If you were?

Skip on the spot (no rope required) Alison, three times a day for 5mins or the length of your favourite track. Everyone can squeeze the 15 mins into thier lifestyle, especially if they hang about internet forums...you'll be suprised how so little brings you on. Obviouslly the skips are not needed on biking days. On the bike day..set off painfully slow and keep it slow, this will keep your heartbeats low and so your body will look for fat (opposed to the tackle in your kidneys that i've forget the name of-thru kicking off too fast), which we've all got...eventually it (your body) will get drunk on the fat. If you hit an incline count the revolutions on your cranks (just enough distraction to swerve the thought of it getting tough).

Had a kid out with me a couple of yrs back (mithering for a do) who'd been locking himself away and drinking (borderline), i had to tow him home down a flat 8 mile of cycle lane..he smashed the incline/approach to saddleworth moor (dovestone end) last sunday in top/top...skipping rope and squats (heels off the floor).

^^^^ This ^^^^

When I came back to cycling after a break of about ten years, I asked a friend who is a veteran racer, how to get my fitness back. His advice was 'little and often' and 'ride like a granny'. So I rode every other day on a little circuit that I increased gradually to go further, up more hills and then faster.

More recently I bought my first ever road bike, and applied the same principles. Actually, as I've had the road bike less than a year, I am still applying those principles, and doing interval, strength, and hillclimb training, but specifically tailored for someone my age, rather than someone my sons age, and very enjoyable it is too... even in 15 M.P.H headwinds.

Alcohol is the biggest sapper of strength, energy, endurance, motivation and focus...
I'm not a tee-total anti alcohol nazi, far from it... everything in moderation is perfectl acceptable... even burgers and sausages, however by your own admission elsewhere, you say you drink every night, which is never a good thing

Cut down on the beers Ali, and everything else will become easier




G

you are not alone with this challenge............

the body is a biological engine, it uses and burns what you put in. When you are younger that can be pretty much anything and it doesn't seem to matter but we cannot get away with this as older. Weight loss is calories in being less than calories out - its amazing the junk that creeps in.

Ignoring the exercise bit for a moment, couple of years ago I fundamentally changed my diet, before, lunch was sandwiches from supermarket at my desk, dinner was late, 5 a day was optional, now it's home made, home cooked, (mrs is a star), more vegetables ( ), getting good sleep is better,

as to exercise, would agree with comments above, we noticed that actually got worse having moved out of London, before didn't have a car and amazing how much walking /cycling etc do without realizing, now drive everywhere, and impact of less is now very noticeable.

I think having an objective is important, even if its just making sure that when the kids are older and (hopefully) into longer rides that it can be done as a family not staying at home and leaving them to it.

Having been shamed by this thread went out and did my 18 mile circuit in the rain. And yes it was awful but feel better for it. Started cycling again about 6 weeks ago after a 20+ year bikelessness. Were the hills always that steep and the wind that strong?

Yes they were and yes it was, it's just you were younger, fitter and didn't notice them.

If you've piled on the timber then you could try sourcing yourself a 3/4 plate and/or a miniature knife and fork set..sounds odd i know but it works (forces you to eat slower and consequently feel full up before the plates emptied). Eating a sandwich...take a bite and put it down, chew, take a bite and put it down

ps...if you eat the kind of breakfast that will stand being eaten with a tea-spoon...then you can afford to experiment

The only difficult bit about cycling in the rain is locking your front door, getting on and setting off. The first few metres make you wonder why you've bothered. After that you're glad you did.

I hit 40 this year and have become decidedly lazy, but I do find that the simple things like walking short distances instead of driving help a lot. You only need a really disciplined fitness regime if you're training for a specific target like a race.

I also find an hour of sustained activity in the garden is a good workout - but that might be more to do with hitting 40 than what I'm doing...

Isn't there a Sean Kelly quote along those lines, about the weather never actually being as bad as you think it's going to be once you're outside in it?

David

That certainly sounds like something Sean Kelly would have said!