers wrapped in many layers… but the thing I dread the most is biking when it is pitch dark.  I need to get myself some cold weather biking clothes and very reflective night riding gear (maybe a night light?). Time to ask Santa to get my mojo back!


    p.s. Got a semi – official home cholesterol test and my numbers improved by 25% with no drugs!!!

  • Test Results

    On Monday I did tests for Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) and Max VO2. Also a pretty full panel of blood work. The tests for RMR were right down my alley. I’ve been practicing for this for a couple of decades. The Max V02 test is exactly what I haven’t been training for over the same decades. So as I rested in a comfortable position wearing a mask my air intake and CO2 levels were read and then analyzed. The VO2 test had me pulling out my vintage Serotta (yes I’ve had it that long and when the doctor is checking it out and commenting on the collectability…) and warming up for about 25 minutes. Then I put on another mask, again hooked to the analyzer, and went through a calibration set to get all the machines working. With this done the test began. Its a progressive resistance test where my job was to maintain a regular cadence until I was told to stop. The were tracking power output, the air I was breathing in and out, and heart rate.

    What the tests confirmed is that I’ve got some work to do. Now I knew that but putting some metrics on yourself is a bit more eye opening. On the Doc’s scale I weigh in at 181 lbs. That’s effectively the same as when I started. I’m not training (following a pre-specified program) and I’ve made not other changes to nutrition or lifestyle. And frankly I haven’t been riding much either. Certainly not durations that are going to be taking pounds off. So going forward consistency in my getting on the bike, doing my rides against a plan, and putting my nutrition inline with my goals and needs are what’s required. And this can be a lot of fun too!

    Here are the basic metrics:

    — Weight 181 lbs.
    — RMR is 1270. What I burn sitting on a couch all day.
    — Vo2 Max is 31.3 ml/kg/min. That’s on the border of Below and Well Below average. Moving oxygen has never been my strong suit. Mostly this rumored to be mostly genetic but some improvement might happen with training. I can only hope!
    — Aerobic Base (AB) was measured at a heart rate of 154 BPM. With a of 7.1 Cal /Min total with 3.6 KCal. The is the maximum heart rate where I burn fat as the dominate fuel. Improving my AB is a primary goal over the next several months. Along with improving by AB is the side benefit that I be spending a lot of time training where I will also burning a higher ration of fat to carbs.
    — Anaerobic Threshold (AT) was measured at 170 BPM with a total of 9.2 KCal/Min with only 0.4 KCal/Min being burned.
    — BMI (Body Mass Index) is 31. BMI isn’t the final say on body fat but it still puts me in the obese range. Having someone tell you that you are obese and having that supported by the image in the mirror provides confirmation that some work is really required. Yes these pointed discussions can be motivating.

    So, Moderate exercise will burn about 750 calories. With moderate exercise and an intake of of 500 calories less each day than I burn and I’ll lose about a pound a week.
    This program with Optibike runs another 32 weeks, so 32 weeks for me to reach my 1 year goal of 158 lbs. Piece of Cake. Right? Well there’s the challenge. I need to get my diet on track with my goals. And my diet needs to provide the nutrients to support my training (load and recovery). And I need to perform against the plan. And I need to not take off too much too fast, overtrain, undereat, or get injured.

    So I have to be motivated, stay motivated, and track against my plan. Below is the basic plan for this week. I’ll update it with more specifics as this goes along.

    Monday I did the tests, started tracking my food, then attended a Yoga class in the evening.
    Tuesday I recovered, payed attention to my food, and stretched.
    Wednesday, today, I visited the Doc to discuss my blood work (more on this later), then I got cold weather cycling clothes, lunch with friends, then did a 20.5 mile ride in about 54 minutes which felt great.
    Thursday the plan is to go out for about 2 hours then visit family and friends for the holiday.
    Friday I’ll use as a recovery day with a walk.
    Saturday I’ll again go out for a couple of hours.
    Sunday an hour or so.
    etc.

    This will be refined a bit and I’ll report in again this Monday with the results.

    Happy Holidays
    Monday

  • Stage 2: Testing and Training

    I’m really excited. For those who have read my profile you might have noticed that I raced many many years ago. Over the last 3 months I’ve really enjoyed riding the Optibike. Up to now the riding has been casual and frankly a bit fleeting. I feel great when I ride but I’ve been doing so without much direction other than to be riding again. But along with riding again is the objective related to this blog which is improving fitness and weight loss, both of which I continue to need. I had the opportunity to talk with John aka lowco2 at an unrelated event last week and along with a discussion about Rohloffs and tubeless tires he was sporting his latest belt buckle from Leadville. It really got me thinking about how much fun I used to have racing. It got me thinking… Then I remembered the training I was doing at the time that I’ll sum up in one word, brutal. But I started wondering what if?

    On Monday I’m scheduled for a series of tests to establish a baseline for a training/nutrition program that I’ll be executing. The tests will establish my resting metabolic rate, max Vo2, body fat, etc. From this a solid training plan using modern methods will be designed, put into practice, and reported on here. The methods I used 30+ years ago were modern then but I’m thinking there might have been just few advances. Its been my intention to take advantage of modern methods from the onset and the timing for me is perfect. However I didn’t start with any thoughts of ever considering racing at any level again. But now this consideration is taking shape. I’m not yet committed to it, but its grabbing hold.

    This is a challenge for myself as I’m quite sure that the baseline numbers won’t be flattering. I’m trusting that the structural tension between my current reality and my vision will move me to a new and improved level. I’ve been discussing this with Craig and continue to be impressed with the enthusiastic and unwavering support from Optibike in this endeavor. Thanks!

    So expect to be hearing a lot more from me as I enter stage two of this pursuit.

  • Silver Comet and no Brazilian churrasqueria

    The Silver Comet trail is over 61 miles long, and starts near Mavell Road in Smyrna, Georgia. It ends at the Georgia/Alabama state line, near Cedartown and Esom.

    At the Georgia/Alabama state line, the Silver Comet connects to the 33-mile long Chief Ladiga Trail. Plans are underway to extend the Chief Ladiga an additional 7 miles. Both the Silver Comet Trail and Chief Ladiga are fully paved rail-trails built on abandoned railroad lines. The combined Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga trail length is estimated to be over 100 paved miles from Smyrna, Georgia to Anniston, Alabama.

    Today was my second visit to this trail. Since the Atlanta September floods the trail has been closed about 15.33 miles from its start in Smyrna, GA.  After riding it from there and back for a total of 30.66 miles I still had a full red power LED left. For those of you that remember my first posting, that is an improvement – which means either I’m pedaling more or I weight less. I’ll take either one of them. No- I will not weight myself (don’t want to play the dehydration game) – but I can see that my belts are now one notch in the proper direction of travel and my  shorts now require a belt. This is in less than two months and with a couple of down times due to a blown rear hub (the day after my ride from work) and a flat. The silver lining during those two events was that  I used my old bike with 100% green pedal power for about 8 miles each time.

    This time around after riding the trail I didn’t visit the Brazilian churrasqueria…

    Total miles about 251 (all hilly miles)

  • VETERANS DAY

    Hi Everyone,
    Just wanted to wish all of you veterans and active duty military members a great day. I hope you get to take advantage of some of the discounts and free things available to you today and this month. I know in CA many of the Applebee’s are offereing free meals to vets and active duty today. Knott’s Berry Farm has some discounts for vets and active duty this month. Those of you that served sacrificed so much and many have given their lives for our freedom. The next time you are on your bike, remember that the US would not be what it is today without our active and former military members.

  • Back on the road…

    This week I rode 15+ miles on Wednesday evening. First night ride from the house to  Suwanee Park 8 mile loop and about 3.5 miles to get there via regular streets.  Started playing with the idea of riding without using the motor for as long as I could stand (specially going thru level areas). Good exercise… did about 1:30 including a stop at the local bike shop. Froze my hands…I guess due to having white knuckles (handling the brake at night)…

    Yesterday I rode about 21.5 miles from my house to see my granddaughter Jocelyn. The only way tot their house is going 50% on 4 lanes and the other 50% on 2 lane (used to be) country roads. I’m glad I went early and traffic was not that bad.

    Today I started out to another park to meet my wife and our dogs but I had a 3″ nail go thru my rear tire about 1.75 miles from home.  I REALIZED THAT RIDING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IS QUITE DANGEROUS DUE TO THE DEBRIS such as a bunch of 3″ nails – better to ride on the road.  I’m glad I heard the air escaping and stopped before doing any damage to the rim.. Called my wife and got a lift back home and still went out biking on my old junky bike. Day was good for about 8 miles on pedal power – hills be damned too!

    So this week I had 45 miles. Legs are getting stronger and I can feel my chest expanding with every breath I take. I have stopped weighting myself since I realized the initial weight loss was probably just losing water weight. Now I’m staying hydrated through my rides and also make sure I’m dressed appropriately.

    This is a long term commitment and  I intent to continue it.