The Overweight Person's Mental Battle with What's Possible in Fitness (Updated)

From the web, that's not me!

An interesting idea was proposed to me recently that sort of tore apart my notion of me. It was a proposal that me--a technically-obese middle-aged man--actually compete in a charity race of some sort one day. Athletic people, you see, use races as a grand way to set goals for themselves. Goals are good. Dieters have goals, why shouldn't people improving their fitness/health also have goals?

Of course, the idea of me competing in an organized race of ANY sort has NEVER, EVER been imagined by me. Not as a middle-aged man who lost much of his health to obesity, not as a younger man who once temporarily lost all his excess weight and got fit, and not as the active child who was slowed by his excess pounds. To accept this idea of competing is to challenge fundamentally the way I think of myself and what is possible.

Fitness is one part of my battle with obesity. It's also the easiest. Changing dozens of complex eating behaviours that have been ingrained in me is much, much harder and success will happen over a much longer period of time. Being successful at fitness and seeing the results quickly such as the vast improvements in my health is what encourages me to work on the much harder problem of eating behaviour.

I don't think I could successfully work on eating behaviour without being boosted by the success of fitness improvements. Now, more than ever, I'm determined to do all that I can with my body. I lost so much physical ability this time that I am hell-bent on doing everything I can to be the absolute most I can be.

Less than two years ago climbing on a bike was an incredibly daunting task for me. I was shaky, weak, and completely filled with doubt. I'll never forget that feeling because I had loved cycling so much in the past. But it was that love that got me to dreaming about getting back on once again. And now, in my mid-forties, I'm dreaming about competing in a mountain bike race one day, perhaps next year.

My weight, unfortunately, holds me back. My lack of progress on the eating front causes me to be held back on the fitness front. My cardiovascular system has improved remarkably, more than I ever imagined it could. Now I know it can improve even further. But biking up a big hill with upwards of a hundred pounds of extra fat on your body is no easy task. I have to get rid of some of that if I'm to compete in a race and not finish after everyone else has packed up their bikes and driven home.

The prospect is intimidating. I attend mountain biking classes that my son is taking and the people running it all look like Lance Armstrong. They're no couch-potato athletes. They are very fit people. Not all young, but very fit. Thin, lean, and strong.

Plus I'm new to mountain biking and it's more than fitness, there's a lot of skills to acquire. But I'm finding that I love the sport that I once poo-pooed. It's so much more unpredictable and fun that road biking.

The most fun I've had? It's going down the big hill at the local mountain biking course. Each day I try it I let myself go faster than the last. I get more nerve based on the trust I build up in myself and my bike. When I'm at the bottom, it's an incredible feeling of adrenaline and accomplishment. The first time I screamed out loud like I had just ridden the world's meanest bull for ten seconds and gracefully hopped off to the accolades of the crowd. (This is my first and last rodeo metaphor of my lifetime.)

For the diehards who mountain bike that sort of thing is not even something that would give them a thrill, I'm sure. But for me, breaking out of the confines of my own view of what's possible, it's exhilarating. That exhilaration is driving me to further reclaim James and everything that James can and should be.

Update

I completed the course with my son last night in approximately 28 minutes. I'll need to do it about 7 minutes faster to compete competently in a local race, but that's not bad. I could get there by the end of the summer if I work on it. My heart maxed out at 99% of the average maximum heart rate for my age. The problem with novice mountain biking is, with your heart pounding so fast at the top of the hill, you then have to go down the hill and have your wits about you as you go fast over rough and loose terrain. It was a tremendous feeling of accomplishment to complete the course given two years ago getting on a bicycle was as daunting as climbing Mount Everest naked. I'm going to work on getting some pounds off my body and increasing my fitness even further by doing the 4 km course a couple times per week. Each week it should be a little easier.

Love of Cycling During Childhood Never Leaves

As I rode past an elementary school and saw all the bikes parked there, a flood of childhood memories came flowing back to me. I realized more reasons why cycling is ingrained in me.

I lived quite a distance away from my elementary school, just ten feet from the line where they let kids stay for lunch over noon hour. The winter walks were sometimes brutal. When spring came and the day that I realized, "Hey, I can be taking my bike now," I was ecstatic. My little kid world changed on a dime on that annual day.

Suddenly I gained a whole bunch of power and freedom. No more was I panicked to get to school on time. I even had an extra twenty minutes to lounge around at lunch time. It was a terrific feeling of kid independence.

My nine-year-old son returned home from one of his first solo bike rides of the spring and he was filled with joy and wonder. "That was the most beautiful bike ride I've ever had," he exclaimed. He really took in the world, all the sights and smells when he was alone and free on his bike. The world was his to consume. Everything was beautiful to him on that ride, even water that was flooding a field on the edge of town.

He made me realize that I felt those same emotions when I was his age. It's the first real way a kid can be independent from their parents and observe the world on their terms.

Cycling is more than fitness. More than transportation.

James's Bicycle Buying Guide and Why You Shouldn't Buy a Department Store Bicycle!

I've learned a lot in the last year when helping friends buy used bikes on online classified ads. I've also done some buying for my family that way and from garage sales. All bikes are not made the same.

Bike enthusiasts always scoff at department store bicycles purchased from such stores as Walmart, Canadian Tire and Costco. Here's the thing: They're not being snooty, they have a very valid point. Department store bikes are crap. They're not even a get-what-you-pay-for value.

Even the expensive ones are crap. I'd say the more expensive the department store bike, the less value you're getting. Don't be fooled by features such as front and rear suspension or number of speeds (gears.) All these features are poorly made and added just to appeal to consumers. The features are valid, if they are a quality component put on quality bike.

Your local bike shop will only sell quality bikes. Although I am concerned with the quality of components they put on childrens' bikes that cost almost as much as adult bikes these days. (Tip: Upgrade the rear derailleur to something better before you walk out the door.)

The problem with department store bikes

There are two problems. The first is that the people assembling them may not know or care about what they are doing.

A friend bought a fairly expensive comfort bike at Canadian Tire last year that had bent wheels rims, a front wheel that wasn't attached securely, a chain that was several inches too long (and kept falling off, which is dangerous in traffic if you're putting your weight on the pedals expecting there to be resistances), and brake pads that were so poorly aligned, they were certain to fail in an emergency. Most of these problems were a result of poor assembly by their bike person. It may be possible that you could luck out and get someone at one of these stores who knows and cares about what they are doing, but I wouldn't take my chances.

When we returned the bike to complain, the sporting goods manager was rude and completely unapologetic. A bike store--ANY bike store--would have been appalled if a bike left the store in that condition. Even more speciality chain stores like Sport Chek (owned by Canadian Tire) does a thorough check of their bikes before they leave the store and they have to sign off on them. They have bike mechanics that are more capable there and the bikes are a bit better than big box store bikes. If you have a problem, it's easier to get it addressed in a store like that.

Walmart bikes supposedly arrive at the store pre-assembled but the assembly of those bikes is poor, too, from what I've seen.

The second problem with department store bikes is the bikes themselves, even the ones that supposedly retail for hundreds of dollars. I saw one at Canadian Tire on sale for $450 from $700. The bikes there are priced to be on sale for hundreds off or half price. If you do go there, never pay a non-sale price.

Department store bikes are poorly made, with poor materials and components. They won't last long before needing attention. Local bike shops make their living off of repairing and tuning department store bikes.

Even department store bikes that advertise aluminium frames are made with worse (less rigid and more heavy) aluminium than bike shop bikes. A lighter bike is easier to store and less effort to ride.

Components such as wheels are REALLY cheaply made and they will go out of true (bend) quite easily. Maybe even before you get home. They're single-walled, not double-walled so they're weaker, plus, they're just cheaply made all around. A wobbly wheel will mean your brakes won't work well and you'll lose a lot of energy because of the warbling. 

Shifters and dérailleurs are the cheapest possible on department store bikes. You will have problems shifting gears in no time.

What should you do if you can't afford a new bike at a bike shop?

Check your local online classifieds for used bike shop bikes. You can usually find a good deal if you're patient. Find out the brands the bike shops sell in your area and look for those brands. It may require a tune up at your local bike shop, but you'll be far better off in the long run than by buying a department store bike.

If you buy a department store bike, you're better off buying the cheapest ones available with the least features (avoid ones with suspension because they'll be too poorly made for the price.) Then when it breaks, get your bike shop to replace some parts with real parts that will last. The name Shimano on your bike means nothing. They make components that cost five dollars and some that cost five hundred. Shimano makes quality products but they do now make absolute crap for department store bikes that is completely worthless.