Sports and fitness 2021

[esoxlucius]

Funnily enough i went to the local beach last evening. Even if i became a full time steroid head bodybuilder i would never be the muscleiest guy there, some people must have gyms at home or knew of an open gym during the lockdown. Social distancing and masks seem to have been optional too which is a concern but a topic for another thread.
In my time in the UK i stayed in a place called weymouth for a while one summer working in a restaraunt. I liked the english beach culture with the puppet shows and sand sculptures and everyone eating cockles and going "paddling" as you guys call it, i was amused people even go for donkey rides! Its very different to here, more family friendly and cheesy in a good old fashioned way. When i went back in winter to visit some friends everything was closed and it was very bleak and totally different.
Your run was impressive, a lot of people here got an app called "couch to 5K" in lockdown, the idea is it trains you to turn from a slob to someone who can run 5km in a few months. No one i know stuck with it but maybe i can give it a try next autumn. I have noticed cardio improved for me during lockdown with all the walking and kettlebells and its something i want to keep up. I enjoy weights but theres probably more benefit to mix it up with some cardio. Probably need to look at cutting back the cigarettes too which would be good for me now.
How often do you think you will run now you have recovered from the initial pain?

If you want to see British beach culture at its very best you need to go to Blackpool during the summer, lol. I use the word summer very loosely, being on the coast it can be quite cold. But yes, all the things you mention, and a hell of of a lot more of British quirkism at its best (I still to this day don't get the donkey ride bit, I mean donkey rides on a beach, wtf).

I've never been a weights guy. In my mid teens I had a weider weight set but I naively thought that a few curls and my biceps would pop. I wanted overnight results. It takes real dedication and hours of daily training to get that competition look. And not to mention there's a dark underside regarding steroid use too. So I decided way back then that weights weren't going to be my thing.

I've always cycled, i love just getting away for a few hours, just me, my bike and my thoughts. And the British countryside is very "lumpy". Wherever you go you are guaranteed a real workout. And as I get older and realise the importance of looking after yourself I'm beginning to further realise how important my bike riding has been over the years.

For years and years though I usually stopped around October and then started up again around April due to the uk weather. And the first few rides in April, after the long lay off, would be brutal until I got my fitness back. I realised I needed to find a way to keep my fitness up all year round. I rigged up a spare bike on my turbo trainer but I hated it, just so monotonous, so that's when the idea of running came in. I love running, it's very similar to biking in as much that it's just you and your thoughts, getting away from it all for a while.

But of course biking and running are like chalk and cheese. They both use different muscle groups. Biking is silky smooth and running is just brutal on joints, muscles, tendons etc etc. But what they both have in common is that they give your body, especially your heart, an intense workout. The big eye opener though came in late 2018 when I aggravated my achilles tendon whilst running. It was good in as much that it was my body telling me "look esox, you're 50 year old, not 20, take it easy".

So that's where i'm at now. Biking in good weather, running in poor weather, with an emphasis of taking it easy with the running bit. All year round fitness.

And you really really need to jack the smoking in!!

 

[Ogertron3000]

If you want to see British beach culture at its very best you need to go to Blackpool during the summer, lol. I use the word summer very loosely, being on the coast it can be quite cold. But yes, all the things you mention, and a hell of of a lot more of British quirkism at its best (I still to this day don't get the donkey ride bit, I mean donkey rides on a beach, wtf).

I've never been a weights guy. In my mid teens I had a weider weight set but I naively thought that a few curls and my biceps would pop. I wanted overnight results. It takes real dedication and hours of daily training to get that competition look. And not to mention there's a dark underside regarding steroid use too. So I decided way back then that weights weren't going to be my thing.

I've always cycled, i love just getting away for a few hours, just me, my bike and my thoughts. And the British countryside is very "lumpy". Wherever you go you are guaranteed a real workout. And as I get older and realise the importance of looking after yourself I'm beginning to further realise how important my bike riding has been over the years.

For years and years though I usually stopped around October and then started up again around April due to the uk weather. And the first few rides in April, after the long lay off, would be brutal until I got my fitness back. I realised I needed to find a way to keep my fitness up all year round. I rigged up a spare bike on my turbo trainer but I hated it, just so monotonous, so that's when the idea of running came in. I love running, it's very similar to biking in as much that it's just you and your thoughts, getting away from it all for a while.

But of course biking and running are like chalk and cheese. They both use different muscle groups. Biking is silky smooth and running is just brutal on joints, muscles, tendons etc etc. But what they both have in common is that they give your body, especially your heart, an intense workout. The big eye opener though came in late 2018 when I aggravated my achilles tendon whilst running. It was good in as much that it was my body telling me "look esox, you're 50 year old, not 20, take it easy".

So that's where i'm at now. Biking in good weather, running in poor weather, with an emphasis of taking it easy with the running bit. All year round fitness.

And you really really need to jack the smoking in!!

There is a dark side to bodybuilding for sure. I'm not trying to compete or anything, I think I mentioned it somewhere else where I went from a labouring job to a sales rep in my early 30s and was shocked how quickly my body deteriorated and how crap I felt. I just like to keep up the fitness and muscle mass now. With the hardcore guys it's almost like an eating or psychological disorder if they take it too seriously. Even without the roids they can obsess over diet and take so many supplements that it's not really "natural" anyway. I do enjoy the gym vibe and the social side but I do see signs of obsession in some people.
I think the key is just to find a type of excercise you like and do it regularly, we have lots of bike paths here going along the beach and through the parks, maybe I should get the rusty old bike out of the shed and give it a try.
As for thI cigarettes, it's the last of my old vices, also the most pointless and destructive and expensive one too. I'm not really enjoying it anymore and it's getting costly so it probably is time to give them up. I've never seriously tried so will be interesting to go through the process. Usually I just slowly cut it back to a few a day then it's starts creeping up again and I'm back to square one
It's funny as all the excercise and healthy eating is good but probably quitting smoking would be of more benefit than any of that.

 

[esoxlucius]

Do you think that the body "look" is much more important to guys who live in warmer climates? Take your beaches in Oz for example, or even better the muscle beaches of florida, hell they even have outdoor beach gyms there where guys strut their stuff in 80-90 degree temps! Guys who go to the beach regular, I suppose, see all the other guys and believe they "need" to have a certain look too. Sort of peer pressure. Do you reckon that the basis of you wanting to have that stocky muscular look stems from that?

Thankfully for me it's never been an issue, we don't really have the climate that has guys grouping together in open public places with just their budgie smugglers on! Just as well really, muscle mass for me would not fit with my cycling. My muscle is the thin wiry fast twitch type rather than the bulky type that bodybuilders may have for example from regular, and very intense resistance training. I mean how many dedicated cyclists do you see built like a brick outhouse, lol. We're all skinny little dudes.

If you decided to throw your leg over your old bike, and thought "wow, this is great, I could really get into this", a few months down the road and your shape would change considerably from, what I imagine, is the stocky look you have now, to a lean pedalling machine, lol.

Getting into regular cardiovascular exercise at an older age is tough enough on the not so young anymore body, but if you smoke too, it just makes it that much harder. I envy you living in the climate you do, it's perfect for cycling and running all year round, maybe not at midday, just too hot, but early morning or late evening ventures out, just myself and my thoughts, now that would be perfect for me.

 

[Ogertron3000]

You are probably right about warmer climates making people more interested in looking good. Here in melbourne where I live it gets cold in winter though, theres no way you would be at the beach in June or July, once you head to the northern states its more year round warmth and sun. Last time i was on holiday in queensland, a northern state known for beaches etc. I was surprised how health and body conscious the locals seem to be. Saying that we also have an obesity epidemic here in australia like most other western countries. It might just be the case that when you see aussie or U.S beaches on TV the cameras focus on the sexy girls and muscle men and all the unfit people are too self conscious and are at home. Once all the borders open up you should come here for a holiday, lots of nice tracks to get your bike out on and you can see life in the suburbs of melbourne isnt really like home and away on TV! In fact a lot of brritish people first move to queensland then move down here a few years later as they find the climate more suitable for their english constitutions. In the last year the highest max temp here was 43C and the lowest max temp was 8C so it does swing around a bit.

For me personally its not so much about that, even if it was id still look old and shabby compared to the young dudes with all their muscles and tatoos and you really wouldnt want to see me strutting around in the budgie smugglers!. There is an element of ego involved to be honest but I enjoy the routine and discipline of making myself go to the gym on the way home from work even though all I really want to do is go home and watch TV, it does give me a sense of achievement . It seems to kickstart other good habits too like healthy eating and early nights once I get into the rhythm of it. I actually had my 3rd visit today so am getting there.

You paint a nice picture of bike riding, its like i t gives a sense of freedom which is tempting. It would be fun to go riding with my daughter when shes a bit older. Shes only 5 so has her goofy barbie themed bike so I normally walk while she rides but soon it could be a nice activity to do together and it might be fun to do it by myself in the evenings now the weather is warming up. Probably would need to give the bike a lot of work before I would trust it not to fall aprt under me. After the lockdown I just enjoy being outside more and want to keep that feeling going. If the heart improves and the biceps shrink thats all well and good, really it should be about health not looks anyway.

 

[fishhead0103666]

At one point I was below 200 then I stopped using my calorie counting app and well.... I think I’m back to 202?

 

[Hendre]

Did an 8km cycle at a local wine farm, lots of hills and technical downramps (I only fell over once). Took us just over an hour. Having only climbed on a bike last week after a 5 week break, I think it was alright.

fishhead0103666 how is it looking?

 

[fishhead0103666]

I’ll get you an official weight tonight. I will say I’ve stopped walking all together.

 

[esoxlucius]

The dark nights are well and truly upon us now and my evening running is gaining momentum. I'm still very mindful of pushing too hard on the local routes I take because the terrain is lumpy and street lights aren't covering the entire routes i'm taking. It's difficult to gauge how good i'm getting without doing a flat track run. We have a track a couple of miles away. My plan is to set my garmin to 5km and give it a good go on the flat even track, where I can push a little bit more without fear of injuring myself on uneven ground, a kerb or a pothole.

Going off my current lumpy road run times I think I should be looking around 24 mins for a track 5km. My original goal was sub 20mins but that is really really pushing it for me, I don't think i'd get anywhere near it.

I'll post my time in the next couple of days.

 

[Hendre]

I’ll get you an official weight tonight. I will say I’ve stopped walking all together.

Will you be getting back on it?

The dark nights are well and truly upon us now and my evening running is gaining momentum. I'm still very mindful of pushing too hard on the local routes I take because the terrain is lumpy and street lights aren't covering the entire routes i'm taking. It's difficult to gauge how good i'm getting without doing a flat track run. We have a track a couple of miles away. My plan is to set my garmin to 5km and give it a good go on the flat even track, where I can push a little bit more without fear of injuring myself on uneven ground, a kerb or a pothole.

Going off my current lumpy road run times I think I should be looking around 24 mins for a track 5km. My original goal was sub 20mins but that is really really pushing it for me, I don't think i'd get anywhere near it.

I'll post my time in the next couple of days.

Damn you're zooming. Sub 24 is wonderful! I'll see if I get fit enough to do sub 22 again, I'm currently running about 30 min 5.5km in hills.

 

[fishhead0103666]

Will you be getting back on it?

I don’t know, I stopped walking because the late hours were affecting my sleep schedule thus affecting me at work however soon I’ll be moving and I doubt I’ll have access to anywhere to walk. Shame. I might be bringing my treadmill that I absolutely abhor using though.