Health and Fitness

Postby **dodint** » Sun Dec 24, 2023 10:05 am

I just set up my establishing appointment with my PCP. The one my wife goes to is not accepting new patients. So I went with my old PCP from when I was a teenager. Probably not helpful.

I did confirm with the BCBS website that he is still practicing though.

Postby **dodint** » Sun Dec 24, 2023 2:41 pm

I had an unexpected PR in the Kendall Paramount Christmas ride today. Averaged 246. It was a no doubter, too.

Had a strive score of 63.6, spent some time over 170bpm. No idea what got into me but had a good time.

Postby **skullman80** » Sun Dec 24, 2023 3:30 pm

I can never hit those numbers

Postby **dodint** » Sun Dec 24, 2023 3:42 pm

Strive scores are weird, tough to compare. I just mention it because it's the first time I ever broke 60.

If my heart were more conditioned the score were be lower so it's something of an empty achievement.

Postby **dodint** » Mon Jan 08, 2024 6:00 pm

I hit 255 today. Didn't plan to PR (30min) but started out feeling good and just went for it. 595 calories

Had a Strive Score of 51 even though my HRM didn't kick on until 10 minutes in. That would have been a score of over 70 had it recorded.

I'm not sure where to go from here. Do an FTP and then start zone training I guess. I have wondered if I could get 12 miles in 30 minutes. Today's ride was only 11.7mi so it would take a really big effort.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Mon Jan 08, 2024 6:03 pm

Good lord, that's impressive. Well done!

Postby **dodint** » Mon Jan 08, 2024 6:19 pm

Thanks. I know I'm riding to nowhere in the dark by myself, generating numbers that don't really mean anything but it's fun to tell people that can relate.

Of the over 53,000 people that took that class 2,049 of them still did better than me.

Postby **skullman80** » Mon Jan 08, 2024 6:55 pm

Good stuff @dodint !

Postby **shoeshine boy** » Tue Jan 09, 2024 9:22 am

nice job! if you're not doing PZ training already, I'd encourage it. the PZ programs are excellent but do require commitment.
if you've never done an FTP test, let me give you some advice: have a hurl bucket nearby. usually around the 12th minute I start getting the heaves. I've never puked during an FTP but I've come damn close.

related: in a Peloton Facebook group yesterday some guy said, "I did a PZ ride today. it seemed really easy." have you you done an FTP test? "no, should I?" do the FTP test, know your proper zones, do a Wilpers PZ Max ride and then come back and tell me it's easy.

Postby **dodint** » Tue Jan 09, 2024 9:24 am

For a while PZ was my favorite part of Peloton but I've gotten away from it lately. I do them now as kind of a 'break' from HIIT/Hills rides because there is a lot less changing during the ride and sometimes I need that.

My problem with them is I usually do a 30 minute ride and with PZ 13 minutes of that is warm-up, dumb.

I am overdue for an FTP test.

Postby **skullman80** » Tue Jan 09, 2024 9:29 am

I need to re-do my FTP test. I was really into PZ training for a while, then I just kind of got bored with it and started doing normal classes.

Postby **count2infinity** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 11:29 am

Today is day 1 of getting back on track.

Been a wild journey over my adult life as far as my weight is concerned...

Graduated high school: 220
Sophomore year of college: 275
Graduating college: 215
Starting grad school: 235
Finishing grad school: 310
Losing weight when I found out I was going to be a dad: 199 (I saw the 1 on the scale which was my "goal" and I sort of stopped doing the work)
2 years into dadhood: 215
Coming out of COVID: 230
Now: 245

The only one of these changes that was intentional was 310 to 199. I made a conscious effort to do that. Everything else has just been ebbs and flows of my life. I've done it before... I have faith I can do it again. And my goal is 210, so compared to 111 pounds, 35 pounds isn't too bad.

First step: get the diet sorted. Fired up myfitnesspal for the first time in a few years. Just documenting what I eat is often enough to get the behavior change.

Second step: get some exercise in there. We have a very limited gym at work that I can just go and use whenever. Makes it convenient. I just need to get a workout routine established. Like during my big drop: lift 2 days a week, cardio the other three. Might see if I can get some cardio time in all 5 days and then just lift for two. That's the plan anyways.

Wish me luck!

Postby **dodint** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 11:34 am

Good luck!

I've found some success with Noom if you feel like you need a nudge down the line.

Postby **skullman80** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 11:35 am

Good luck!

Postby **MR25** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 11:40 am

FWIW lifting is/can be cardio as well. All depends what you put into your movements.

Postby **MrKennethTKangaroo** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 11:51 am

Good luck and more importantly have fun.

Postby **count2infinity** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 1:53 pm

Thanks, yinz... anyone ever been on an Expresso bike before? Our gym has a couple of them and they look like they might be a good alternative to the treadmill.

Postby **shoeshine boy** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 2:12 pm

Thanks, yinz... anyone ever been on an Expresso bike before? Our gym has a couple of them and they look like they might be a good alternative to the treadmill.

never been on one but looked them up. looks like an expensive upright bike. I prefer spin bikes myself. if you're moving, you're moving but I never felt like I got a good workout on an upright exercise bike.

get yourself a good routine and stick to it. the latter is the hard part.

Postby **skullman80** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 3:41 pm

I did a robin HIIT ride this morning where she was wearing all yellow....oh boy. That was rough. I was dog tired at the end.

Postby **shoeshine boy** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 3:45 pm

I did a robin HIIT ride this morning where she was wearing all yellow....oh boy. That was rough. I was dog tired at the end.

I think I've read that yellow is Robin's "you're going to die on this ride" color.

Postby **dodint** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 5:01 pm

@shoeshine boy

When I fully recover I'll show you on the doll where the FTP test hurt me today.

I started the test at my old avg output and just dragged it up from there. It is the first time I ever stopped pedaling exactly at 0:00.

Avg Output was 261.

Postby **shoeshine boy** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 5:02 pm

Postby **mac5155** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 10:06 pm

I've been getting back on the bike daily in the new year.

Does anyone use the Peloton app with a non Peloton bike since they changed whatever they changed in December? I got the echelon app to match my echelon bike but it's not great.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Fri Jan 12, 2024 11:28 pm

Good luck @count2infinity, you got this

Postby **shoeshine boy** » Tue Jan 16, 2024 10:53 am

I've been getting back on the bike daily in the new year.

Does anyone use the Peloton app with a non Peloton bike since they changed whatever they changed in December? I got the echelon app to match my echelon bike but it's not great.

I ride a Schwinn IC4 but I bought a Peloton Guide (the movement tracker gizmo for strength classes) off of eBay when Peloton announced the changes. I did this because the Guide membership is the same cost as the Peloton App+ membership but I get up to 5 profiles which is needed for my SO to have her own profile without actually paying more. for years we were able to do multiple profiles using Apple Family Share but that stopped in December.
when Peloton announced the app price increase in the Summer, people went nuts. IMO, it's still a good price for all that you get. I've tried other programs like the Bowflex Journey program and Apple Fitness but Peloton blows them away.
feel free to give it a try for 60 days:
https://www.onepeloton.com/digital/chec ... U2MTQyZDY=