Bicycle Touring 101: Jamie's Pretour Fitness Training

Jamie's Pretour Training Log

Date: 2005-05-29

My Current weight is 203 pounds.

It's been awhile since my last update.

I continue to make progress towards my fitness goals with an increase in strength and a reduction in weight.

I increased my gear inches on the fixed-gear a couple of days ago from 69 to 75 gear inches. Although the hills are now tougher my knees continue to hold up well!

With my picture taking endeavours I have also managed to fit in a couple of hikes for a little helpful cross training.

Last week Jakub provided me with an opportunity to substitute a dirt moving exercise for my normal weight routine. It's been awhile since I used a shovel so it was fun to move those fifteen wheelbarrows of dirt!

This week I will continue my efforts with at least one long bike ride. Soon I will be heading out on another bicycle touring adventure.

~Jamie N

Date: 2005-05-11

My Current weight is 205 pounds.

Today featured another hill climbing session with Jakub. The last hill before we split paths is always the hardest one. This hill isn't the steepest one on the route but it's longer then most of the others combined with varying degrees of steepness. It's especially good for me since it seems to help me to build my endurance and strength.

Today a fierce headwind fought us on approach to the hill. The first stretch actually went right into the wind. It was a real relief to turn 90 degrees to the wind but of course that's where the hill gets steeper for the first time.

I was competitive until almost the end. Jakub started up the hill in a lower gear and passed me when it got tougher. I came back to life almost at the top and put on a real surge to take him on. He still managed to hold me off at the last minute after increasing his gear but it was a close one. I was once again riding the fixed today!

I managed to get a lunch time ride in today as well.

Tomorrow is another day. Time for bed!

Date: 2005-05-10

My Current weight is 206 pounds.

Well as they say, so much for best laid plans! I didn't go for the long ride tonight nor did I end up doing weights. Instead I filled the evening wandering along the Thames River taking pictures.

Date: 2005-05-09

My Current weight is 208 pounds.

This morning was a bit irritating because when I checked my weight I was higher then on Friday when I last checked it. It's not really a big deal especially when I consider how much my fitness level has improved since picking up the fixed-gear. I am now pushing a larger gear without any real effort. It's almost time to move up another gear.

I suppose that it's entirely possible that I've gained muscle mass but it's highly unlikely that I've gained THAT much! :)

Today featured a nice enjoyable ride. Tomorrow night I intend to significantly lengthen my commute home with at least an extra 30 km ride (unless rain is coming down).

After that it's time to do some strength training. I've been putting it off but since I always feel better after doing it then tomorrow is the day!

I should also make an effort to do my measurements. Those numbers are much more meaningful then just weight anyway.

Date: 2005-05-05

My Current weight is 203 pounds.

Today was another day spent riding the fixed gear. Although I said this before I have to admit that with each day I grow to love this bike even more.

Jakub returned from his vacation today so I had an opportunity to ride with him. Not only is he fun to ride with but he also served as a useful speed benchmark. I was concerned that I might be alot slower with the gearing I am running now but according to Jakub I am faster then I was before. Of course losing a few pounds likely helps too!

At the end of today's route there was a large hill. It's not the steepest hill but it is a longer hill then normal so it was a pretty good challenge to climb. As time passes I will end up looking for better challenges but for now I am happy!

I've been thinking about the gearing a bit more. I currently am running 36 X 14 or roughly 69 gear inches. This is almost maxing out the current crank so I think that I will end up swapping this one out for a 42 instead. This will allow me more room for growth as my strength grows and my weight drops.

I start weight training soon too. Dropping weight is good but by doing some weight training it should help prevent muscle loss. It's fat that I want to lose! Before I forget I need to measure my waistline etc so that I will have meaningful comparison numbers later.

Sleeping habits are continuing to improve to the detriment of site updates etc but there is only so much time in the day and sleep is an important thing too!

Time to start stretching more. Everyday there is something new to keep me busy!

Date: 2005-05-04

My Current weight is 204 pounds.

Another night with more sleep. It's amazing how much easier the morning is when you sleep more!

I had my rear cog changed from an 18 to a 14 on the way home from work yesterday. This has had the effect of lowering my cadence significantly, making the hills harder to climb and easier to descend. My knees aren't hurting but I am considering trying a 15 or even 16 instead as my standard cog. This fine tuning is quite interesting to try to do and it should get easier now that I have the tools headed my way.

Don't worry too much about the current fast rate at which I seem to be dropping the pounds. I recall that in the past the weight loss came in spurts meaning that I would lose weight at the rate of a pound a day for three or four days and then plateau for another three or four days before continuing the downward spiral.

For now my goal is to reach 195 pounds. My hammock has a 200 pound weight limit and that limit includes my weight and the weight of the gear that's with me in the hammock.

Date: 2005-05-03

My Current weight is 205 pounds.

Last night I started my "Get More Sleep" routine following my excellent Fixed Gear workout on the way home. Total sleep was around 8.5 hours a record for me compared to recent months.

Riding a fixed gear is indeed addictive and fun, at least so far! I seem to be getting used to pedaling non-stop whenever I'm on the bike and certain hills on my route have become much more challenging either when going up the hill or when coming back down!

I also have my eating habits under control again and I admit that I am enjoying it. Some nights I am a bit hungry when going to bed but that's expected and desired.

Date: 2005-05-02

My Current weight is 209 pounds.

Today was the first day of my new fitness program. I plan to increase my physical strength and reduce my extra insulation.

I rode today on my single-speed/fixed-gear bike. This bike keeps you pedaling the entire time while challenging you when you come to downhills. It's actually really cool to ride and quite interesting to find out just how often you glide while riding a multi-gear bike.

I picked up a new rear cog today. I want to try a slightly harder gear to see what kind of difference it makes for me.

I also spent some time trying to do a trackstand.

Do you have your own bicycle touring related fitness or weight loss that you would like to share? Drop me an email...