I choose pain

Welcome to the Precious Metals Bug Forums

Welcome to the PMBug forums - a community supported watering hole for folks interested in gold, silver, precious metals, sound money, investing, market and economic news, central bank monetary policies, politics and more.

Register a free account to join the discussions. When you register an account and log in, you may enjoy additional benefits including access to market data/charts and additional members only rooms (including one for trade/barter with the community).

Joe King said:
Is it close enough to ride your bike to?
Click to expand...
Ooooh, no. It's 35 miles of country road; seventeen of them are BAD roads, dirt, seven-percent grade.

Keeps out the riffraff. But no, a bicycle ride up that way would be a "challenge" kind of event and feat.
 
Casey Jones said:
Ooooh, no. It's 35 miles of country road; seventeen of them are BAD roads, dirt, seven-percent grade.

Keeps out the riffraff. But no, a bicycle ride up that way would be a "challenge" kind of event and feat.
Click to expand...
So in other words, it'd whip your butt into shape in no time at all.

Sounds like "win" to me. Lol
 
Joe King said:
So in other words, it'd whip your butt into shape in no time at all.

Sounds like "win" to me. Lol
Click to expand...
By the time I got there, I'd have to turn around and head back.

That's IF I got there. Even allowing a rider was in good enough shape, what about a flat tire? These are not country dirt roads. These are MOUNTAIN dirt roads, with granite pushing through the hardpan. Often sharp-edged...road-grader blades causing rock breakage, and the jagged ends work up, over time.
 
Casey Jones said:
By the time I got there, I'd have to turn around and head back.
Click to expand...
You'll get a little quicker each time, therfor eventually leaving time to actually shoot some before you gotta leave.



That just means you'll get really good, and fast, at fixing flats.

Again, sounds like a "win" to me. Lol

Tougher tires with liners go long way toward preventing flats.
 
Yes, I suppose so.
....and I was just havin' some fun with this. I realize a 35 mile ride up a mountain is prolly not realistic for you, or probably anyone not extremely used to riding in such conditions.

It's been a little while, but I once went mountain biking in Colorado at Copper mountain, and I rode all the way up their dirt rode to as close to the summit as I could get.
Edited add: looked it up. That's 2600 feet vertical.

They shut the lift down about two hours before the rented bike had to be returned and I wanted one more run down the mountain.

So I rode up. It was hard, but I made it.
....and I barely made it back in time to return the bike.

Also rode up the mountain at Winter Park resort a few years later.
.....and after a full day of riding, had my friends drop me off at Berthoud Pass about an hour before Sunset and I hiked over Flora peak (13,131') and down into the valley on the other side of it to where I re- met my friends at their campsite.

The wimps went around and drove up from the other side of the Continental Divide. Lol
 
Are there any downhill mountain bike trails near you in Montana? I'm kinda thinking there probably are.

If you've never tried downhill, it's a ton of fun, and will help get you into shape.

Or even just regular cross country type of bike trails. That stuff will help a lot towards lower body muscle toning and help improve your balance.

It will also help to sharpen your cognitive abilities.

Mountain biking requires fast and constant mental work.
.....and cognitive slowing is another issue we face as we age.

Learning new stuff and forcing your brain to have to process things faster, helps immensely with putting off the cognitive decline seen in many aging people, as it reinforces existing neural connections, as well as creating new ones.
....and anything that can help stave off things like Alzheimer's longer, is a good thing.
 
Pain report

This morning I jogged a mile at the track.

(afternoon)

Crucifix Crunch - 1 set of 15 reps just to get the abs warmed up.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Today I positioned my arms at about 80 degrees - just shy of perpendicular to the ground. My back came up about half the distance from the ground that I normally reach with arms parallel to the ground. I focused on keeping the abs tight and breathed. I kept the back off the ground until breath 26. I was tempted to lower the hands when I realized I wasn't going to make it to 30, but I chose to tough it out with the high degree of difficulty. I finished out to 30 breaths with back on the floor.
Form 2 - I kept my feet low to the ground for higher difficulty. i had to continually bear down with the abs to keep the lower back flat to the floor. I was mostly successful out to 30 breaths.
Form 3 - I kept the kicking as low to the ground as i could while keeping the lower back on the floor. They were definitely lower than yesterday. Finished 30 breaths and realized that my abs never really burned like in the past. I mean, I felt them working and they are slightly sore as I finished, but I never had the burning pain that these isometric holds incur when you first start them. My biggest issue was just keeping the lower back flat to the ground.

Side planks - 25 reps each side today
Right side - Shoulder popping loudly through the first 15 reps. Then it stops popping and doesn't even signal pain. I stopped at 25 by choice but could have pushed for more.
Left side - Shoulder did not pop at all, but around rep 18 started signalling pain. I'm glad I didn't push the right side for more reps, because the 25 rep on the left was about my shoulder's limit.

Horse Stance - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
I start out and more or less find the right spinal alignment right away. Quads start burning around breath 15. Around breath 30, the burn is intense. Knees start shaking around breath 45 or so and by breath 50 it seems most of my leg muscles are spasming. I keep breathing but the burning is really intense. I reach breath 60 and put my hands on my knees and audibly groan as I push myself back to standing position. Pain!

Wall Sit - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
I sit into good position immediately today. Quads start burning around breath 12. Burning ramps up with each successive breath. I keep breathing. Around breath 42, my knees start to vibrate slightly (somewhat less pronounced than the shaking I usually experience with Horse Stance). I keep breathing and the burning is getting very intense. I make it to 60 breaths and shimmy up the wall to standing position. Pain!

Bottom Push Up Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
I get into position - core tight and straight. Breath 15 and all feels good. Breath 16 and am feeling failure approaching. Breath 20 and I feel the mental wall telling me to release the hold. ignore it and bear down. I'm going to failure today. Each breath is a struggle and today it's my chest/pecs that are feeling the burn. I exhale breath 25 and collapse. Triceps didn't even burn/complain. Chest/pecs woke up today.

(short rest - running out of time again)

Bear Crawl Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
It wasn't until breath 50 or so that I noticed any strain at all. This hold is easy (for me). Arms/elbows/shoulders started shaking during the last 10 breaths, but it was mild. Quads were working but not really burning enough to notice over the shoulders/back.

(short rest - running out of time again)

Iron Bridge - 1 set of 60-90 seconds is MY goal
"easy mode" straight plank bridge - shoulders start vibrating around breath 15. Soon thereafter they are shaking mildly but the shaking reaches a plateau and does not get worse. My head isn't bobbing like yesterday. Right hamstring tries to cramp a few times and I have to relax that leg to abate the cramping for a few breaths. Very annoying. I reach breath 60 and could have gone much longer, but chose to stop because of time constraints and my right hammy cramping issue. Shoulders are sore.

(short rest - running out of time again)

Active Dead Hang - Shoulder width grip today. Lasted 21 breaths. I pushed to failure too. I needed a longer rest as my back/shoulders were tired from the last 3 exercises.
 
There's a trail, off Lookout Pass...where I-90 crosses, now...called the Hiawatha Trail.

There's a concession there...Lookout Pass is also a ski slope. Summers, they use it as the muster point for riders doing just this. You park at the lot, right there at the lodge, near the Interstate...get your bike out, and with a guide or a group (so they can organize a trip back) you ride down to, I think, St Regis. It's about 25 miles by the freeway, but much more on the trail.

The trail was mostly on the roadbed of the Milwaukee Road, but the Lookout Pass section belonged to the Northern Pacific Railroad. Now, this takes some explaining...the NP crossed Lookout Pass, through Wallace, Idaho (the last Idaho town to have open brothels; and even now the cathouse is run as a museum). Wallace had a railroad trestle going right through parts of the town, and also, given its challenging topography, it was one of the last sections of I-90 to be completed. That portion of the freeway was open in, IIRC, 1979.

It took a consolidation of the three Northern Transcon railroads to make THAT happen. The Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy merged to form the Burlington Northern in 1970. Parts of the Milwaukee Road, bankrupted in 1975, were later purchased. The Lookout Pass portion was seen as superfluous and was ripped out...down came the wooden trestles, still used to that point, and in went the freeway. The BN's High Line, the Great Northern route, became the main line through the area. BN sold (leased the track) the former Milwaukee Road portion through central Montana, to Rail Link...until BNSF reacquired it three years ago.

Okay. The Lookout Pass railroad bed, now an ORV trail called the Hiawatha Trail, is wild...and famous. Last time I was on it was on a trail motorcycle, and I tore up a tire. Scared the hell out of me - two in the afternoon, in mountain-lion country. The cats come out at dusk, and I had a 40-mile ride (on the trail) back to safety.

This would be different, but I've done long downhill rides. They're as hard as uphill, or even more so - potential loss of balance or control. I may do it; but I may decide that the thrillseeker life is one I'm too old for.
 
Sounds fun.



Casey Jones said:
This would be different, but I've done long downhill rides. They're as hard as uphill, or even more so - potential loss of balance or control. I may do it; but I may decide that the thrillseeker life is one I'm too old for.
Click to expand...
What if you just go slow and control your speed? It'll take longer, but also allow you time to get used to it. You can go faster later.
......and carry a handgun in case of mountain lions.


Are there grizzly bears around there too? I know Montana has some.

My mountain time has all been in Colorado and New Mexico, but there aren't any of those there. Just black bears and also mountain lions. Never been bothered them though. Never even seen one in the mountains, but that doesn't mean that one of them didn't see me.
 
Looked it up.

Route of the Hiawatha Bike Trail | Tickets, Shuttle & Bike Rentals

Plan your ride on the Route of the Hiawatha Scenic Bike Trail. Buy trail tickets, shuttle passes, rent bikes, & learn about the famous Idaho-Montana rail trail.
www.ridethehiawatha.com

That would be a ton of fun. You should def do it.

From their website:

The Route of the Hiawatha – Scenic mountain bike or hike trail is 15 miles long with 10 large and dark train tunnels (Nine that you ride your bike through.) and 7 sky-high trestles.

The ride starts with a trip through the 1.661 mile long St. Paul Pass Tunnel, also known as the Taft Tunnel. It is a highlight of the trail that follows the crest of the Bitterroot Mountains near Lookout Pass Ski Area. The best part is…. it’s gently downhill with shuttle buses available to transport you and your bike from the bottom of the trail back to the top. This family friendly trail is easily enjoyed by a wide variety of people from young children to super seniors.


That's you, a "super senior", right?


If I had that near me, I'd ride it weekly. Both up and down. *

What else have you really got to do?



* Are you allowed to ride it up? Some places with trails like that are directional.



Saw this in their FAQ:
the trail is OK to ride downhill from Taft or Roland to Pearson for most youngsters of 5 to 6 years of age and older,


There ya go. If nothing else, do that part of it. If kids can do it, I've no doubt you can too.

 
Joe King said:
What if you just go slow and control your speed? It'll take longer, but also allow you time to get used to it. You can go faster later.
......and carry a handgun in case of mountain lions.
Click to expand...
Part of it is the balance...you're skewed. Then, you hope you don't develop brake trouble...my bike has hydraulic discs, but they're imprecise. I did a shorter downhill run a couple years ago, walked (a different) bike partially up a trail, intending to ride down...it was work. And there were times I skidded the front tire, and almost lost it.

Practice? Probably. That's a hard way to learn, and iffy.

Handgun? In that situation it would work. But a few things: First, on this bike-ride-shuttle-back, there's bound to be an anti-gun Karen in the bunch. Probably signs on the lodge, as there are everywhere, NO FIREARMS PERMITTED.

Back on that motorcycle? Man...you know, if you think about it you can realize, a motorcycle is a police magnet. You get pulled over and right away they're drawn to your gun. Now...since Montucky has been overrun by Golden Shitte escapees (including our own former sheriff) you JUST DO NOT KNOW. Out here, there's probably sheriffs like Grady Judd or Mark Lamb; but you won't find them in Flathead or Missoula or Gallitin counties...all taken over by the Left.

And trust me, there's some Ex-Californicators who'll see a rider going by with a holster and call the cops, saying "HE THREATENED ME!!" I don't need that. The odds of a weapon CAUSING trouble, right now, is far greater than the odds of it preventing trouble on the trail.

You weigh the pros and cons. For the moment, the disadvantages of riding armed, win out.

Yup...but grizzlies are relatively shy. They'll attack what they see as threats, but they're not openly looking for human meat.

UNLIKE the big cats, who see hikers as self-delivering jerky snacks.
 
I'm gonna look into it.

It was one of those things I'd put in the "Someday" jar. After my trip up the trail (another part, I see from the maps on that site; the route goes into Idaho, not Montana) I kinda had a bad taste in my mouth.

This sounds easy. And it's no problem transporting my bike up that way, none at all. It's an 85-mile trip, all on the Interslab.
 
Casey Jones said:
Part of it is the balance...you're skewed. Then, you hope you don't develop brake trouble...my bike has hydraulic discs, but they're imprecise.
Click to expand...
Balance should improve with time.

What is imprecise about them? I love my hydraulics. Far better than the mechanical ones I previously used.



Casey Jones said:
I did a shorter downhill run a couple years ago, walked (a different) bike partially up a trail, intending to ride down...it was work.
Click to expand...
It will be work, but work that progressively gets easier as you get better at it. So there's that.

On any trail, ride what you can, and hike-a-bike on what you can't. Either way, it's good exercise.


Casey Jones said:
And there were times I skidded the front tire, and almost lost it.
Click to expand...
Learn to modulate your front brake, and control your speed.

After you've ridden a trail a few times, you'll learn where you need to be not letting it roll so fast, and where you can let 'er rip.

Until then, err on the slow side.


Casey Jones said:
Practice? Probably. That's a hard way to learn, and iffy.
Click to expand...
It's really the only way to learn.

Gotta just get out there and do it.
....and do it regularly.


Ok, maybe no gun there, but on other trails it might not be a problem.
.....and you could take bear spray maybe. That should deter a big cat too.

Casey Jones said:
This sounds easy. And it's no problem transporting my bike up that way, none at all.
Click to expand...
It really does.

Looks like a really cool place too.


Casey Jones said:
It's an 85-mile trip, all on the Interslab.
Click to expand...
So what, over and a half total drive time? That's not too bad I suppose, but I thought it might be closer to you. Closer always helps if ya wanna do something regularly.

Don't you live near Missoula?

Here's a mtb trail listing of trails near there.

If you are somewhere else, look on that site and I bet you'll find some.

 
Joe King said:
Ok, maybe no gun there, but on other trails it might not be a problem.
.....and you could take bear spray maybe. That should deter a big cat too.
Click to expand...
Yeah, bear spray. I have that.

Thinking about it, as this has unfolded...I'd decided bear spray would be what I'd take.

Sadly, I didn't have it that day when I had a motorcycle flat.

I planned, just not enough. I had an air pump and a plug kit...and I'd never fixed a flat on the road/trail before. Hell of a way to learn.

I had the pump, which I didn't always carry, but not the bear spray.

I don't think bear spray would work with mountain lions, though. Just make them mad. Bad-tempered killing machines...that's how Fluffy would act if she were big enough to get away with it.

Joe King said:
It really does.

Looks like a really cool place too.
Click to expand...
I'll let you know. It's just the time of year for it, now...I'll do it, or not, this week.

September I'll be doing something else, so it's now or next y ear.
Yup, Missoula County.

I've just not gotten that adventurous with the trails. It's hard to get a bunch of riders together, without a club...certainly not old people. Realistically, only a small percentage do this kind of thing at all.

But I'm gonna check out the Hiawatha trail tour. That fascinates me...I remember as a kid, I came across a photo-spread of a place called Lookout Pass. It was done about 1955 and I was looking at it ten years later...huge steam locomotives pulling freight trains over those old-school wooden trestles. With a village below...I know now it was Wallace.

I've always loved the woods and mountains; and spent decades on the railroads. And corporate histories fascinate me...how all these railroad companies came, and some went, and some others merged...the stories behind them. I've worked on the Denver & Rio Grande; on the Great Northern's High Line (both with a contractor team) and then on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern (took a train, every workday, over the viaduct that replaced the Ashtabula River Bridge that collapsed killing 92 people) and the original New York Central mainline into Buffalo. Then, the Soo Line's property from Saulte Ste Marie to Green Bay, and then again the Soo, between Minneapolis and Huron, SD.

Then on to Montana. There, the story ends for me. But, to me, recreational time as a kid, was spent in pine forests, or in rowboats or canoes, or later, camping trips in northern conifer forests.

Got off-topic here, but, yeah. Frankly, since I've got a tiny economy car, a trip to Lookout is just less than 10 bucks in fuel; and for an off-topic reason, the car is fully depreciated. Branded title now. So mileage doesn't matter.

I'll see if I can get some photos, if it happens.
 
foolsgold said:
Biked 261 miles in the last 31 days, much of flat pavement. Progress not perfection, tired today will get back at it tomorrow.
Click to expand...
That great. That's a little over 8 miles a day,

That's a good amount to riding everyday, because 8 miles doesn't take that long and that makes it easier to stay consistent with it.
......and when it comes to any exercise, being consistent about it is the key to success.

I don't know what you had been getting on your old bike, but when I first started riding as an adult again, that was what I started with. Four miles in the morning to work, and four back home.
....and one longer ride of 15-20 miles on one of my days off.

In about six months or so I lost close to 40 lbs.

Had been really close to 200lbs, but decided that's somewhere I was never going to go. So I bought a bike and fixed the problem.

Now I average 8-15 a day and do one big ride once a week.

All during covid though, I was doing it twice a week.


Whatever you do, you know what your new "job #1" is now, right?

It's to wear out that new bike. Lol
 
Last night my upper back (scapula) and shoulders were very sore. I got a decent 6 hours of sleep though and the soreness was 99% gone this morning.

I jogged a mile at the track this morning. Post jog, I'm noticing some soreness where the hamstrings meet the glutes. I assume that's partly from the Horse Stance and Wall sit yesterday and partly from my jogging and stretching this morning.

In any event, I think I'm going to take a rest day. Scapula's aren't sore presently, but they do feel tight.
 
Viking said:
Pedal, pedal assist & electric. I just use the 100% electric mode.
Click to expand...
I saw a guy not too long ago pushing one because the battery died and it was too hard for him to pedal it like a regular bike.

It was one of those that look kind of like a dirt bike with pedals. Apparently they are on the heavy side.

My bike's battery lasts forever, never needs charging and is always at 100%
 
I tried the e-bike thingy.

The "pedal assist" one that I had...a conventional diamond frame...frankly, it was too hard for me to stop with, to reach down with my foot when stopped. Believe me, the seat was set up right, with my leg almost-but-not-quite straight on the bottom of the stroke.

Still too tall. A smaller frame put the steering yoke too close.

The step-through frames are heavier; and anyway, this one was used (112 miles!) in great shape, great price. But I got tired of near-panic at every stop. AND frankly, it didn't seem to make things that much easier for me.

I could have bought a full-electric model with the for-show crank...but, why am I riding? For the health benefits. SO...JUST FLIPPIN' PEDAL! I do, and the conventional bike fits me; and it's lighter on the car carrier.

Also: My new lease prohibits charging an e-bike in the house. There's no carport here and no electrical box outside. And I don't want to have to worry about being caught in violation of the lease...
 
Pain report

This morning I jogged a mile at the track.

(later)

Crucifix Crunch - 1 set of 15 reps just to get the abs warmed up.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Today I again positioned my arms at about 80 degrees - just shy of perpendicular to the ground. This time, my lower back stayed firmly on the floor. My back was up from the floor, but just barely. It stayed off the floor until I finished breath 21. I finished out to breath 30 with shoulders up.
Form 2 - I kept my feet about 8 to 10 inches off the floor and my lower back flat on the floor. My abs were feeling the burn immediately as I started Form 2. It was a little bit of a struggle to keep the abs tight and the lower back on the floor, but I managed to do it.
Form 3 - I kept the kicking as low to the ground as I could while keeping the lower back on the floor. Finished 30 breaths and my abs were happy to release the tension.

Side planks - I did my reps a bit faster than the slow pace I normally do them as I have better control over my form now.
Right side - Shoulder popped through the first 5 reps or so then got quiet. I reached 20 and realized there was plenty in the tank so I decided to push to 30 reps today. At rep 25 though, my shoulder started to signal pain and by the time I finished rep 30, my right shoulder was screaming in pain. The pain subsided quickly once I sat up though.
Left side - Shoulder did not popped for the first couple of reps and got quiet. I was determined to do 30 reps just like my right side, but I hit muscle failure after rep 22 and I'm not even sure which muscle or muscle groups were primarily responsible. My shoulder was in pain and I couldn't hold a plank position with balance. Oblique would not lift up for rep 23. Rats. I rested a little and then pushed out another 10 good reps.

Horse Stance - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
I find the correct spinal position (hips thrusted forward) right away today. Quads burn started around breath 25 or so. Knees started to tremble very slightly around breath 40 and the burn in the quads starts to accelerate hard at this point. From breath 50 to 60, with every breath the pain/burn/shaking got progressively more intense. I was very relieved to stand when finished breath 60. The burning/pain was intense, but maybe slightly less than the last time I did it two days ago. (Slightly less than immense is still a lot)

(short rest)

Wall Sit - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
I sit into good position immediately today. Quads start burning almost right away Burning ramps up with each successive breath. I keep breathing. Around breath 45, I notice that my knees are not vibrating/shaking even thought the burning in my legs is incredibly intense (more that what I experienced with the Horse Stance today). I make it to 60 breaths and shimmy up the wall to standing position. Pain!

(break for lunch - to be continued later)
 
Pain report p2

Bottom Push Up Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
I get into position - core tight and straight. All felt good through breath 17 or so. By breath 21, I can feel my triceps starting to weaken. I try to push as long as possible and almost forget to continue breathing. I lasted to breath 28 before I collapsed. Triceps were the weak link today.

Bear Crawl Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
60 breaths weren't much of an issue today. Quads didn't even burn (too long a rest from the Wall Sit I'm sure). My shoulders are the weak link and only muscle group that were complaining by the end.

Iron Bridge - 1 set of 60-90 seconds is MY goal
"easy mode" straight plank bridge - shoulders start complaining almost immediately, but there is little to no vibrating today. Today I didn't focus on squeezing the glutes so much. I trusted my core to stay straight and it did - my abs are strong. Without that extra focus on the glutes, my hamstrings didn't threaten to cramp. Except for my shoulders screaming in pain, I was actually somewhat mentally relaxed while holding my core in the plank pose. At 60 breaths I realized I could go longer so I went to 70 breaths and stopped. I could have pushed longer, but my shoulders were really crying and I didn't want to push so hard that I couldn't work out tomorrow.

Active Dead Hang - Shoulder width grip today. Started strong and thought I'd push to at least 30 today. At breath 15 or so, I started feeling weakness all over (back, shoulders). I lasted 21 breaths and hit muscle failure. Feels like I've regressed a bit, but I'm pretty sure it's just a consequence of the muscles being a bit tired from the last three previous exercises.
 
Last edited:
foolsgold said:
Did 14.13 miles on a quiet country road with very few cars. Garmin tracks my activity....

View attachment 20738
Click to expand...
What's the speed limit on your quiet country roads?

Around here the country roads are like 70mph. At least the two lane Farm to Market's are. Those I stay off of. lol No shoulder on most of 'em.
 
Joe King said:
What's the speed limit on your quiet country roads?

Around here the country roads are like 70mph. At least the two lane Farm to Market's are. Those I stay off of. lol No shoulder on most of 'em.
Click to expand...
30 MPH. It's a windy, twisty road with many ups and downs. For the entire 14 miles I was only over taken by one car. The road has no shoulder.

Joe King what bike do you have?
 
foolsgold said:
30 MPH
Click to expand...
That's a good speed limit. I like 30mph cars.



foolsgold said:
It's a windy, twisty road with many ups and downs. For the entire 14 miles I was only over taken by one car. The road has no shoulder.
Click to expand...
That sounds nice.

My daily stuff is mostly all city streets. Even at 3am I'd never have a case of only one car passing me. Must be nice.

I have mtb trails here too that I sometimes ride.

Not as often as I used to, but I would like to get back to riding them more.

Mtb'ing is a lot of fun.

My weekly "big" ride is a mix of residential streets, some mixed use off-road paved trails, a dirt/gravel road that leads to the edge of the inner city.

From there it's through downtown streets including through the party district.
....and yes, it's hoppin' on a Sunday night at 1am down there. A lotta eye candy walkin' around down there sometimes too.

So it's a pretty good variety of areas the ride covers.

The gravel part alone is 11 miles of it, and has no traffic at all and no cross streets the whole way. You can just ride. That's be the closest I have to what you describe your ride as being.
....but in that area ya have to watch out for wild hogs sometimes, and skunks a lot of the time. Lol

Coyotes too, but they are usually in the residential areas. I've only ever heard them in that area. Never seen any.

Had a coyote follow me for two blocks in a residential area about a year and a half ago at 2am. It approached to within 10' of me. Didn't do anything, but it was certainly interested in me and showed no fear of me.

I think someone had to have been feeding it. All the other coyotes I've seen want nothing to do with ya and will run the other way soon as they see me.

Saw a bobcat once on that ride, too.
.....but have seen several on the local mtb trails.


Usually get to see some trains too, and there's always some sirens, and more often than not, some gunshots too. Usually in the distance though. Lol.
...but not always.

There was one night not long ago that I ran into a guy and his girl walking around out there.

Was a young couple. They said they'd never been there before and they didn't seem like they knew where they were even going, and were being kind of vague as to why they were out there.

It'd be like a two mile walk in the dark to get to where they were at.
.....but I noticed that they had a blanket with them. So I just figured they were looking for a place to do some outdoor public shaggin'. Lol

Gotta say though, it'd prolly be a good area for it. Don't see many people out there. They likely had enough privacy for it.

At least once I was gone. Lol

I just told 'em to watch out for ticks and snakes in the high grass, wished 'em well and rode on.



foolsgold said:
Joe King what bike do you have?
Click to expand...

I have a cheap Trek hybrid dual sport. It's not too old, but nowhere near as nice as your bike. You got yourself a really nice one. Im sure you enjoy it. There's nothing quite like a new bike that'll make a person want to out there and ride more.
 
For 20+ years I rode the Specialized Expedition, which I am realizing now wasn't a good fit for me, LOL. I'm 70+ years old and I decided to treat myself to a nice bike. You can't take it with you.

I live north of NYC near the PA border. Lots of woods sparcely populated areas. Very hilly, I am 240lbs hills are hard for me, but I do them anyway.
 

Attachments

  • 20260810_151139 (1).jpg
    346.7 KB · Views: 0
Last edited:
foolsgold said:
For 20+ years I rode the Specialized Expedition, which I am realizing now wasn't a good fit for me, LOL. I'm 70+ years old and I decided to treat myself to a nice bike. You can't take it with you.
Click to expand...
Since you got it, are you riding more?


foolsgold said:
I live north of NYC near the PA border. Lots of woods sparcely populated areas. Very hilly, I am 240lbs hills are hard for me, but I do them anyway.
Click to expand...
It may not seem like it at the time you are working to get up 'em, but those hills are your best friends. Lol

Around here, it's fairly flat, but there are some hills. Trees in the city, but that gravel road is 100% unshaded.
....and in +100 degree heat, it can be brutal. Which is why I typically only ride it at night.

Are you trying to drop weight by riding more?

When I started, I was a hair under 200 and made a pact with myself that I was not going there.

That's when I bought a bike and started riding to work.

Dropped to about 160 in about 6 months time by riding 8 miles a day, and one longer ride on the weekend that was about the same distance as what you are saying you are riding. Ie: 15-20 mile range through local neighborhoods.

I also took care to not increase my calorie consumption when I started riding.
.....and over the long run, I decreased it. *

That's a biggie if you are trying to lose any weight.

Especially when upping your level of activity, because it'll make you hungry. Your body will want you to put those calories that you just burned, back in.

I've seen so many people who will go burn a ton of calories on an mtb ride, just to stop at the BBQ place on the way home and put twice as many back in.

Then wonder why they can't lose weight.

I love me some good bbq too, but ya gotta be careful not to be eating more than is being burned.


* A work day lunch before I started riding might have been a double quarter pounder, lg fries, lg drink, apple pie and maybe a filet o fish sandwich too. Plus a couple refills on the drink.

These days I couldn't come close to eating that much in one sitting.

Now if I hit a McDonald's, it's only a regular double cheese burger, sm fries, sm drink, and I'm full.
 
pmbug said:
Replace sodas with water if you have the will power.
Click to expand...
That should be a first, SOP behavior modification.

There is NOTHING...GOOD...in those things. The YUUGE amounts of corn sweetener. The coloring and flavoring.

Caffeine, if you need it, is cheaper and healthier in a cup of coffee. And...here's a little tip that seems to be lost in modern life.

You remember the heyday of Western cowboy movies? Just past the Spaghetti-Western period; where for a brief time, the studios took it seriously.

A standard trope was, noon on the cattle drive, or whatever...standing around a campfire, having a cup of coffee. In the hot summer sun.

Modern perspective, says, Why are you drinking something HOT in that heat? Well...here's a shocker...it was for me...to learn that the hot beverage is actually refreshing. Now, I know little of the diet of actual cowhands in that period - coffee was a luxury to many of them - but I can say, it goes well. That is, so long as you're not actually feeling literal heat-exhaustion and aren't dehydrated.

So, cut the sodas out. Save money. Be healthy. Keep water in your car, on your bike.

Sadly, it's really hard these days to find a traditional canteen. All these Woked idiots want to CARRY designer water bottles. In the Boy Scouts, the real Boy Scouts, not the Woke Ghey Scouts of today...one thing they taught us right off, is, only a tenderfoot n00b carries anything with his hands. On a belt, a pack, a strap over your shoulder.

I have three canteens, and I keep water in the car and on my bicycle. Always.
 
-Since you got it, are you riding more?
Yes, I would ride again today if there wasn;t some much stuff I have to do.

- Replace sodas with water if you have the will power.
I mainly drink carbonated water, black coffee and whole milk.

I would like to get my weight down to 21-200lbs.

Come November outdoor riding will become impossible. I will purchase a wheel-off trainer to continue "riding" indoors.
 
Last edited:
Sounds like you are on the right path to achieve your goal.

Just be consistently persistent about it.
....or is it persistently consistent?

Either way, just do it. Lol

No matter what though, losing weight (if one wants to keep it off) requires permanently changing at least some daily lifestyle habits.

Because our habits are what has resulted in us being the weight we currently are.

Stick with it, and you shall overcome. It just takes time.
 
I forgot to mention that yesterday, while walking to the track, allergies hit me hard and my nose started oozing mucus uncontrollably. I didn't have any tissues and was just dripping snot and it was gross. Yesterday also happened to be the first day of school for the school campus where the track I'm using is located. The road was congested with a parking lot full of cars - parents dropping their kids off. It was embarrassing. Fortunately, the mucus stopped (for the rest of the day) shortly after I started jogging.

Pain report

This morning I jogged a mile at the track (no allergy attack today).

(later)

Crucifix Crunch - Today I did 3 sets of 15 reps. It's been a while since I did 3 sets and near the end of set 1, I could feel the abs working, so I thought maybe they were missing the full routine. During set 2, the abs were complaining a bit and my (lower) spine was popping a bit (not painful, just loud). Set 3 was easy, but the last 2 reps actually took some effort (to do properly without momentum). When I stopped doing 3 full sets, this was so easy that 3 sets seemed like a waste of time. But it seems that slacking off isn't an option if I want to keep the abs in top shape.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Today I positioned my arms perpedicular to the floor at 90 degrees. I could barely get my back off the floor, but I did manage it by maybe an inch. It stayed off the floor until I finished breath 16. I finished out to breath 30 with shoulders up.
Form 2 - I kept my feet really low to the floor today - maybe 3-4 inches off the floor - and my lower back flat on the floor. My abs were straining and I had to mentally focus to keep them tight. The abs never really burned, but they worked and were feeling sore. I finished 30 breaths without letting the lower back arch off the floor.
Form 3 - As soon as I started kicking, the lower back started to arch. I had to raise the legs/feet a bit higher in the air to keep the lower back on the floor. I finished 30 breaths and my abs feel sore, but a good soreness like they did work. I did not experience any burning pain while doing the Forms though.

Side planks
Right side - Everything felt smooth today. No shoulder popping. Good form. Controlled movements (no momentum). At rep 18, I could feel the oblique starting to struggle to lift to full plank position. I stopped at 20 reps. The right shoulder did not signal any pain today. Nice.
Left side - Like with the right side, the left shoulder did not pop today. Today, the left side felt good too - good form, controlled movements and I could feel the oblique working. The olbique felt strong today and could have gone beyond 20 reps, but I stopped and it's just as well because the left shoulder was signalling pain as I finished the last couple of reps.

Horse Stance - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
I find the correct spinal position (hips thrusted forward) right away (again) today. I really focused on keeping the pelvis rotated to keep the lower spine vertical and my knees over my ankles. Without focus, the pelvis tends to relax and the knees move inward. Around breath breath 40, the knees start to shake and by breath 45 they are really shaking. The burning pain is getting intense. At breath 50, the knees are really shaking badly and I'm not sure I will make it to 60. Did I mention that the burning pain is intense? Breath 55 and I'm seeing black dots in my field of vision (sort of). I reach breath 60, put hands on my knees and try to stand up and it takes extreme effort. I almost couldn't do it. Legs are jello.

Wall Sit - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
Almost identical to yesterday - good form, intense burn, no knee shaking/vibrating, wall shimmy to stand up at the end. Burning was maybe slightly less intense than yesterday.

(lunch time - will have to finish later today)
 
Runners kleenex = finger one nostril and blow the other out. Rinse and repeat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…