So I am in Ks on vacation and had good plans to go for a ride today. Didn't set the alarm and woke up really late after an intense ride yesterday. So I had a choice - take away time from visiting my daughter or go ahead and ride as planned. My daughter won of course & I feel no guilt. If we really push it when we ride how many days a week do we really need to ride? IF my body slept this late maybe it was TIRED ? Read Integrate's post on overtraining. I bike for the shear fun of it with a by product of fitness & weight loss. Both are going along just fine with 3-4 days a week on the bike. Overtraining can also de-rail attempts to lose weight - it is not just about calorie burning. I will severely miss my ride today but I will enjoy the time I spend with my daughter which is why we drove 9 hrs to KS of all places and I have forever to ride. I will probably end up riding the stationary in the hotel exercise room when all the family stiff is over tonight - but not out of guilt - just because I like to get the legs moving. Or I can ride my bike around the parking lot. SO the question for this post - what drives you to ride??
What drives you ?
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Family first, cycling second.
I'm an addicted cycler. Each week I take one day off from riding to rest my legs but I actually get jittery if it's more than one day. When I am on a vacation without my bike, I go nuts and can't sit still. However, if the vacation is visiting family, I make do with the restlessness.
I'm an addicted cycler. Each week I take one day off from riding to rest my legs but I actually get jittery if it's more than one day. When I am on a vacation without my bike, I go nuts and can't sit still. However, if the vacation is visiting family, I make do with the restlessness.
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12,350 Posts
How awesome are bikes? Here's a machine that weighs less than a car tire, but you can ride one across the planet if you're so inclined. They have bikes for snow and sand, bikes for the mountains, and bikes for the beach paths. You can drop down the alps at 50+ MPH, or ride to school, work, or the grocery store. You can lose weight, burn fat, increase lung capacity, and save the environment. Bikes are fitness/sports equipment in some countries, primary transportation in others, and a means of getting medical care delivered in the poorest and most remote locations. The bicycle is the Swiss Army Knife of transportation.
Why wouldn't anyone want to ride a bike?
Why wouldn't anyone want to ride a bike?
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823 Posts
First off you're breaking Rule #11...lol
www.velominati.com/the-rules/#11
But with that said, rules are made to be broken. I agree with "V". I took a whole week off in July to scramble around after work to prepare my son for a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) detail that was coming up that weekend. He had just joined and was behind the power curve.
I started cycling again two years ago for fitness reasons. Then I decided to participate in the MS Bike America as my sister has MS. She has turned into my main inspiration. She has been on "Bed Arrest" for 3 years now, so I have no excuses to sit around on my arse drinking beer and watching TV. I pedal for her as much as I do me.
As a single guy who has his son 50% of the time I have ample time to cycle and enjoy the benefits of it.
Also, I like the physical challenges that cycling has to offer, like HILLS!
I train to ride 97 miles & 70 miles in the MS Bike America Washington event that takes place the weekend after Labor Day. So I am training all summer long. Last year I put my bike up after the event (after logging 2,850 miles) and didn't take it down until April. Also I didn't do anything all winter, so with that said....
-Started the season at 190 lbs. Now down to 178/180.
-In August I logged the most miles I have in a month at 791.
-I rode the fastest 75 miles in my life being paced by a guy in his mid 60's.....I aspire to be that guy.. He wants me to ride with him next July in the Seattle to Portland event in one day (206 miles). The event is a two day affair with a one day option.
Its been a good summer and I have no plans on stopping like last year. However, I am tired. Looking forward to scaling back to 3 rides a week. A 20 miler mid week and a couple of 30 milers on the weekend with emphasis on a relaxing ride and possibly stopping to take a picture or two. Plus I have a goal to reach 3,000 miles by years end. Right now I'm at 2,688.
Cycling is a great sport and other than your normal responsibilities i.e. family, maintaining the house, there is no reason not to get out a couple of hours a week for a ride. Unless the forecast calls for 60% or more chance of rain..... Hate the wet stuff.
www.velominati.com/the-rules/#11
But with that said, rules are made to be broken. I agree with "V". I took a whole week off in July to scramble around after work to prepare my son for a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) detail that was coming up that weekend. He had just joined and was behind the power curve.
I started cycling again two years ago for fitness reasons. Then I decided to participate in the MS Bike America as my sister has MS. She has turned into my main inspiration. She has been on "Bed Arrest" for 3 years now, so I have no excuses to sit around on my arse drinking beer and watching TV. I pedal for her as much as I do me.
As a single guy who has his son 50% of the time I have ample time to cycle and enjoy the benefits of it.
Also, I like the physical challenges that cycling has to offer, like HILLS!
I train to ride 97 miles & 70 miles in the MS Bike America Washington event that takes place the weekend after Labor Day. So I am training all summer long. Last year I put my bike up after the event (after logging 2,850 miles) and didn't take it down until April. Also I didn't do anything all winter, so with that said....
-Started the season at 190 lbs. Now down to 178/180.
-In August I logged the most miles I have in a month at 791.
-I rode the fastest 75 miles in my life being paced by a guy in his mid 60's.....I aspire to be that guy.. He wants me to ride with him next July in the Seattle to Portland event in one day (206 miles). The event is a two day affair with a one day option.
Its been a good summer and I have no plans on stopping like last year. However, I am tired. Looking forward to scaling back to 3 rides a week. A 20 miler mid week and a couple of 30 milers on the weekend with emphasis on a relaxing ride and possibly stopping to take a picture or two. Plus I have a goal to reach 3,000 miles by years end. Right now I'm at 2,688.
Cycling is a great sport and other than your normal responsibilities i.e. family, maintaining the house, there is no reason not to get out a couple of hours a week for a ride. Unless the forecast calls for 60% or more chance of rain.....
Hate the wet stuff.
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21,185 Posts
Eww, ouccch, zinger!
It is called ADHD and biking is a much better tx than Ritalin that is prescribed to kids these days - a little known fact - many ADHD'rs end up self medicating with Alcohol or drugs - again biking - better option
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6,015 Posts
I have worked too hard to get my health and weight where they are now. I feel that if I take too much time off the bike or do not push hard enough I will go backwards. May just be paranoia, but I like the forward progress. Like The V I get jittery if I cant ride for more than two days or something of that sort. The other week when I picked up the gym again I couldnt ride due to the need for muscle recovery, I was SOOOOOOORE. Yet, it just felt wrong not to ride as I have ridden nearly every other day since April. The gym sessions are paying off HUGE though.
So to sum it up, I ride cause I want to, I ride because it feels good, I ride because I crave it, and I do not want any of those old habits to catch up to me.
So to sum it up, I ride cause I want to, I ride because it feels good, I ride because I crave it, and I do not want any of those old habits to catch up to me.
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823 Posts
Read this in Bicycling a couple of years ago.
http://www.bicycling.com/news/featured-stories/riding-my-ritalin
A great alternative if you ask me....:thumbsup:
great article !!!!!!
Got back after a massive steak at my daughters - got out our bikes and rode for a while in the near dark - hadn't done that in a while - it felt great just to ride for a while - no averages, distance - no clips - thank you dual pedals - felt great !
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9,927 Posts
Very good article and one that I think is very true. My middle grandson was recently diagnosed with ADD and is on the minimum amount of medication. He is extremely active in football, soccer and track and is always doing some type of sports activity. I'm trying to get him into cycling, but he thinks it's boring. My son was also diagnosed with ADD when he was in first grade. I'm not sure if I had ADHD or ADD when I was young as I wasn't the best of students and never could get into school work. But at that time, there was no such thing as ADHD or ADD; you just weren't paying attention and got in trouble for it.
As an adult, the jobs that I worked at all required complete concentration or would have ended up in injury or death (mine or someone else), or in the case of my last profession, a monetary loss to the company.
Since I got into cycling, three years ago, I have ridden 6 to 7 days a week. I'm now doing 30-40 mile daily rides and throwing in 50 and 60 mile rides every now and then. I got to the point where it is a part of my everyday routine and when I don't ride, I get jittery and bored. There is something missing and the time I spent riding is now being taken up by doing nothing. I have noticed this more since I retired.
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1,104 Posts
What moves me to ride is what moves me - legs! As time is marching on, I don't want to be physically you able to be mobile. After a career spent sitting behind computer screens with little to no physical exertion, cholesterol numbers moving in the wrong direction and family history of heart issues, being "moved" to ride was a no brainer! My battle is motivation. A new granddaughter and some really intense heat/humidity this summer have taken their toll on my motivation!
My daily dose of Two Spoke is great and does provide me with lots of motivation. You guys and gals are great motivators and I appreciate reading about your challenges and your determination to overcome them!! Thanks one and all!!
My daily dose of Two Spoke is great and does provide me with lots of motivation. You guys and gals are great motivators and I appreciate reading about your challenges and your determination to overcome them!! Thanks one and all!!
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12,350 Posts
My youngest has ADD, and while it's hard to tell if she's any better while on her bike, I do know that when we put her little .22 in her hands, she is incredibly focused.
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