Sunday Trike Ride
Last Sunday I took a trike ride along the beach as part of my summer weight loss and workout goals. I have always been overweight, currently at least 80 lbs over. Nothing has yet worked as a method for weight loss that managed to be maintainable over the long haul by me. Much of the problem is a lack of self control in the face of hunger pains. Seriously, I have no good judgment when I'm hungry.
That said, I still enjoy exercise when I have the time. Currently unemployed and out of school, so, now I do! What's more, I worked hard last semester to get the VA to do me a solid on this contraption. Conventional workout methods are starting to become more and more painful with increasing health problems. With a bit of nagging, the VA bought me a new recumbent trike to help me get a workout routine going. Here is a photo of it alongside my friend's beach cruiser:
So far, I LOVE IT! All of the power in my legs (an obese person's strongest asset) goes right into the forward thrust of the ride. I don't have to wait for gravity to take effect when my back is pressed against the seat as I push. I've been making personal records of how far and fast I can go all over Long Beach with these wheels.
The Down Side Of The Trike
Two major problems tend to come up with this recreational human powered vehicle.
- The maintenance and care is complicated. As a folding trike, you can't fold it with the chain on the largest gear or else you can break it, for example. So far maintenance and repair from learning how to care for it has been more expensive than any bicycle I've owned. Still, since I could afford it at the moment, I see it as worth it, assuming nothing new becomes a problem for a long while.
- Riding low to the ground makes car traffic more of a danger because it's harder to see you. For this reason I stay out of the streets as much as possible and stick to bike trails. If I have to cross a street, I make sure to make eye contact with anyone on the road before I cross their path. The bike came with an orange flag to help, but the wind stole it from me, so I need to buy replacement soon.
The Gear
Being white and nerdy has it's quirks. 🙃 I need vitamin D in my life, but I don't need sunburns, insects in my mouth, or to blind myself along the way. I got myself a sunscreen with an spf of 110, my camo sun hat, track pants, and a stylish face shield. I turn a LOT of heads when I ride, lol. What? It's not like I'm blaring a loud engine or a boombox wherever I go like an inconsiderate jerk. I just dress FLASHY! 💥 ✨ 😎 ✨ 💥
Though, TBH, I really need a new hat (sun hat?). That camo hat is just a tad bit too small. Also, the brim flies up constantly in the wind, thus defeating the purpose. Just wait 'till I get my hands on a Chinese straw hat to go with my crazy face shields. Then I'll be ballin'. Next step, spinning rims... On second thought, I can make a baseball cap work with this outfit.
The Goal
I have a few personal health goals going on right now. Lose 80 pounds is the biggest and most challenging among them. Thankfully I have some easier goals to help me along the way. On runkeeper, my cycling goal is:
Can you guess why I would have that particular distance as my goal? ...Time's up! It's the distance around the equator! Having a goal like this motivates me to do something epic. Unlike my weight, it can never go back up. When I complete this goal, I'll know that I've ridden the distance that it would take to go around the entire planet Earth. I like to think about that perspective when I look at my workout summary. Just putting a tiny dent in it can still feel big, because it makes something as massive as the Earth seem that much smaller along the way.
The Ride
For this Sunday bike ride, I did some laps on the beach.
As you can see, I completed a distance of 32.01 miles in a day. Not bad for a beginner's marathon distance! Total calories burned from all parts of the ride added to 2233 cal. If it's at all accurate (I'm not sure how much it is) that's a whole day of overeating burned out in the course of 3 hours!
Nothing beats a ride with a view.
Here's a little entertainment to show off the ride:
Hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know what you think in the comments. If you like this kind of content, then I can post my whole weight loss journey this summer. Look forward to a post of my future ride around Long Beach, Downey, and high fiving Whittier along the way (the second attempt).
Disclaimer: The people and logos depicted here did not authorize, sponsor, or in any way associate with the creation of this post. These are my own independent observations in Long Beach.
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Credit: My recordings and images.