Get a bike

Like many, I have tried many types of exercise, exercise equipment and gyms. None ever worked for long. Not because I didn't want to be a super fit , studly looking guy , but because exercise is BORING and often PAINFUL.After a while you come up with excuses to do shorter sessions and then skip them all together. Or a minor injury can set you back a couple of weeks and then you just lose interest. In my forties I even tried yoga. My reasoning being what could be more fun than going into a 95 degree room with a bunch of mostly younger women and  twisting yourself into a pretzel while trying not to pass gas?Alas for me, yoga too did pass.

  So what was I to do? Now past 50 and getting - pick your favorite adjective - puffy, meaty, paunchy, fleshy, pudgy. I was actually starting to look like pictures of my grandfather!Admittedly a handsome guy, but he passed away very young. Maybe a partner would help, like Sharon - pick your favorite noun - spouse, better half, partner, wife. What could we do together? I knew a lot of people had taken up bike riding in recent years and it seemed pretty safe(hah! Tell that to my knees) to me. Not wanting a poor quality bike or to spend a boatload of money, I found and emailed several nearby bike shops about buying good used bikes. It was January of 2013 leaving me plenty of time to weigh options. Only one of them answered me. No, they did not sell used bikes , but did have a tent sale every spring they informed me.Since they were courteous enough to answer, I figured they would be good to deal with. So , at the end of April 2013 I headed to Deerfield Cyclery.  
  About a thousand bucks later, we had two hybrid bikes, two helmets, two water bottles, two cages, two kickstands and one basket tossed in for free (for Sharon). 
  Now for the fun part that I envisioned. Riding dozens of miles together on perfect windless, cloudless, 72 degree days. Instead for May and June of 2013 it basically rained every day. Finally a nice day came and after work I leaped onto my bicycle determined to go on a lengthy ride. Three miles later I stopped , gasping for breath and with unexpected  pain in various parts of my body.Still, I wouldn't be beaten so easily and soon got back in(on?) the saddle. And again and again. Three miles became four, then five, then six. Finally one weekend I made it to double digit miles. Now I was hooked. Somehow being outside in the elements, with only my own thoughts made riding more than exercise. Yes there is the challenge of going a little farther or a little faster. Or conquering a slight elevation like it was a steep mountain grade(yes there are tons of mountain roads in northeast Illinois) in the Tour de France. But finally - exercise that I enjoyed. By October I had lost 25 pounds (a typical success story for many new overweight riders) and gone on a 25 mile ride. Not far for many riders, but a big achievement for me.
This led to new goals, such as learning to fall gracefully after "clipping in" for the first time (or two times.Okay three times). Learning the difference between a seat post, seat tube and seat stay. Apparently bike riding is far more complex than when I was a kid. Today degrees or at least advanced knowledge of engineering, technology, nutrition, biomechanics, etc. are required. The learning curve is steep, but unlike my younger days I am now a good student.
Science and fatigue aside, there's nothing like a nice day for a ride on the Des Plaines river trail or the North Branch trail to enjoy yourself and forget your troubles. So get a bike and ride. Contact me if you like. I can use some company.