Author Topic: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge  (Read 7874 times)

KiwiSonya

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 274
Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« on: November 22, 2014, 05:29:56 PM »
Huff, puff. Legs like jelly. But I did it! Have been a member for not quite a month but bought myself a bike and helmet and hit the roads for the first time in nearly a decade. I used to love biking in my Uni days but with little kids I am often a car clown these days.
But Mmm promises transformation via biking and that's what I'm after. Be gone, spare tire round my middle and chunky thighs. Have also bought a free weight set and started eating Paleo-ish and am feeling great. My kids can't wait to be able to come biking with me. Want to get my confidence up first before buying a trailer and taking the whole family. I live on Wellington,  NZ which is a super hilly city so have plenty of biking challenges ahead. Quite proud of myself if I can be so bold...

bigalsmith101

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 518
  • Age: 37
  • Location: Lake Stevens, WA
  • Yes, that's really my face.
    • No Jobs, No Responsibilities, No Better Time then Now
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2014, 07:28:11 PM »
Yes! A success story in the making. Keep it up!

I don't know your financial situation, or how much biking will transform your life, but check out MMM's electric bike hub that he installed. Makes ripping up those hills a bit easier! If you're pulling a trailer with your kiddos in it, around the hills of NZ, it could be the key to even more awesomeness!

But only if you need it!

Exflyboy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8402
  • Age: 62
  • Location: Corvallis, Oregon
  • Expat Brit living in the New World..:)
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2014, 09:10:08 PM »
great.. but if you are really out of shape.. take it eeeaasy..:)

You can seriously hurt yourself if you over do it.. people have put themselves in hospital working out too hard after a long layoff.

Frank

PtboEliz

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 146
  • Age: 47
  • Location: East of Toronto
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2014, 09:11:34 PM »
Nice job KS :)
Slow and steady wins the race - you can do it! Really, you've done the hardest part already by getting started. Keep us updated with your progress!

KiwiSonya

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 274
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2014, 11:45:55 PM »
Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I rode downhill to the fruit and vege markets (a very fast 5 mins) and had to push the bike a good portion of the way back up the hill. My short term aim is to master getting up that hill! We have lots of road cyclists in our area and a heap of mountain bike tracks too - there seems to be a great cycle culture that I wasn't previously aware of. There is a group that mentors rookie cyclists and they can assign you a buddy to get you on the right track. Will definitely be taking up those opportunities. After the markets I came back home then cycled 5km to the coast and then back. A few hours later I realized we had run out of coffee and was pleasantly surprised that it was a 5 min trip on bike rather than 20 min walking. Did the coast road again late afternoon  to make a total of about 20 km cycling today. Luckily was able to follow all that exertion with a nap and a hot bath. I will be careful not to be too silly.  I trained as a personal trainer in my youth so know my physical limits. Am excited to draw parallels between getting in shape physically and financially - same discipline and training of muscles required!  Might start a journal so I can keep you posted. Thanks again.

MoneyCat

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1752
  • Location: New Jersey
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #5 on: November 23, 2014, 06:55:45 AM »
Congrats on the start of your journey!  One thing I realized when I took up cycling again was that this was how I traveled everywhere as a kid and I did just fine in those days.  The exercise helps generate endorphins, so as you build up your body it will feel really good to get out there on your bike.  My body actually craves it these days.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

PtboEliz

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 146
  • Age: 47
  • Location: East of Toronto
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2014, 06:57:07 AM »
20km in a day is no small feat!
Don't worry about walking hills, we all do it... just aim
to progress a little more and before you know it you'll
be feeling stronger and getting some lovely definition in your quads!
Very cool about that mentor program too.

2ndTimer

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4607
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #7 on: November 24, 2014, 09:06:37 AM »
Congratulations on your new frugal activity.  Sounds like you are making some new friends too.  Wish you would start a journal to keep us up on your adventures.

flashpacker

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 100
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #8 on: November 24, 2014, 10:29:48 AM »
good on you! As a fellow kiwi, I will say biking in Wellington will be a workout!!

KiwiSonya

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 274
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #9 on: November 25, 2014, 12:15:40 AM »
Thanks for the encouragement everyone.  I was expecting to wake up sore for the next day or two but nothing.  Just an itch to get back on the bike. Sadly I don't have unlimited time due to two kids under 5 but will get out as much as I can. They'd love to have rides in a bike trailer and I've seen good ones for sale on our version of Craigslist but my family have been giving me negative feedback. When I mentioned the trailer idea my mum shrieked as if to suggest I was going to feed my kids to the lions at the local zoo. Have any of you encountered this? Am thinking once I get fitter and could actually haul their body weight and mine that I might just do it anyway and not tell anyone...

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23129
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #10 on: November 25, 2014, 09:27:49 AM »
Tip of the helmet to the OP!

MashedBanana

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 64
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #11 on: December 03, 2014, 01:36:36 AM »
Yay!! I'm in chch and have just started biking too!! Keep it up. I do understand your family's hesitation to the bike trailer for the kids, my guess is that they don't trust that car drivers are safe with bikes

UnleashHell

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8881
  • Age: 56
  • Location: Florida
  • Chapter IV - A New ... er.. something
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #12 on: December 03, 2014, 08:47:00 AM »
fed your mum to the lions and carry on biking?


Good work. the way to make it easier is to keep on doing it!

KiwiSonya

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 274
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #13 on: December 03, 2014, 02:36:46 PM »
Thanks guys. I'm managing to fit in a couple of rides a week and looking forward to doing more in the Christmas holidays. Christchurch is a great spot for biking as you don't get the hills and wind. It is amazing how much you notice on a bike and how far you can get compared to walking/running.  I thought I might add a bit of geocaching into the mix to make my rides a bit more interesting. It seems that Sunday is the most popular biking day around here as their are no big trucks heading to and from the dump to contend with. I feel like a kid again when I'm on my bike with the wind in my hair which is something I haven't felt in a long time.

gooki

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2917
  • Location: NZ
    • My FIRE journal
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #14 on: December 05, 2014, 06:58:34 PM »
Good stuff, are your legs feeling stronger?

I ride around Christchurch with my kids in the trailer. Get your fitness up, then start doing short trips with just one child. And then once your comfortably dragging on kid around throw in the second one.

The only thing you have to watch out for with a trailer is that you can't squeeze past cars as easily, so sometimes you just have to wait in line, rather than squeezing your way to the front of the que.

FWIW, at age five your kids are probably getting too big for the cheap trailers, so I'd recommend you try before you buy.

KiwiSonya

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 274
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #15 on: December 07, 2014, 01:51:41 AM »
Thanks Gooki, sound advice. Yes the legs are getting stronger and calves getting back a little definition that I thought was long gone ( oh my vanity). Luckily my nearly 5 year old is a lite weight but his brother is more of a bruiser. My next door neighbour has just this evening fitted a kids bike seat onto the back of my bike so we'll have some fun running errands with that. I'm enjoying some encouraging words from the lycra brigade as they whizz past me and everyone seems to say hello as a minimum which you don't get with other forms of transportation.  Cycling rocks !

Goldielocks

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7062
  • Location: BC
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #16 on: December 07, 2014, 09:50:29 AM »
Way to go!  Happy dance for you.

Keep it up for two weeks and you will be amazed at the difference.  One month and you will wonder why you were ever concerned.

You don't need to be an ideal weight to be fit and strong to complete many physical tasks. 
That is my new objective -- have a body that can DO everything I want it to, easily, rather than an image or dress size.

smiller257

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 47
  • Age: 61
  • Location: Panama City Beach, FL
  • Enjoys lifestyle freedom & financial independence
    • We Retired Early
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #17 on: December 07, 2014, 10:03:14 AM »
Great decision to start on the bike. Last year I decided to challenge myself to ride 50 miles (80 km) and accomplished my goal (see my blog about it: https://webetripping.wordpress.com/2013/11/01/mission-bike-a-half-century-50-miles/).

Then this year my youngest son (19 years old) asked if we could do a 50 mile challenge together. We trained for 10 weeks and accomplished our goal, finishing the ride in 3 hours (45 minutes faster than when I did it myself).

I was looking at the mobile app I use to track my rides (called Road Bike by Runtastic) and I have logged over 2,000 miles in 1 year.  Wow.

Keep training. You will start craving the urge to get out there. I am riding today with my wife and son and can hardly wait to get out there!

Keep us updated on your progress and best of luck!
Steve



« Last Edit: December 07, 2014, 10:06:36 AM by smiller257 »

KiwiSonya

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 274
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #18 on: December 07, 2014, 08:08:31 PM »
Thanks Steve and Goldielocks. I'm already hanging out for a ride but have to wait until kids tucked up in bed ( yay for long summer evenings). Great to set challenges Steve and involve the family. Can't wait until my boys are old enough to bike alongside me. You're so right Goldielocks about aiming for a fully functioning body rather than a dress size. I carried my hefty preschooler on my shoulders for half an hour when on a hike this morning and rather than complain about it I thought, this will help with the fitness. Small attitude changes seem to make a big difference on the mmm journey.

PtboEliz

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 146
  • Age: 47
  • Location: East of Toronto
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #19 on: January 03, 2015, 06:57:32 PM »
KS - give us an update some time when you have a minute?? Hope it's going well and you've got lots more kilometres under your belt :)

Annamal

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 429
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #20 on: January 03, 2015, 09:43:59 PM »
Hi fellow Wellingtonian =)

Congrats on the biking, hope everything is going ok.


KiwiSonya

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 274
Re: Unfit/overweight mum takes to bike in mmm challenge
« Reply #21 on: January 28, 2015, 02:05:28 AM »
Hi all, we are enjoying our best summer ever here in Wellington. I have been out on the bike lots and feeling happy negotiating traffic and obstacles.  Definitely feeling fitter in lungs and legs too. Coupled with Primal eating I'm sure I've lost a few kgs. But have hidden the scales in the attic as I have past history of fixating on the numbers. Going slow and steady this time and will let my clothes tell me how I'm going. Being on the bike has made me much more observant and every morning this week we have picked black berries from a spot I discovered on the bike. Lovin it! Ks

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!