A New Obsession
Published: 8/7/2013
In my Mid-Year Review write up, which I posted on 6/29, I wrote about how I had some new ideas which I believed would help take my weight loss to the next level. One of those ideas I had been discussing with family and friends since I stopped hiking in early May, but I just never got around to pulling the trigger on it. Well, in the middle of July, I finally found the time…and the money…to invest in a bike.
I hadn’t ridden a bike in almost 20 years so I didn’t really know where to start. I knew I wanted something which would allow me to ride on the Manchester Bike Trail. Our house in East Hartford is very close to the section which crosses Silver Lane/Spencer Street. In fact, when I first started adding exercise back to my life in June of 2012, I would take Roscoe for walks along the Bike Trail. One time, I even had Jaci drop us off near Highland Park Market on the Bolton/Manchester town line and we made our way back (on foot) to the house…over 6 miles. And, given my interest in hiking, I also knew I wanted (or thought I wanted) something that would allow me to ride on some of the easy trails I’ve previously hiked. And, I knew I wanted something from a cycle shop…instead of something from a department store. But, apart from that, I had no clue which bike would be best for me. Enter Bicycles East in Glastonbury, CT.
On a Saturday afternoon, Jaci and I stopped by Bicycles East on New London Turnpike and were helped by Kyle, one of the workers there. I had done some research on the internet (as is par for the course with me) before entering the store but I still felt better getting the recommendation of an expert. I was in luck because, in addition to being knowledgeable about the bikes in the store, Kyle was over 6 feet tall…like me. So, he was able to help me find the best style of bike for the type of riding I wanted to do AND was able to explain the importance of seat positioning, handlebar height, etc. in terms of my size. After a couple of quick test rides in their back lot, I purchased a Trek 8.3 DS (or, Dual Sport).
The Trek 8.3 DS is a hybrid bike which is light like a road bike but looks more like a mountain bike and has the capacity to handle some of the lighter trails. I took it up to Case Mountain a few weeks ago and I was a little surprised that it didn’t handle as well I thought it would…but that probably had more to do with my experience (or lack thereof) than it did with bike. I also recently completed a 31 mile ride along the Manchester Bike Trail and Hop River Trail in Bolton/Vernon (which I hiked a section of back in November while working on the Shenipsit Trail).
After running a couple of 5Ks in April in July, I thought I would be able to continue losing weight / getting in shape during the summer months by running. But, as I found out the hard way, the impact of running is just too much strain on my already damaged back. My hope is that I can use riding in the summer months to stay in shape while I’m not hiking and…so far so good. I’ve only put about 50 miles on the bike, but I’m already researching and planning rides on new trails. And, naturally, I’ve found a long-term goal (much like the CT400).
The Manchester Bike Trail (or Charter Oak Greenway) is only a small section of the East Coast Greenway, which runs from Key West to Maine. While I've previously discussed how crazy it would be to ride the whole thing, I don't think it is unrealistic to ride the whole section which cuts through Connecticut. So, my long-term goal is to ride all of the Connecticut miles. This will include the rest of the Hop River Trail (to the South of where I already rode…through Columbia and into Willimantic). It will also include the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, a piece of which will bring me from Cheshire to New Haven…allowing me to pass by Sleeping Giant State Park.
Speaking of Sleeping Giant, I am gearing up for hiking season (after all, this is a hiking blog)…and I hope to start in early October. I received my Sleeping Giant Association member welcome letter in the mail yesterday, which means I can now start working on my way to becoming a “Giant Master”. I’ve alluded to this “Giant Master” in past write-ups and I promise there is more information to come…but hiking is still on hold…though not for much longer.
Since my last write-up, I rededicated myself to my diet (fruit in the morning, salad for lunch) and I’m closing in on the 290 pound mark. At this point, 290 pounds doesn’t sound like much progress from my last recap. But, I had gotten back up to 306 (I added three pounds while on vacation in July). So, in a little over three weeks (24 days to be exact), I’ve lost 15 pounds. I’m still hopeful to be under 275 by the time I head back to the doctor at the end of October. But, for now, the goal is to be under 285 by the end of August…and then on to 275 from there…
I’m excited that things seem to be getting back on track and I’m hopeful that my new obsession of riding to lose weight will help me achieve my goals…
Published: 8/7/2013
In my Mid-Year Review write up, which I posted on 6/29, I wrote about how I had some new ideas which I believed would help take my weight loss to the next level. One of those ideas I had been discussing with family and friends since I stopped hiking in early May, but I just never got around to pulling the trigger on it. Well, in the middle of July, I finally found the time…and the money…to invest in a bike.
I hadn’t ridden a bike in almost 20 years so I didn’t really know where to start. I knew I wanted something which would allow me to ride on the Manchester Bike Trail. Our house in East Hartford is very close to the section which crosses Silver Lane/Spencer Street. In fact, when I first started adding exercise back to my life in June of 2012, I would take Roscoe for walks along the Bike Trail. One time, I even had Jaci drop us off near Highland Park Market on the Bolton/Manchester town line and we made our way back (on foot) to the house…over 6 miles. And, given my interest in hiking, I also knew I wanted (or thought I wanted) something that would allow me to ride on some of the easy trails I’ve previously hiked. And, I knew I wanted something from a cycle shop…instead of something from a department store. But, apart from that, I had no clue which bike would be best for me. Enter Bicycles East in Glastonbury, CT.
On a Saturday afternoon, Jaci and I stopped by Bicycles East on New London Turnpike and were helped by Kyle, one of the workers there. I had done some research on the internet (as is par for the course with me) before entering the store but I still felt better getting the recommendation of an expert. I was in luck because, in addition to being knowledgeable about the bikes in the store, Kyle was over 6 feet tall…like me. So, he was able to help me find the best style of bike for the type of riding I wanted to do AND was able to explain the importance of seat positioning, handlebar height, etc. in terms of my size. After a couple of quick test rides in their back lot, I purchased a Trek 8.3 DS (or, Dual Sport).
The Trek 8.3 DS is a hybrid bike which is light like a road bike but looks more like a mountain bike and has the capacity to handle some of the lighter trails. I took it up to Case Mountain a few weeks ago and I was a little surprised that it didn’t handle as well I thought it would…but that probably had more to do with my experience (or lack thereof) than it did with bike. I also recently completed a 31 mile ride along the Manchester Bike Trail and Hop River Trail in Bolton/Vernon (which I hiked a section of back in November while working on the Shenipsit Trail).
After running a couple of 5Ks in April in July, I thought I would be able to continue losing weight / getting in shape during the summer months by running. But, as I found out the hard way, the impact of running is just too much strain on my already damaged back. My hope is that I can use riding in the summer months to stay in shape while I’m not hiking and…so far so good. I’ve only put about 50 miles on the bike, but I’m already researching and planning rides on new trails. And, naturally, I’ve found a long-term goal (much like the CT400).
The Manchester Bike Trail (or Charter Oak Greenway) is only a small section of the East Coast Greenway, which runs from Key West to Maine. While I've previously discussed how crazy it would be to ride the whole thing, I don't think it is unrealistic to ride the whole section which cuts through Connecticut. So, my long-term goal is to ride all of the Connecticut miles. This will include the rest of the Hop River Trail (to the South of where I already rode…through Columbia and into Willimantic). It will also include the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, a piece of which will bring me from Cheshire to New Haven…allowing me to pass by Sleeping Giant State Park.
Speaking of Sleeping Giant, I am gearing up for hiking season (after all, this is a hiking blog)…and I hope to start in early October. I received my Sleeping Giant Association member welcome letter in the mail yesterday, which means I can now start working on my way to becoming a “Giant Master”. I’ve alluded to this “Giant Master” in past write-ups and I promise there is more information to come…but hiking is still on hold…though not for much longer.
Since my last write-up, I rededicated myself to my diet (fruit in the morning, salad for lunch) and I’m closing in on the 290 pound mark. At this point, 290 pounds doesn’t sound like much progress from my last recap. But, I had gotten back up to 306 (I added three pounds while on vacation in July). So, in a little over three weeks (24 days to be exact), I’ve lost 15 pounds. I’m still hopeful to be under 275 by the time I head back to the doctor at the end of October. But, for now, the goal is to be under 285 by the end of August…and then on to 275 from there…
I’m excited that things seem to be getting back on track and I’m hopeful that my new obsession of riding to lose weight will help me achieve my goals…