I’ve turned into a weight weenie. The past couple years I’ve been doing everything I can to shed weight from my ski, bike, boat outings. I think it’s because I’ve let my power/strength side go to seed.
Alert! Alert! I’m going to start fixing that pronto. I’ll start doing squats and other weights in the yard again soon. Even in the snow. This may well help me rebuild enough power that I won’t be such a weight-weenie, which will hopefully turn things like carbon and “leaving it all behind” into a moot point.
I have weights, don’t have carbon.
And leaving everything behind can get annoyingly spartan. Why not just beef up enough so you can bring some cute stuff along?
Just doing outdoor activities a few times a week just isn’t enough to give me the snap or steam that I’d like. I even do some weights fairly often in the late summer, say. But it’s not enough.
The last time I had good power on the bike I was riding a trailer around most days with 2 kids in it. Or I was riding a 60-lb HPV around town, with groceries, at a fun 30mph—start-ups with it could be like squats if I was in the wrong gear. And uphills on my ‘bents were always a strain. I adapted to it though. What does that mean? –My power caught up.
OK, maybe I should dial back expectations now, but why, if simply re-including what I should be doing anyway will be a cure? A few minutes a day with the weights will likely turn my power-gap right around. Everyone needs a bit o’ power and I’ve been neglecting that aspect too much the past decade. I’m keeping one part of my base, “just getting out there,” but neglecting the other, the “core.” Well, I have good core enduro, but ya gotta cover yer bases. I’ve been getting darn skinny. I’ve always thought I should have enough umph that I can help push a car out of a ditch.
OK, here’s the punchline: Research shows that low-impact enduro activity results in bone loss! So ya can’t neglect the daily dose of strain/impact. A bit of heavy bag will help, too. You don’t have to go at it gung-ho. A few minutes will do the trick. Blend it in with before/after other activities. Or tack it onto a bit of calesthenics if you’re otherwise doing nothing that day.
Here’s a crazy thing. My feet are so protected, swaddled in my shoes and sportwear that every time I play volleyball in bare feet of late, I *crack a toe bone.* Just jumping around a bit in bare feet gives me an injury! Ow! That’s just lame. I’m thinking my feet need some more natrual-type stresses. I’ve been trying to walk around barefoot more, to get them little bones workin in there. Don’t forget nature, people!
“Remember the Ala-Core!”
