Tag: exercise

Cycling, Cycling Videos, And The Need To Ride

Carl Setzer
Urban Cycling

I love cycling. Sadly, making time to ride at this point in my life is challenging, to say the least. Right after I got out of the Navy, I spent about 10 years without a car. My bike was my main mode of transportation, next my feet, next the bus. Every so often, I either took a cab, borrowed or rented a car as there were places and times that didn’t work with this lifestyle. Mainly, those moments that either need to be somewhere fast, too far or too late for the bus or weekends.

When I went back to school, I planned to ride more. I planned that I would bike to and from campus, as well as for my errands. Covid messed all that up. After the first lock-down, I got out of the habit of exercise period. At this age, the degradation from inactivity happens with a frightening ferocity. Now I’m back to walking daily and am figuring out when to block time to ride. Increments…

I’ve been watching YouTube videos to get me back into the groove. Man, everything is on YouTube! And watching these rides does help motivate me to get back into the saddle.

Today I had this one (below) going while doing some work. A group of New York City-based cyclists on a ride just out of the city. Cool that they can just hop the train, get off, and ride.

I’ve started a playlist of these to inspire me. There’s a lot of variety from urban riders to bike tours to trials riders to mountain biking. I think you should check them out. If you get inspired, too, we can meet on the road.

 

Featured Image Photo by Alex Powell from Pexels

Weekend’s Ending 

Carl Setzer

A good weekend. Got some time in at the gym, which has been lacking. Need to fit in more time. Better/more empowering: want to.

Fitness is important to me. It frustrates me that I’ve allowed weight gain again. Or that I’m overweight at all.

My youth was extremely active. Long-running for hours, for fun. Running, hiking, multu-hour gym sessions, racquetball until getting kicked off the court. During that time I developed terrible eating habits. Oddly, right before I joined the Navy, I was focused on good eating. Galley cuisine destroyed that for me (kinda strange that the culinary focus was more on processed, deep fried junk. Hardly setting us up for elite athleticism).

For several years after the Navy, I biked or walked everywhere. I didn’t own a car for nearly 10 years. But as soon as stopped the heavy biking and walking, my diet took control and drove my weight up. Then the metabolic changes as I moved into my thirties bit me, too.

I also denied what was happening. Crazy, but I still viewed myself as an athlete.

Slowly I grew the exercise back. And some of the weight left. But my diet still doesn’t help me. But I work a little, every day, to move this forward.

Nowadays, my exercises of preferences are taekwondo mixed in with some gym sessions. This is my happy place. That and cycling.

Still, I need to work on my diet. It’s not been helpful with all these high fat foods: cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes along with candy and cookies. Empty calories, low nutrition, increasing my risks for heart disease and diabetes.

I’ve thought lately that it would be really cook to come up with a meal plan where I 100% of the USDA daily recommendation. I’ve also wondered if such things are possible.

So, I’ll try and see what I can do.

Got any suggestions? Let me know.

All the best, my friends!