I've decided to do ride a bike for at least one hour every day from now until the end of April. None of this indoor stuff, like a spinning class, or turbo trainer – just get out there and do it.

I'm expecting it to be miserable at times (like when I get home at 8 after a long day) but I'm sure it will be wonderful at others. We've got tickets to see Mark Beaumont on the 15th May, so it would be kind of appropriate to keep it going till then. (As an aside, Mrs BigJohn & I are just about the only people who ride bikes into Stafford for a night out (yes, her high heels do scrape on the kerbs if she rides over them) but no doubt that night we'll struggle to find a place outside the theatre to lock them up – I bet there'll be hundreds chained to the lampposts).

I'm just about to finish putting the gears back on the Soul and go out for Day No. 2's ride. Have you seen the bloody weather?

Its not mainly a health thing – its really an exercise in motivation and self discipline, but I hope there will be health benefits. My current stats are:

BP: 160/105
Cholesterol: 5.9
BMI: 29.6
Alcohol units/week: 75

Wish me luck!
Blood Pressure

I imagine cutting the booze down will help also.

That BP is way too high

75 units alcohol per week…dude you drink alot!

Could also do with cutting down A LOT on the ol' booze there matey!

But keep it up – half the effort is getting on the bike – the riding is the easy part….

DrP

Yes, I saw the doc last week (he's a triathlete and a drinker) and he says losing a stone, and cutting out midweek wine should sort me out.

Full marks for honesty John.

What does that 75 units translate to in terms of actual drinks, out of interest?

I'd guess about 3 pints a night.

I was about to say that's crazy but I've done it myself!

8 pints of Bass, 2 pints of Stella (Thursday night's post ride tipple) 4 bottles of wine, 8 measures of spirits.

…then the next day…

more like 5 pints a night 0ne pint = 2 units so 75 units is 37 pints. Or over a bottle of wine a night

TJ's right – a bottle of wine is toughly 9-10 units.
Takes commitment to get to that level of drinking – hats off to you sir!

DrP

TandemJeremy – Member
more like 5 pints a night 0ne pint = 2 units so 75 units is 37 pints

2.3 units:
http://www.infoscotland.com/womenandalcohol/wanda_display.jsp;jsessionid=725D2490BB41A2D16D7A85CF854100A9?pContentID=71&p_applic=CCC&pElementID=7&pMenuID=2&p_service=Content.show&

And 5% beers (inc stella ?) are thus 2.875 units.

4,65 pints a night then at 2.3 units per pint. Rather more than 3 even at 5% its nearer 4

Very well done for realising you need to do something! Good luck!

I was wrong, as were you, albeit less wrong than me (depending on the stength of beer – for me the average is >4 and probably 5).

Have a gold star.

Good luck, I've started doing something about my fitness, and its amazing how quickly you see results when you work at it. I've always struggled with motivation in the evenings though, so I'm going for mornings, less time to talk yourself out of it!

I've been trying to cut down myself a bit recently. Easier said than done. Riding more does seem to help though.

Farhkiding hell 75 units a week??????????????
Man you have got a thirst, if I were you I would stop all exercise as you seem to be making yourself hell thirsty.

1hr 20m over the Chase. Lovely, looking for new trails around Brocton Coppice. Sitting with a refreshing glass of filter water straight out of the fridge and a dry water biscuit.

nice one John! Wish i could get out. Even though it's been pissing it down all day

Oh you do spoil yourself 😀

So, apart from your imminent stroke from high BP, heart failure from being very overweight, and cirhhosis of the liver from a huge amount of alcohol, you're quite healhty aren't you BigJohn..!

Enjoy riding for an hour a day – it's ace, isn't it?

I got called a fairweather cyclist today by a runner – these light evenings are just asking for rocket round after work! Time to start riding the long way home I think!

Big John, do it. Let a habit form and don't break the habit – enjoy it!

Nobody want to beat me up about my cholesterol then?

Actually, I'm pretty fit and my normal weekly routine includes 3 rides a week (singlespeed) ranging between 2 and 3 1/2 hours each, and there's a fair bit of intensity work there, with my heart rate getting over 175.

But the other 4 rides a week are going to take a bit of fitting in.

It was just 2 hours today. Met up with a mate on Cannock Chase and we had a right good ride. It was peeeing down as I drove to the start – I guess that's why I'm telling everybody, so I can't wheedle out of it – but as so often happens on a rainy day in Britain it cheered up and we had some of those great setting-sun-peeping-through-the-clouds moments.

And we saw a Muntjack deer. And at the bottom of the railway cutting I had a hawk fly low across in front of me, then parked in a nearby tree, and sat there while I went up and had a closer look. Smaller than a buzzard, bigger than a kestrel not as dark as either, either. Sparrowhawk maybe?

Good luck with it! I am an MTB newby and I started with a similar – though less impressive – goal (mind you I drink less… 8O)
I got a bike and set a goal of going out two nights a week and one weekend ride each week. Have stuck to it thanks to a couple of DX torches for night rides and feel good for not having given up. Hope you manage to stick with it – I am almost inspired to try myself but not sure what Mrs Fop would think…

Blimey – good work!

I got home yesterday with the intention of a 20 mile road ride already being downgraded to an hour or so of turbo training as I was late home & the weather was cak. Once I got in the warm though, this quickly turned into 'sod it, I'll do it tomorrow'……oh the shame.

No excuses this evening…..

I cut down on the drink after christmas – not so much a weight/health thing, but that i kept having 4 or 5 pints mid ride + hipflasks, falling off and breaking things (mostly me!).

So now I'm on a 2-pint per ride limit, I havent crashed yet, and all my trousers are too big!

you forgot to mention the hip flask….

Big John, are you single by any chance?

No, not single.

1 hr 10 today. Cold wet & windy. The clock was not my friend. I kept looking, but it didn't seem to be going very fast.

misread that as 'cock'

Sometimes my cock is indeed not my friend. Keeps getting me into trouble.

1hr 43 yesterday with Scruff & Del on our poorly attended thursday night ride. Nice IPA at the pub after, and interesting conversation about women with big noses being big anywhere else.

1h 07 today, solo.

its a bit of a side note but presumably your GP is happy enough with your BP and cholesterol? given points win prizes for practices he could bang you on a few drugs. im just intrigued

btw awesome challenge and good luck! i have a far more sedate 2 rides/runs a week and a piece of fruit every day as new year's resolutions. forgetting is the biggest prob i have so far 🙁

He wasn't altogether happy with it, but he wasn't alarmed. He said they'd both go down if I lost a bit of weight and I should go back for a check in June. He said he didn't want to "medicalise" it which I thought was good, as I've got to age 56 without having to take any medication. But he didn't expect my head to explode in the meantime.

Clearly losing weight means cutting down on food & drink and upping the exercise, so it all makes sense.

The fact that he said 20 minutes exercise every day was better than an hour 3 times a week is also a factor.

no i think its a very sensible approach, nice to see when a lot of folk may have just banged you on statins etc

Good luck with it, I'd like to join you (notionally, not physically). None of the above stats apply to me other than the BMI, but it's time to see some weight gone.

BP: 160/105
Cholesterol: 5.9
BMI: 29.6
Alcohol units/week: 75
😯

Go for it!
I admire your honesty and commitment chapeau.

So that's the first week all done. 1hr 10 yesterday (making an average of 93 mins/day) and my Alcohol units were down to 46. Seem to have dropped a couple of kilos too. A slim 97kg now.

2hrs 10 today.