It wasn't without a little smugness that I passed a uniformed group of four team riders pedaling up the mountain to Castle Craig last weekend.
I was not smug becuase I had been vigilant in my training- it was the second time I'd been on my bike since things started getting cold at the beginning of November.
It wasn't because of some natural level of physical fitness- I used to be really overweight and out of shape.
It was simply becuase I out eat those riders every day, and consequently I have a ridiculous advantage.
What did you have for breakfast this morning guys? I thought to myself as I passed them on the steep incline.
For me the answer was 20 tangerines. For them? Steak and eggs maybe? Oatmeal? Captain Crunch and milk?
The differences you feel within a few weeks of going on a low-fat diet centered around fruit is amazing.
Your energy levels skyrocket, it's easier to breath, and you don't get as tired.
Fat impedes the uptake and transport of oxygen, if nothing else. And every cell in the body runs off simple sugars.
Your body has to labor to convert oatmeal to simple sugars for use, but it's all ready to go for me.
The fact is that I didn't deserve to pass those riders. My training regime has been pathetic. I've been injured and resting all winter. That team probably races - which is something I've never even tried on a bike.
So when is the rest of the world going to wake up get off their addictions?
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7 comments:
There are lots of healthy diets that dont center around raw fruits and vegetables. The more restrictive a diet is, the less likely somone is going to make it a lifelong habit.
And for the record, I'm a 50+ year old woman who started running less than 10 years ago and ran a marathon last year. I've had a few aches and pains over the years, but I attribute the fact that I've been injury free to moderation in a well- varied diet and a realistic approach to exercise.
Maybe, but a healthy diet failed to heal my colitis.
Was was eating what most people would consider a fantastically healthy diet before going raw.
I suffered daily from the disease while eating that way.
It wasn't until I went raw that it healed and I sort of got a new lease on life.
And ability to stick to a diet is relative to your interest and need to do so, and the degree to which you pursue a sustainable diet. Most diets fail because the diets are inherently unhealthy.
I've written about cravings control here if you're interested: http://www.raw-food-health.net/CravingControl.html
Best
-Andrew
It wasn't a race. Your diet did not give you the advantage the group's pace up the hill did. Hubris on the bike is certainly not a unique attribute to your diet either. If only there was a diet for ego reduction!
No it wasn't a race, but when they caught up to me when I stopped up at the castle and they asked me if I was a racer becuase they wished they could have kept my pace, I think my point was justified.
And given that I blatantly titled the post with the word hubris, by definition indicating that I'm being too cocky and it's only a matter of time before the gods smite me down, I figured I was covering my bases.
And besides, you're talking to a runner with a gimped out foot. I'm hardly in a position to be bragging about much.
I'm just continuously shocked at how much of a difference this diet makes in all aspects of my life. If I'm too enthusiastic about sharing it, my apologies.
Best,
-Andrew
That's cool. I'm just being a jokester. Great compliments. It's cool biking up there. I'll bike up there every few weeks and see the same guys over the years, as if their existence is only on that road. Year after year I see them, like ghosts in that one spot as time keeps moving. Of course, I am just a ghost to them also.
Races start in a couple of weeks. Give it a shot!
Great job, biking and running are so different! I thought I would be a kick butt biker since I'm a kick butt running but, alas...I am humbled every time I bike.
Anywho, the point I would like to add to the ether is: I am always surprised by the amount of anti raw comments I see on raw blogs. I mean, why even bother reading a raw blog if this lifestyle doesn't interest you??
Eh, I don't take it personally.
For this post, some honestly thought I was trying to be cocky.
For others, my diet is different and they view it as a reproach of what they're doing, so they get defensive.
I don't let it get to me.
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