Cycling / Running - Logs, Stories, & Pictures (any fellow cyclists or runners here?)

[Tex]

Cycling / Running - Logs, Stories, & Pictures (any fellow cyclists or runners here?)

Hi folks!

For the past 3 months I have been working out and getting into the best shape of my life. One of the things I love to do for a workout is running and now cycling. I was curious if anyone in the community shares either of these passions?

I thought we could use this thread to share info and pictures about our physical activities and perhaps share distance logs. For myself, I am training mainly for a marathon next year in March. I just bought a new bicycle to cross train on and I'm having a blast with it. Since I bought the bike, I've already put over 100 miles on it and this weekend I'm planning a 64 mile ride out to a small town South-West of me in Liverpool, Texas.


To track my runs and rides, I use an app on my Android phone called 'Endomondo'. If you have a smart phone and are interested in tracking your workouts, I highly recommend this app. My last long ride was 44 miles total distance with an average speed of 14.6 mph and top speed reaching 31.7 mph.

 

[Scav]

Two trucks in the driveway. Yup, it's Texas!

...just kidding.

On topic: I walk my son to school every weekday morning. Gets me exercise and time with him. What could be better?

 

[Jarvitä]

I try to "work out" without inducing undue body stress - there is overwhelming evidence to the point that our bodies evolved for prolonged periods of low-intensity work, not bursts of high-energy exercise. To that end, I try to spend an hour a day gardening, and two hours walking barefoot at a pace of around 6 km/h over varied, unpaved terrain. I also live on a semi-[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet"]paleolithic diet[/ame] with moderate caloric restriction, which we've spent around 2 million years adopting to and, combined with a low-intensity exercise plan, is the most efficient way to stay in shape without hurting your longevity prospects.

 

[T.Neo]

I also live on a semi-paleolithic diet

The "paleolithic diet" makes no sense. While there were obviously some similarities in the diets of paleolithic humans, they varied wildly based on location. People in some areas subsisted off of meat, others off of fruits, tubers or berries, and yet others off of fish and seafood, or a mixed combination of any. There isn't one single "paleolithic diet", just as there isn't a "21st century diet".

 

[Grover]

at the moment i have to do a half hour cycle to get to the train station (to go to uni) and another half hour cycle at the end of the day to get back. both times having to climb a (roughly) 100ft hill, which is especially steep on the morning run

and a while ago i did go to the gym alot, but since moving house ive not done too much except cycle to college/train station/uni

 

[Jarvitä]

The "paleolithic diet" makes no sense. While there were obviously some similarities in the diets of paleolithic humans, they varied wildly based on location. People in some areas subsisted off of meat, others off of fruits, tubers or berries, and yet others off of fish and seafood, or a mixed combination of any. There isn't one single "paleolithic diet", just as there isn't a "21st century diet".

There were variations, mostly in the caloric distribution, but the basics are the same: fat-bias, plenty of fruit, nuts, no grains, no salt, no processed sugar or oils.

The point is not to live like a stone-age human, just to eat what our digestive systems have adapted to us eating. I still take a ton of nutritional supplements for DHA and omega-3 fats, and vitamin D.

 

[SandroSalgueiro]

Cycling every week to the airport for flying lessons. The round trip takes me 2 hours, but it can be as fun as flying lol

 

[T.Neo]

There were variations, mostly in the caloric distribution, but the basics are the same: fat-bias, plenty of fruit, nuts, no grains, no salt, no processed sugar or oils.

Please tell "plenty of fruit" to the Inuit. Or tell your generalised "paleolithic diet plan" to a whole lot of other groups of people whose traditional diet doesn't fit into it.

People ate what was available to them, there's no one diet that humans are "adapted" for. There's a difference between a particular diet and a set of dietary requirements (and fulfilling those tends to be more about eating certain foods, rather than avoiding certain foods).

And humans have been eating grains for at least 8000 years, if not longer. The pleistocene is a long time ago.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

I rollerblade about 4-5 hours every Saturday, and cover about 20-25 miles in that time.
Haven't ridden my bike much lately, but Sacramento has a nice set of trails along the waterways of the region. Bike lanes, though, are less common.

 

[Jarvitä]

And humans have been eating grains for at least 8000 years, if not longer. The pleistocene is a long time ago.

Evolution doesn't work that fast, especially not on a species that has largely outgrown natural selection.

Please tell "plenty of fruit" to the Inuit. Or tell your generalised "paleolithic diet plan" to a whole lot of other groups of people whose traditional diet doesn't fit into it.

I'd assign a very high probability to the hypothesis that I'm more closely related to populations that ate fruit and nuts in the paleolithic than the Inuit.

 

[Grover]

can i add 30 mins of mad drum session per day? you cant imagine how tiring that is

 

[T.Neo]

Evolution doesn't work that fast, especially not on a species that has largely outgrown natural selection.

I wonder what the incidence of lactose intolerance was 8000 years ago. :hmm:

We have also only "outgrown" natural selection in the last few hundred years- and that's only some of us anyway.

I'd assign a very high probability to the hypothesis that I'm more closely related to populations that ate fruit and nuts in the paleolithic than the Inuit.

The Inuit are likely much more closely related to people of your "fruit and nut eating" stereotype then you might think.

Diets and lifestyles change. Humans are not specialist organisms.

 

[DanM]

I'm into running and cycling. I usual ride a 1985 Schwinn World Sport. The farthest I have ridden is about 30 miles and I've ran about 3 miles, so nothing particularly special. My best mile time is about 7:20.

 

[Notebook]

I mostly have a beer free diet....

N.

 

[Tex]

There were variations, mostly in the caloric distribution, but the basics are the same: fat-bias, plenty of fruit, nuts, no grains, no salt, no processed sugar or oils.

Actually whole grains are one of the most important staples for a healthy diet. Eating enough whole grain and fiber on a daily basis has many health benefits. Eating no whole grains at all is not good. Supplements could help, but nothing beats whole foods. Plenty of fruit is good, don't forget vegetables (4-5 servings a day), and of course low sodium and little to no processed sugars is best.

I'm into running and cycling. I usual ride a 1985 Schwinn World Sport. The farthest I have ridden is about 30 miles and I've ran about 3 miles, so nothing particularly special. My best mile time is about 7:20.

Excellent! I'm running about 6 miles in one hour flat now, but I am training for a half marathon, right about 13 miles. So, I've got more work to do!

 

[Unstung]

I often, or daily, bike 12+ miles during the summer and start again when the weather becomes cooler outside near the winter so it's easier to go any time of day. It's much cheaper and not necessarily a racing bike but optimized for the road; however, I can average at least 15 MPH with some practice again.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

I wonder what the incidence of lactose intolerance was 8000 years ago. :hmm:

Depends on what area of the world you lived in. If you were in an area where domesticated animals produced milk, you would be far more likely to me lactose tolerant. That is why Europeans and the peoples of the Middle East are far more likely to be lactose tolerant.

On a different tack, my bike is a Bridgestone 300 with Shimano SPD pedals. I have ridden it on two 65 mile rides, at least 5 50 mile rides, and innumerable shorter rides.
I don't run, but I do hike. Often on backpacking trips, we will do 10 miles a day.

 

[DanM]

Only O-F can turn a discussion on running and cycling into an intellectual conversation on lactose intolerance in prehistory.

 

[Tex]

On a different tack, my bike is a Bridgestone 300 with Shimano SPD pedals. I have ridden it on two 65 mile rides, at least 5 50 mile rides, and innumerable shorter rides.

I'm not familiar with the bike, but I have Shimano SPD pedals as well. Just upgraded after starting with the regular strap pedals. Huge difference they made!

Nice mileage on those rides! I hope to get over 100 miles in a day eventually. There is a sweet ride I mapped out that comes to 118 miles... Some day!

 

[MaverickSawyer]

It's a pretty sturdy aluminum frame bike my dad picked up at a yard sale for about $10 nearly 8 years ago.