My first 100 mile week!

Well done, sir. You're not just losing weight, you're getting healthy and making the lifestyle changes necessary to stay healthy (unlike those who opt for the gastric bypass copout surgery). Keep it up!!

PS - You'll need a healthy heart with Randy Moss in town now!

Wow! Good for you man. That rocks [img]jeepin.netrock.gifOpen ↗[/img]

I'm not sure what helped more, the loss of 84lbs, or the haircut 😄 😄 😄 😉

Woah, that's an accomplishment and must have involved quite a bit of suffering.

Keep going, dude.

Congratulations! I've increased my weekly mileage for a similar reason, my weight started to go up. Thankfully I just barely pop over 200 lbs so I don't have too far to go to meet my weight for 6'. Still too heavy to ride 16 spoke wheels but its a commin! The best of luck to you and keep us posted as to how you're doin'. You are a bit of an inspiration to all of us; sort of the "Jared" of bicycling.

I'll never be able to ride on those silly low spoke count wheels!! Even if I hit my goal (which at 6' 8" is probably in the area of 240 ish), I'll still be too damn big for those wheels. I have a set of older Campy Ypsilon 36 hole semi aero rims that my LBS had kicking around. The mechanic thought that they were sitting on the shelf for too long so he built them up with 105 hubs and 14g straight gauge DT spokes. They are pretty solid, not light, but neither am I. Let me see... take a couple hundred grams off of the bike, or another 60lbs off me... I'll stick with the 36 spoke wheels and take the weight off me thanks. I think I'll see more benefit.

Good on you! You're an inspiration!

Well Done, that sure is an achievement, keep it up

Good job! Not many can do that!

Mr t - You have a lot to be proud of. We should all have your level of motivation! Keep up the amazing progress, and don't rule out that run at Hincappie......

Congratulations on what you've accomplished and on your future success. It's nice when you reach the point where cycling becomes more addictive than the bad habits that set you back, eh?

You'll find that as you lose the weight you'll be a speed demon. It seems that most heavy people have a lot of muscle weight. Once they lose the extra weight they are some of the fastest people on the road. Keep up the good work, and at some point you may want to start looking at group rides. Many are sponsered by bike shops in the area. Landry's Bike shop had group rides. Right now they list the following speeds (spicy 18-20, medium 16-18, or mild 12-14 mph. ) Your on you way to the middle group soon.

Catch you on the road, RussB

You know, there was a time for all of us that we couldn't do 50 mi a week. Don't compare yourself to others, and ignore those who sneer and can't remember their first 100 mi week!
If you like cycling, the hardest part is behind you. As your endurance and speed increase, so will your horizons. There are many wonderful adventures ahead! Many new roads to explore!
Thanks for sharing! And call out "On yer left" when you pass us on the road!😉
Tailwind! BIZ

Thank you all for the encouraging words! I still have a long haul in front of me, but I'm about 60 - 70% there. I knocked off another 25 miles this afternoon, and ended up meeting a small group of riders doing the same run. Managed to hang with them for the entire run which was pretty cool. Decent lot of folks, we had a good time shooting the breeze during the ride.

You know, I've tried Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers (the latter being the only one I'd actually recommend, assuming you want to pay the monthly fees). The current diet plan is one I like to call the "put down the knife and fork, and get out and exercise, you fat b@$tard" diet. It is really very simple, it utilizes 2 primary components

Eat less
Exercise more

Unfortunately, the concept only works with this thing called willpower, which I was sadly lacking in for too many years. I think I have it now, and actually, if I go more than a couple of days without a ride, I feel like I'm going stir crazy. Hopefully I've managed to channel my addictive personality in a positive direction, instead of a self destructive one, for good.

That's truly inspiring, man. Keep riding, the really hard part is behind you.

I'm blown away! Keep going!

Excellent. 2 thumbs up.

My story is a lot like yours. 43 years old. Fat, tired and feeling more like 63.

Started riding a few months ago. Lost 40 pounds and my rides have gotten faster and longer. The ride numbers you gave almost mirror my own also. Did 17 miles this morning. 14.5 average.

I've been on the edge of a 100 mile week for about a month now. Did 93 miles 2 weeks ago. Didn't add it up soon enough or I would have gone out and ridden around the block until I hit 100. 😄

Work keeps pulling me away from riding as much as I would like but I will hit 100 miles in a week(and hopefully in a day....that's my long term goal)

Congrats on your milestone.

t2tall said:

You know, I've tried Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers (the latter being the only one I'd actually recommend, assuming you want to pay the monthly fees). The current diet plan is one I like to call the "put down the knife and fork, and get out and exercise, you fat b@$tard" diet. It is really very simple, it utilizes 2 primary components

Eat less
Exercise more

Unfortunately, the concept only works with this thing called willpower, which I was sadly lacking in for too many years. I think I have it now, and actually, if I go more than a couple of days without a ride, I feel like I'm going stir crazy. Hopefully I've managed to channel my addictive personality in a positive direction, instead of a self destructive one, for good.

You'll probably find that as you get lighter and healthier, the willpower issue will begin to tame itself (if it isn't already). The idea being that cycling will make you so fit and feel so good that the over-indulging that you now crave will seem more self-destructive, rather than beneficial to you.

It was a similar thing for me when I gave up the ciggy-butts after buying my first road bike. At first, it was a struggle to give them up. As I got more and more fit (and realized that I felt better than I'd ever thought possible), those cowboy-killers seemed more like a poison than a comfort to me. Pretty soon, they took on a completely negative association, as I viewed them as robbing me of my new-found health and fitness. Haven't touched 'em since.

Also, I wouldn't worry much about the wheel issue, as long as you stay away from the obscenely light carbon wheel-sets. At 240#, I rode 32 hole Mavic Open Pro wheels for years, and never had a failure - even after repeated beatings on cobblestone descents at 30 mph. When I dropped to 200#, I switched to Bontrager Race Light (24 spoke), and they've been bomb-proof for over 3000 brutal miles.

Great job on your progress, mate. Make sure you post that pic of you after dropping another 50#!

MAF

Two and a half years ago I was at 290-300 at 6'1". Took on a whole new lifestyle, stopped smoking then stopped drinking. Started walking then jogging then running then knee injury. Got all the way down to 195 at one point but felt like [censored] as I had an eating disorder, I got so into losing wieght I wasn't eating only like 800 calories a day. I hurt my knee doing a marathon and stupidly carried on to finish a half marathon. Ended up tearing my acl which pinched off nerves which left my leg numb from the knee down. Got very depressed and started my bad eating habits again, was back up to 240 pounds by this April and said enough. Went out and bought a bike as doctor sadi no more running. Riding a bike is very different from running I find, one thing it's not as hard on my knee another is my body almost dictates what I eat I no longer have craving for junk just good real food, I'm now back down to 215 and lookiing to get to around 185-190 but am going to do it right this time. I'm hoping by this time next year to reach that wieght and make those hills a little smaller. Sorry for stealing a post but really hit home what you are accomblishing, As my Doctor said it took you years to put it there so don't expect it to just fall off. Aim for about a pound a week and you'll keep it off. Congradulations man!!!!! I myself am up to about 200 miles a week if I have the time just did a 4 day personal trial of 175 miles just to see if I could, legs are a little sore but getting better by the second. I'm going to do a metric century on Sunday June 17 fathers day and MY 36 birthday.🙄