John’s Ramblings

I was “pinged” in Facebook by a fellow cyclist to disclose my weight loss program. Since you can’t write but a few dozen words on someone’s wall, I’ll put my story here for posterity.

Understanding that everyone is different, and what works for one fellow does not work for another, here is the scoop:

When I started exercising in January of 2005, I had let myself go until I weighed close to 280 pounds. I managed to take off about 25 pounds over the course of a year through spin classes, weight machines in the gym, and riding outside. Many of the folks in the spin group set a goal of riding in the RSVP in August 2005. I made it, but it was a mighty painful journey. Since then, I’ve continued to put in more and more miles (if riding 1000+ miles is good, then riding 3, 4, or 5000 in a year is better, right?). Because I was riding year round, I was also carb-loading year round. My body adapted to the increased output by demanding increased input. Consequently, I’ve been stuck around 250 for a couple of years.

In prior off-seasons I took the “ride and ride” approach, but no matter how many soggy miles I put in, I really got “nowhere” in terms of real improvement to my cycling ability.  two years ago a did a few months with a coach from Cycle U.  Last year I did a 14 week High Intensity Training session with a dozen other cyclists in one person’s garage. Great cycling-specific workouts, but no shift in my body composition. Bottom line is your body can easily adjust to more and more mileage, while only making subtle physical changes.

This year I decided to “divorce the saddle” to some extent, and try something completely different to shock the metabolism. I chose kettlebell training because it appeared to build overall strength and tone without bulk, and it’s very old-school, Rocky IV in nature (according to the January cover of Men’s Health Magazine, Lance A. has followed my lead!).  I tried 3 different trainers until I found the combination of location and motivation that worked for me, and I see that person once a week. Finally, the trainer put me on the “warp-speed-fat-loss” diet, which is a very high-protein/low carb affair of very tightly controlled portions.

The results: I have lost 16 pounds in a little over a month.  My body is starting to build some lean muscle mass, and my core is way, way stronger than it has probably ever been.  I still have quite a way to go, to be sure.  Although I haven’t lost but a pound in the last week, changes continue to manifest themselves as my waist shrinks, and my arms & legs get more tone.  I went to California a couple of weeks ago, taking my bike along.  I rode the 55 mile loop of the Tour de Palm Springs, and definitely felt the difference in my power-to-weight ratio on the hills of the Coachella Valley.

The downside:  Last year, while I was heavier and less in “shape”, I was able to complete the 100 mile loop of the same bike ride.  Perhaps I could have done the same this year, but I doubt it.  My long-range endurance is way off the mark, and my ass was quite sore after the 55.  “No Mas”, and Roberto Duran said.

Now it becomes a matter of starting the cycling training again while maintaining the kettlebell/diet regime.  I’m setting a rough timeline of Memorial Day weekend, since I have a 3 day ride planned then (including 100 miles on day 1).  So it will likely be kettlebell workouts 3 days a week (Tues, Thurs, Sat), HIT training twice a week (Mon, Weds), and then some distance riding in the great outdoors once a week ( Sun ).  The goal will be for the line on the weight graph to continue to descend, while the cycling fitness line continues to rise, and the two lines meet on May 22.

Tags: Cycling, exercise, goals, High Intensity Training, hocevar performance, kettlebell, spinning, weight loss

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