If you have ever read anything to do with competitive cycling, you will probably be aware of what it is that makes some people ride a bike better, or faster than others. It is a thing called the "power to weight ratio". This is, not unsurprisingly, a ratio of how much power a rider can generate (how hard they can turn the pedals) and how heavy they are (including their bike). From a practical point of view, there are other factors involved such as aerodynamics but these play a much lesser role. There are also the obvious fluctuations in performance caused by human nature, such as state of mind, mood, and illness. In a nutshell though, how fast you ride is governed by how much power you put through the pedals versus how much you weigh.
Now, here is the real bummer. It takes a lot of effort to make even small improvements in your power output. Mostly, this is goverened by genetics and your general physical condition. So, for someone like me, who is looking to get better on a bike in a relatively short space of time (four months) I need to concentrate on the weight...
Historically, I have never been one to weigh myself. I have not lived anywhere with scales in the bathroom since I left home when I was eighteen. I would only ever know my weight very approximately and would usually judge this by how much overhang there was on my trouser belt! I have occasionally been weighed at various gyms and fitness tests over the years but not for a while. I generally regard weight as a pretty crap method of judging ones fitness but in this case...needs must. In the beginning, I would have guessed that I was somewhere around fifteen stones, although I would hope to be less.
All this guessing went out of the window when I embarked on my training for the Etape Caledonia. A set of scales were purchased and I started to take note of my weight. I also started to take note of my diet, but that is a story for another day...
When I initially started my preparations just after Christmas, here were my measurements:
Height: 6'2" / 188cm
Weight: 15 1/2 stone / 98.4 kg
I was a bit shocked to say the least. That was significantly over what I thought I was, a million miles over what I hoped I was and so far away from my target weight I could hardly see it in the distance!
Anyone who knows me or knows anything about cycling will know that I am exactly the wrong build for a cyclist. If you take most professional cyclists, they look like jockeys with big legs. They are usually less than six foot tall and often weigh less than most women dripping wet. The most well known cyclist in the world, Lance Armstrong, is actually quite tall for a cyclist at 5'10" / 1.79m and incredibly heavy for someone who climbs fast up mountains like he does, weighing in at around 79kg.
Compare this to his former team mate Roberto Heras (a mountain climber and known drugs cheat...lomg story, another day) at 1.72m tall and a stunning 59kg! Either way, I am some way off a Tour de France thoroughbred...
The biggest/ heaviest rider in the current pro peleton (a great French word used to describe a bunch of cyclists) is probably Sweden's Magnus Backstedt. He is a more reasonable size at 6'4" / 1.93 m and 14.8 stone/ 94kg. Unsurprisingly, Magnus is at his best in the flatter races. He is a former winner of the queen of the classics, Paris Roubaix.
Cyclists are generally endurance athletes. Lightweight with big lungs and small bodies. My sporting career has revolved around covering distances of less than 100m, so endurance is definitely not my thing. I sprinted at school and played hockey at a reasonable level but I am definitely no marathon runner. Rugby player maybe but no cyclist. If I was built for anything to do with cycling it would probably have been track riding (a la Chris Hoy). That tends to suit bigger guys, is over short distances and is suited to those with fast twitch muscle fibres. If anything, this would have been me. Now we will never know as I have never ridden track and I am too old to be a pro rider now ;-)
I had some ideas of what I needed to do to lose weight. I stuck to the basics as the beginning - eat less and exercise more. Not rocket science I know but I had a feeling that I had slipped into some pretty bad habits over the last couple of years. Since my son was born, lovely as he is, I haven't had so much time to concentrate on myself. Lets just say things have been on the slide...
I am just over a month into my training program now and I have to say, I am pretty pleased. My love handles certainly seem a little less easy to get hold of. My trousers are a bit on the "loose" side (I even had to tighten my belt to a new loop the other day!) and the scales are telling a better tale. You can judge my progress for yourself below (apologies for the chest hair but if you work with me, you ahve already seen that anyway;-).
My current measurements are:
Height: 6'2" / 188cm
Weight: 15 stone / 95.3 kg
I'll try and keep you updated on my progress as we get nearer the ride. I am hoping this will be an incentive for me not to slip back into bad habits!
Last note, we are over the 500 pound mark with fundraising - thanks to all who have contributed. We have a new target to aim for of 2000 pounds. Please tell your friends and help make a real difference!
Take care,
Col.
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