28.4 miles on the bicycle so far this morning.

"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
02/11/2016 at 15:04 • Filed to: None

Just sayin... And there’s more to come.

Anybody biking with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! out there?

DISCUSSION (34)

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 15:13

Good job. I’ve lost 8 lbs since I last saw my doctor, most of it probably since January 1. BP is good, too. Trying to eat about 1800 calories/day. I’m back on the bike, doing my daily 10-mile route. If I had more time, id do more. I use Map My Ride.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 15:13

I use strava, it’s pretty great for tracking rides and stalking your friends who ride. My last ride of 2015:

https://www.strava.com/activities/432…

osucycler > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 15:14

Good deal! I finally got outside after doing trainer work in the garage. 28.3 road miles yesterday and getting out the tandem today after work. The wife and i will ride about an hour or so to shake out the funk.

Kinja'd!!!

Berang > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 15:20

It’s been a long time since I gone on a ride longer than 10 miles. But Austin isn’t the best city for riding in.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn
02/11/2016 at 15:27

I’ve logged well over a thousand miles on Strava so far. Would you consider using Strava?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/11/2016 at 15:29

Just sent you a “Follow” request...

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn
02/11/2016 at 15:30

It was a four-mile route, last time we talked. I probably need to incorporate some sprinting into my ride(s).

Happy Panda > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 15:34

I’m going to try to bike to work tomorrow. The weather in Oslo is extraordinarily mild the past few weeks, so all snow and ice is gone! But that ride is only about 3 miles...

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Happy Panda
02/11/2016 at 15:35

You on Strava?

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 15:37

I have downloaded it, and will check it out tomorrow.

Michael Parker > ttyymmnn
02/11/2016 at 15:39

Ugh, I was on an 1800 calorie plan for about 6 months and dropped almost 30 lbs. It was rough.

I bumped up to 2000 calories in the last couple weeks, and that extra 200 calories has been a wonderful treat - and psychologically so much easier to achieve than 1800.

Good luck to you, sir!

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 15:39

Do you use a heart rate monitor? I question how much aerobic exercise can be accomplished in a shorter route. My route is all neighborhood streets, with stop signs I have to slow down for, but I average about 12 mph.

ttyymmnn > Michael Parker
02/11/2016 at 15:43

Thanks. I’m stuck at about 225 lbs now, and would like to get it down to 200 (so would my doctor). I started working out and dieting, and have done so on and off for a couple of years now, mainly as a way to help control my BP (I’m also on BP meds, so that helps). I’ve sworn off beer during the week, but I tend to make up for it on the weekends. I don’t really miss it, but that first sip of ice cold German pilsner sure tastes good on Friday evening. But I have noticed that with diet and exercise I simply feel better, and that’s a major selling point. If I can keep this up for six months, I should be doing pretty good. Though I’m pretty hungry right now.....

Michael Parker > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 15:43

I used Strava a lot a few summers ago when I was biking a lot. Last two summers I didn’t get much cycle time in because I had other priorities (baby and wife health) - but this spring/summer I plan on getting back to it - especially now that I have lost some weight.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 15:44

It might be a while until you see any activity, there is still snow on the ground and the skiing is good.

Happy Panda > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 15:46

Not yet, I have been considering it. I have a Polar watch, so far I’ve only used their website really.

Michael Parker > ttyymmnn
02/11/2016 at 15:46

Do you use MyFitnessPal to track your calories? I have been religious with it and it has been an amazing tool. That, combined with a fitness tracker (I have an Apple Watch) has really kept me accountable to myself. Plus, the nerd in me loves data, so I appreciate being able to look at charts and graphs that show my calorie intake/outtake, etc.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn
02/11/2016 at 15:52

I haven’t been ticketed yet for running a stop sign on a bicycle. If I were, I’d have a difficult time masking my disgust for the officer, unless I’d created some sort of unsafe situation.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn
02/11/2016 at 15:52

Please consider CrossFit...

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Michael Parker
02/11/2016 at 15:53

I get a pretty good fix on the data nerd thing with Strava.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/11/2016 at 15:53

Sounds good to me! It would be fun if we had a group of Opponauts on Strava.

ttyymmnn > Michael Parker
02/11/2016 at 16:01

I’ve been using Map My Ride, which tracks my mileage, average speed, and provides a wildly optimistic count of the calories I’ve burned. It would be more accurate if I had a heart rate monitor. But yes, it’s nice to see the miles add up.

Michael Parker > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 16:02

All due respect, but running a stop sign on a bike is an unsafe situation.

This has always been my one main hurdle in associating with the road cycling crowd - they seem to think the rules only apply to them when they want them to. One second they will yell and scream ‘Share the Road’ because someone didn’t give wide enough berth when passing on a two lane road; next second they will blow through a stop sign or dart across traffic without using hand signals like they own the road.

I realize unclipping is inconvenient, but when I cycle on a public road, I act as though I am just another (slow) car on the road - which means using hand signals, stopping at stoplights/signs, yielding to pedestrians, so on and so forth.

Sorry.. /Rant.

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 16:04

One time, I was riding my bike to the school to get the boys, and there was a motor deputy doing radar on the school zone. I stood up on the pedals, and came to almost a complete stop, and he called out to me that I had to put a foot down. Whatever. I slow for most stop signs, there’s very little traffic, and if there are no cars, I roll it. Otherwise, I obey them. I would like to see a system where bikes are allowed to treat stop signs as a yield if there are no cars present.

Kinja'd!!!

Michael Parker > ttyymmnn
02/11/2016 at 16:06

MyFitnessPal actually tracks the calories you eat. I’ve basically added entering in the information to my routine each meal. I highly recommend giving it a try.

I introduced the app to a buddy of mine a couple months ago. He was at 315lbs (6'4") then and when I saw him last weekend he was down to 285lbs. He said he didn’t realize just how many calories he was eating (and drinking) until he actually had it logged each day.

ttyymmnn > Michael Parker
02/11/2016 at 16:16

I’ve got a pretty standard breakfast and lunch routine, and I know how many calories that totals. I tend not to worry too much about dinner, since I’ve got close to 1000 calories to play with at that meal. But an app would simplify things. Does the app have built in calorie counts for food?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Michael Parker
02/11/2016 at 16:17

I definitely take your point, and no rant apology is necessary.

Not stopping at a Stop sign is not the same thing as ignoring a Stop sign. And if I am pedaling to the gym at 5:30 am and the roads are deserted, I am definitely not going to stop and wait for a red light or a stop sign, though I would definitely do both or either if I were in an automobile, even at 5:30 am.

I pedal a route in the mornings that is all side streets and heavily congested with morning traffic, but also generally having marked bicycle lanes. I usually go to the corner, then make my move along with a car who is doing the same.

Then there’s Critical Mass rides, which I find appalling. They’ve taken to doing them on motorcycles also.

Old Red Wagon > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 16:17

Nice, I used to ride avidly before I joined the military. I only rode road bikes and I put in thousands of miles a year. I was about to start Cat 6 criterium and road races but didn’t as I suffered an accident on the bike. I once challenged myself to a "1,000 miles in a month" goal and I hit it. Was pretty tiring but very fulfilling in the end. Was doing anywhere from 40-80 miles a day that month. Probably had 5-7 rest days total. I still have my bike and I plan to get the miles back in this spring/summer. Stay safe out there.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Michael Parker
02/11/2016 at 16:18

I’m trying to push my weight down primarily through exercise at the moment, but I’ve been exercising enough that my body is calling for more sleep and asking for less food, and I’m learning to listen.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn
02/11/2016 at 16:19

Yes, exactly. And if Barey Fife were sitting there, I’d make a proper stop.

Michael Parker > ttyymmnn
02/11/2016 at 16:23

They have a huge database of food in there already - they make it really easy to search; going so far as being able to ‘scan’ the barcode with your camera, or use location based look-up if you are eating out.

One cool feature I just found was you can enter in your own recipes and it automatically imports all the ingredients with nutritional information. Like if you find a good recipe on Food.com, you just plug in the web address and it parses out all the information and creates a recipe in the app that you can reuse.

ttyymmnn > Michael Parker
02/11/2016 at 16:28

That sounds pretty awesome. I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks for the tip.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/11/2016 at 16:39

I do. Perhaps getting an Oppo group together would motivate me to get off the trainer and ride the streets more.

I just posted this on the mountain biking thread.

Kinja'd!!!

http://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#12/-9…

Captain Brotatohead > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/11/2016 at 18:46

Track and tag your skiing activities too, ya silly goose.