The Long Road To Getting Back In Shape
POSTED IN: Childhood Memories
I used to be in decent shape.
When I was younger a group of friends talked about going on a long bike trip and camping out along the way. When it came down to actually doing it only myself and Mark (now my brother-in-law) were the only ones able to go. So we bought all the necessary gear and loaded up our bikes with 70+ pounds apiece of camping and cooking equipment and left our homes for the ride of our life.
We did this trip without any real prior training (kinda stupid) other than a couple 25 mile rides which meant we trained and toned as we rode. The first 3 days were pure pain and agony as we punished our bodies and forced them into submission. By mid-way through the trip we were starting to feel better and by the end we felt like we could conquer the world. All in all we biked 1,000 miles over 12 days, several days of which we biked over 100 miles in one day (known as biking a Century).
Fast forward 12 years. I wish I could say that I’ve kept up with my biking, but I haven’t. Fueled by the excitement of completing our 1,000 mile trip I even invested in custom-building a beautiful Klein road bike with top-of-the-line components. I’ve maybe put 300-400 miles on that bike since I built it.
Lisa has bugged me to sell it for years but I just can’t bear parting with something I spent so much money on (or is it that I hate admitting I was so out of shape I would never use it again?).
Enough’s enough. A few weeks ago I realized that getting back into shape wasn’t just going to happen and I wasn’t getting any younger. So I filled up the tires and got back out on the road. The first couple of days reminded me how long it’s been and how out of shape I really was.
But the consistency of getting out there day after day and improving my diet has slowly yielded results. I’ve been biking 16+ miles a day during the week and longer on the weekends.
Right now I have my sights set on the Hilly Hundred, a 100 mile ride through the scenic hills of southern Indiana. Anyone want to join me?
Last year I turned 30 and I realized my 20-year-old body and energy wasn’t going to just stay with me if I didn’t do something about it. It’s a long road getting back into shape after so long but I’m excited to be on it.
What’s your proudest physical or athletic achievement?
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August 27, 2008
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Did a 1/2 marathon last month. And have run exactly 3 times since…
jonathans last blog post..T-R-O-U-B-L-E
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August 27, 2008
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The fact that I’m actually getting up and swimming for exercise every day. Yeah, that’s a big deal for me.
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August 27, 2008
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Oh man! We bought bikes and wanted to do some sort of biking trip! How fun!
I have a half-marathon coming up in October… but maybe after that, you could give me some biking/training advice!
Way to go, dude!
Rachels last blog post..The World’s Largest …
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August 27, 2008
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Dude…this is weird. Shannon and I just decided last week that we are going to do a triathlon. I started training this week.
I ran track all through jr. high (I was on varsity in 8th grade) and high school, but I haven’t wanted run anymore after graduating since there wasn’t a goal or competition. It’s been awesome training now. Shannon wants to do an iron man in three years…I told her I would would support her and ride in the car behind her with extra equipment.
GregQuallss last blog post..Did Jesus get buzzed?
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August 27, 2008
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I used to be in good shape when I was working manual labor, now I work in an office setting… Needless to say I’m not in the shape I’d like to be. I’m going to start working out, hopefully, with Mark. For a guy his age, he’s in great shape, it’s high time I stepped up to the plate. Thanks for the inspiration, Brad, as I, too, am now 30. Btw, thanks for the mental image of you in spandex… *insert shivers here*
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August 27, 2008
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Wow! That’s a sexy picture (can I say sexy on this blog?)
Great job getting back on the bike and hanging on to it. I love basketball and didn’t play for years, it took me a long time to get back to the place where I can hang with the younger guys, but I think I can hang now, and it has been huge in helping me on my journey that I posted about today.
And I agree…great minds think alike on the timing of the post.
Nicks last blog post..The 3-D plan to eating healthy (Part 1)
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August 27, 2008
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Well, You may have gotten out of shape, but you stayed thin thanks to that awesome metabolism of yours. Lucky man!
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August 27, 2008
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Your a youngun so it shouldn’t take too long to get back to it.
I have just started at 39 to do the same thing and TRUST ME it gets harder to do it. Go for it now.
Good luck…oh and remember….it is easier to pull a muscle now! Once you hit 30, well, things start to hurt you forgot about!
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August 27, 2008
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I have done a few 5K’s and I work with a trainer 2x a week. Having Asthma kind of throws a kink in some things – so I am really working on trying to build up my lung capacity. I would love to do a marathon someday…
Rebas last blog post..Donald Miller’s Prayer Tonight
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August 27, 2008
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Dude! Good for you. Get back on that two-wheeled beast!
My greatest physical accomplishment was training for a marathon. I ran, completed, and accomplished my two goals for the 2002 Long Beach Marathon but by far the training (16 weeks) was the hardest part.
I start at end of Sept. to train for the 2008 PHX RockN’Roll Marathon. Arrrgghhh!
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August 27, 2008
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Love the shorts.
Wish I had a decent bike, because i’d do the ride with ya.
Evan Courtneys last blog post..I turned 30
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August 27, 2008
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Great bike man! I just started the road bike thing a few months ago and I’m absolutely hooked! I have a cheap bike and I’m saving for a good entry level one but I’ve been riding 20 miles a day. I’m 33 and wish I started this a long time ago but, better late than never. If I lived closer I’d come ride that century with you. I’m itching to do one of those!
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August 27, 2008
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wow! that’s crazy and cool that you actually accomplished that with no prior training! Good luck in your quest to get back on the road again.
We all need to make more efforts to keep bodies in motion that’s for sure.
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August 28, 2008
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What an amazing feat!!
Seriously cool. I recently just began cycling and love it. I think it would be great to do that size of a trip.
Sweet bike by the way. Don’t sell it.
Jads last blog post..Name That Small Group
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August 28, 2008
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“What’s your proudest physical or athletic achievement?”
having babies.
tams last blog post..q & a – part 2
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August 28, 2008
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I lost 75lbs in a year by getting off my lazy butt and doing something. People ask all the time how I lost it all…like they are looking for some magic pill or answer. They always seemed disappointed when I tell them that I workout 5 days a week and eat right. However…I love how I feel again.
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September 1, 2008
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I would love to join you… all I need is a bike and that isn’t happening any time soon. My greatest personal athletic achievement is running a 1/2 marathon, I’ve done it 4 times now. I would love to try a full sometime, but little time to train right now.
patrowlands last blog post..No Cable, No Problem
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September 9, 2008
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[...] recently read that Brad had once taken a 12-day trip that covered over 1000 miles! I don’t think I’m quite that ambitious — what a [...]