So I get it if you're going slow and just cruising then sure maybe you can get away with riding on the sidewalk.

I thought we were talking about biking for exercise? If you're in a group of riders, going 18-20 mph, using hand turn signals, keeping a pace line, etc then riding on the side walk is essentially impossible. There's bumps, dips, driveways, runners, walkers.

I think we're talking about two entirely different things here. If you're a frequent road cyclist then there's no debate here riding on the sidewalk isn't an option.

Quote :

"But when someone is driving down Providence in the road at 5:30pm in the afternoon, that's simply not safe."

Wasn't there an Observer article last year saying cyclists shouldn't be allowed to ride on the road and it used Providence Rd at rush hour as an example? There was a huge uproar from the community. What about commuters? Are you saying people who don't own cars shouldn't be able to commute by bike during rush hour on Providence? But yeah if it's clearly dangerous then the cyclist probably shouldn't do it (for their own sake). That might be a larger issue though. I'd argue if a road isn't biker friendly and the cyclist doesn't have a better option for getting from point A to point B during rush hour then there's something wrong with the design of the road or city.

Quote :

"And riding on sidewalks is legal in my city, and not in yours. But hey, we try and tell gay people what bathroom to use and weed is legal where you live, so clearly there are some differences in legislation "

Haha touche. I've commuted for years in both Charlotte and Denver by car and by bike and did a lot of road riding in Charlotte. I'm open to hear from people in NC who are frequent cyclists as well. I don't get the impression you are one (but I could be wrong).

8/21/2016 4:03:36 PM

I don't go for 10 mile rides on the sidewalk. But I'll ride a mile on the sidewalk, at 8-10mph, to get to one end of the Little Sugar Creek Greenway, then ride like 8 miles on the greenway. Then on the way home, I usually will take a leisurely uphill ride on the sidewalk to get back to flat ground. I'm not advocating riding as fast as you can all over the sidewalks only. Nor is this for people who have road bikes and wear spandex suits. This is for somebody with a mountain bike, who pays attention to pedestrians, people walking dogs, cars in driveways, etc. If someone hits me with a car, they're probably gonna have to run off the road to do it.

As for commuters on bikes and rush hour. Sorry, you're way outnumbered by cars. Take the back roads or something if you want to commute to work. Don't get on fucking I-77 and take up the whole lane, just because you're following the rules of the road.

And I took about a 20 year hiatus from cycling, but I've probably ridden 75 miles since I picked up my bike last Saturday.

[Edited on August 21, 2016 at 4:09 PM. Reason : .]

8/21/2016 4:07:56 PM

Bikes aren't allowed to ride on interstate highways. That'd be bad.

But yeah makes sense.

Quote :

"Nor is this for people who have road bikes and wear spandex suits."

I guess I fall under that category.

Why would you ride a mountain bike on the road? Kidding.

8/21/2016 4:11:34 PM

Also, I think there are two main reasons I'd rather ride on the sidewalk than the road, all other things being equal:

- Not wanting to go too slow for other cyclists
- But mostly, not wanting to piss off motorists

Ask 100 people who drive cars if they'd rather cyclists be on the road or sidewalk.

8/21/2016 5:51:43 PM

Ask 100 people who both drive cars and ride bikes where bikes should ride and obey the law...most cyclists drive but most drivers probably don't bike. The more people that bike in cities the healthier and safer they are.

This guy has a good column:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/america-the-cyclist-is-not-your-enemy-1463073268

If you can't access the article just google "America! The Cyclist Is Not Your Enemy" then click on the article and it pops up. He brings up a lot of valid points. Essentially cyclists just have a bad PR problem that needs to be fixed.

Quote :

"- Not wanting to go too slow for other cyclists"

Not any different then 1 car driving 15 mph slower than another. Pass legally on the left.

Quote :

"- But mostly, not wanting to piss off motorists"

If a motorist gets pissed at a bike who's following the law then they shouldn't be on the road in the first place if they can't respect other vehicles. I get it there's certain roads during rush hour that are just stupid for bikes to be on. That makes sense but in general roads should be bike friendly. In an ideal world all cities would have bike lights and lanes (like many do today) but unfortunately that's not the case in many lesser developed cities. At least they're getting better. Charlotte was waaaay less bike friendly 15 years ago. It is getting better.

[Edited on August 21, 2016 at 6:04 PM. Reason : s]

8/21/2016 5:57:44 PM

I'm the type of person who, safety permitting, will go well left of the double yellow line as I pass a cyclist, just to make sure he doesn't accidentally swerve out of the bike lane. But most roads were designed for automobiles. In fact, between my last posts and these, I went on a long ride. One thing I did during the ride was go from about the Manor Theatre to Queens University, all down Providence on the sidewalk. i.e., what a commuter might have to do if they don't own a car (though I'd imagine most people who commute on bikes have some type of other transportation.) It was easy. A couple times, I either jumped in the road to pass a pedestrian on the sidewalk, or just stopped for a drink of water while they passed. No one was harmed. And the runners/walkers throughout most of my 12-15 mile ride gave me head nods, etc when I would slow down and get on the far right edge of the sidewalk. Because most people are pretty reasonable when you act reasonable yourself.

8/21/2016 6:03:51 PM

I'm not saying you're in the wrong I'm simply making the point that bikes are vehicles and have a legal right to be in the road and in many cases it's much safer (Depending on what you're doing. Commuting, road biking, cruising, etc). There's a reason that in many cities it's illegal to ride on the sidewalk. It's just plain dangerous. I also ride 60-90 minutes every day during various times of the day and this comes to mind every day I'm on my bike. If anything I don't think it's black and white as in you should ALWAYS ride on the sidewalk or road. I think it varies case by case.

8/21/2016 6:08:43 PM

Kids riding their little tricycles in their suburban neighborhoods should stay on the sidewalk, but adults riding their bikes for exercise and transportation should be on the road (with exceptions). How did this become an argument?

8/22/2016 7:14:37 AM

If you want to get run over by a rickshaw or a horse, maybe.

8/22/2016 8:37:28 AM

Quote :

"Essentially cyclists just have a bad PR problem that needs to be fixed."

living downtown I have had a lot of negative experiences with cyclists, even with the bike lanes.

I've had them blow through 4 way stops after I had started to cross the intersection, blow through red lights, come ride up in my blind spot and even attempt to pass me (wtf?), stay in the middle of the road on single lane streets with bike lanes just so I couldn't pass, etc. And then when I do finally get around them they look at me as if to call me an asshole. All of these things have happened multiple times, if not semi-regularly.

On the other hand, I know some great, considerate cyclists and have some in my family who bike 50+ miles a day and even over 120 for races.

It varies on the person but my experience since moving downtown has been overwhelmingly negative.

8/22/2016 9:19:23 AM

Quote :

"Kids riding their little tricycles in their suburban neighborhoods should stay on the sidewalk, but adults riding their bikes for exercise and transportation should be on the road (with exceptions). How did this become an argument?"

Thank you!

^That's unfortunate. I often yell at cyclists who break the law. Police are pretty good about ticketing cyclists who break the law here so I rarely see someone doing it. Mostly it's bikes running stop signs if there aren't any cars around. Downtown it seems like most cyclists follow the laws. Probably because we not only have bike lanes but bike specific traffic lights. It's sad some cyclists feel entitled or above the law.

8/22/2016 12:02:35 PM

We need to get this thread back on track - but for my own personal experiences, no matter how polite or correct a cyclist is on a road, it is extremely dangerous. Especially where narrow county roads are concerned, and here in NC, that seems to be where the cyclists are always riding. Especially with as many texters as there are out there now. I realize that people shouldn't be texting, but it doesn't change the fact that they do text, and it only takes a few second of not paying attention and you're dead. I can't think of any scenario where bike + car equals anything but dead cyclist. Is it really worth it?

And here in NC, we're not supposed to pass cyclists on double-yellow lines anymore, so according to the law, on a 55mph road, we're supposed to allow you to go...what, 25 mph until we get a passing lane? Is that really considered polite?

8/22/2016 12:03:18 PM

To get back on track I've never been into squats (except for kettle bell squats) or barbell lifts but my brother was in town and decided to show me a couple things. He helped me incorporate romanian deadlifts, squats, and some overhead presses into my routines. Excited to see some beginner gains. The romanian deadlift was fantastic for my hamstrings.

8/22/2016 12:22:52 PM

Deadlifts scare me - any kind of deadlift looks like if you do the slightest thing incorrectly, you're back will be trouble for the rest of your life.

And it is unfortunate because most routines that I've looked up on the internet incorporate some kind of deadlift.

8/22/2016 12:34:14 PM

Yeah we decided not to do any traditional deadlifts from the ground and just the romanian for now. I put the bar on the rack and started from there so I wasn't picking it up from the ground.

8/22/2016 12:49:43 PM

Definitely go slow with deads. They were a favorite of mine in high school but when I tried to get back into lifting a couple of years ago I was "warming up" with 135 and heard a pop in my back. I could barely walk for two weeks and it completely took me out of all exercise for 7 months or so. It was a major setback and I was afraid to do them until about a year after it happened.

Since then, I started out really light and slowly worked my way up. Now I can deadlift over 400 and I'm 180 lbs. I'd probably put my max closer to 425.

It's an amazing exercise that does wonders for your entire core, legs, grips/forearms, upper and lower back, etc. Don't be afraid of it, but definitely take the time to work with somebody or otherwise learn the correct form. Always stretch very well and warm up thoroughly.

I only started doing squats 4 months ago when I got a membership at Triangle Rock Club. My work gym didn't have a rack. I've gone up a lot and it's helped my dead lifts too. Good God do I get sore two days after doing them though. Did a few sets of 225x5 on Thursday and I'm still sore. I could barely walk Saturday.

As for OHP try doing them on a Smith Machine if you have access to one.

[Edited on August 22, 2016 at 1:07 PM. Reason : gramma]

8/22/2016 1:04:44 PM

We do have a smith machine as well as a rack (same machine front/back). I could give it a try on there. I was practicing with the bar to get used to the motion. My brother preceded to OHP 195 to show me his form. Lol.

8/22/2016 1:35:40 PM

started the summer at 194. Ran a 5K which began my start of running again. Now down to 180, but yet I feel like I look the same...people in the gym tell me I lost weight. Either way, want to get down to 175 ish then start really lifting again. Advice?

8/26/2016 1:15:35 AM

^What are your goals? Definition or increased strength? If the former, figure out your body fat percentage and since you're already cutting, keep cutting until you hit single digits.

Also, ncsuallday re: your questions:
Right now I'm where I can run a 5k in good conditions (i.e. not with a 100+ heat index like lately) fairly comfortably and just under 30 minutes. I'd like to get that down to 27 minutes or so and also be able to run a 10k in the fall.

Heat can definitely slow you down. You might want to look into getting a small Camelbak. I have the Circuit(?-holds 50 oz) and ran fine a few days in 110+. But I sweat like a pig, so may be more heat-resistant.

As far as counting strides - do you just use a metronome type app until you get used to just feeling it? I'm worried that when I actually start running races I won't be able to pace myself correctly because I'm so familiar with my current route that I use landmarks and my stop watch to tell what my pace is.

You can set the Spotify running to a certain cadence or let it detect yours. I do the former. I plan on running races with it, as I usually find that I default to a lower cadence without it.

I'm always looking for running partners since everyone flakes out, so let me know if you want to run. Thinking of joining up with the Fleet Feet groups.

[Edited on August 26, 2016 at 1:22 PM. Reason : ;]

8/26/2016 1:17:42 PM

Quote :

"You can set the Spotify running to a certain cadence or let it detect yours. I do the former. I plan on running races with it, as I usually find that I default to a lower cadence without it. "

Wait really?! I usually run with Spotify or Pandora. What's this magic in Spotify?!

I Googled:

https://www.spotify.com/us/running/

I'm going to try it out this weekend!!

8/26/2016 1:24:12 PM

Haha, yeah it's kind of hidden. They haven't done much after the announcement to advertise it, and it's my favorite feature! I would have done Google Music for YT Red if it wasn't for this feature alone.

I mostly just use the Tiesto mix. The Recommended isn't bad, but it can suck when you're in the flow and get some annoying song.

8/26/2016 1:29:24 PM

Quote :

"I'm always looking for running partners since everyone flakes out, so let me know if you want to run. Thinking of joining up with the Fleet Feet groups."

I live downtown. I'd really like to do one of the brewery groups to try to meet some new people. Big Boss at 7pm on Tuesdays or possibly if I switch my rock climbing night I could do the n0g Run Club on Monday nights. I'm still just a little bit from where I want to be (i.e. not embarrassingly tired by the end of a 3 mile run) before I venture out. Hopefully next month or October I'll be in good enough shape.

8/26/2016 2:14:25 PM

Wish that Spotify thing had something where you could alternate between walking and plyometric sprints. Oh well.

8/26/2016 3:15:26 PM

I wish the Spotify phone app and desktop client weren't total pieces of shit. I've had a ton of problems with them lately and they have zero customer support

But when it works it's awesome.

8/26/2016 3:20:26 PM

What kind of issues? I don't think I've ever had an issue with the Spotify app. After they re-designed it it's pretty solid.

8/26/2016 3:39:32 PM

Phone app is constant freezing and having to restart (I've updated, uninstalled, reinstalled). The desktop client keeps giving me a "this song is unavailable..something something.. you can play it from your computer's library" even though it's definitely a song that's available. Couldn't get any help from email/phone so I bitched on twitter and got a @spotifycares person to contact me. Gave them my email, they kept saying they were "working on it" and I'd write every week or so and they just stopped replying. I must have uninstalled and reinstalled old versions, new versions, etc. a dozen times. It's very inconsistent. Some days it's find, some days it just doesn't work at all and then a few days later will work again with no explanation.

8/26/2016 4:32:59 PM

Well that's no fun. I haven't had any issues with the Android app.

8/26/2016 4:35:50 PM

Weird. I use both desktop and mobile apps without any issues.

8/26/2016 5:29:25 PM

^^^ Oh man, I thought I was the only one having such issues

It is fucking insane how it used to work fine until about Feb/Mar, then started to worsen, and has gone down the gutter in the past 2-3 months.

It is really really terrible now.

8/26/2016 8:18:33 PM

Just got back from a run. Tried the running feature but couldn't get it to work. I clicked "Run to this" or whatever and it found my cadence but then it just went back to the screen with "Run to this". I tried multiple running playlists but each one wanted to get my cadence then nothing happened. Was super frustrating.

8/26/2016 9:43:19 PM

^Hmm, maybe try setting one. You can always adjust it up or down with the arrows.

Is this iPhone or Android? Never had a problem on the former.

On Windows desktop, I've had some issues, but mostly fringe cases trying to integrate between iPhone, Desktop, Sonos, and Chromecast Audio.

Friend convinced me to download Pokemon Go. I spent all weekend walking aroud, so legs were too sore to run last night Taking it easy so I'm back at it tomorrow.

[Edited on August 29, 2016 at 12:52 PM. Reason : ;]

8/29/2016 12:50:28 PM

I've been using that Spotify run thing paired with Runkeeper - I really like it - good recommendation (when Spotify isn't being a pos)

9/2/2016 9:55:16 AM

I think I'm dealing with my first case of plantar - need some help diagnosing from some other runners. Left foot dull pain in the mid-arch. As far as I know I have normal arch height, never had any major issues before. Went running while on vacation last week, road running, I wear Sauconi Kinvaras, and noticed some popping while running in the left foot. Took a few days off, ran about 3mi on the treadmill yesterday and it's sore again today while walking around barefoot. I just registered for a half-marathon in December so this is a concern since my 12 week training starts in about two weeks.

Sound like plantar from anyone with prior experience? Any advice other than just rest it?

9/2/2016 10:17:22 AM

It fucking sucks. Mine was so bad I had to drop fitness walking . The pain from walking lasted at least a year after that I think

You need to do exercises that stretch the achilles. I'd drop the marathon. You train on that without proper rest you risk some serious foot problems the rest of your life.

9/2/2016 1:09:26 PM

According to my co-worker, using a golf ball also helps. Just roll your foot/affected area over the ball a for a bit. I don't know how frequently you wanna do it. I'd imagine several times a day to go along with your resting.

9/2/2016 2:00:18 PM

I'm going to rest it for a week and see how it feels. I'm going to walk some this weekend and try a mile run in a few days - if it's still bothering me I may have to reconsider the half-marathon as recommended.

9/2/2016 6:46:10 PM

You should really start treating it immediately just in case it is plantar. Calf stretches, achilles stretches, towel roll thing... just start doing all of it... you have no idea how debilitating it can get .

If you think it hurts now try running for 12 weeks on it lol.

I got mine from running lake johnson twice in new Balance shoes that weren't running shoes... it was brutal. Like I've torn my acl, fractured growth plate in my knee, torn my pectoral, broken wrist in two places... and that one honestly took longer than all of those in terms of how long it took to stop bothering me.

Only thing that took longerror was getting nipped by a pit bull mix.... pain in the muscle lasted like 2 years

9/2/2016 8:37:58 PM

^damn dude

I'd just go get it checked out by a podiatrist

9/2/2016 9:10:06 PM

ncsuallday glad you're enjoying Spotify Running

I had PF when I was really overweight and had retail jobs standing all day. Agree on golf ball or tennis ball.

GoldieO do you stretch before and after your runs? I've found I can forgo the before-run dynamic stretching if I'm pressed for time, but I start feeling aches within 1-2 runs if I don't stretch afterwards. One of the stretches/exercises I do is the golf ball for PF. You can also use a frozen bottle of water to ice your foot, and use NSAIDS. Also, if the pain reduces a bit and you can continue running, I'd avoid any inclines until you've had time to heal and strengthened/increased flexibility in your achilles.

My news for the day, I was able to do chin-ups for the first time since I was a kid I can almost do a pull-up. Have to sort of kip it, but I'm still working on it. I've been doing the beginner bodyweight fitness program from Reddit. In other news, I had to run on the dreadmill last night due to all the rain. I'm lucky I have it, but I prefer running outside (plus hatching Pokemon eggs doesn't work inside )

9/3/2016 3:52:24 AM

I don't stretch after runs like I should so I do need to get back to doing so - especially since I'm old now and don't heal like I used to. I have started jump roping again recently, doing some double-unders, so I'm thinking that may have contributed to some additional stress on my arches.

Congrats on the chin-up achievement. I'd recommend a pull-up band from Rogue Fitness or elsewhere to help with the assisted pull-ups while you build strength rather than relying too much on kipping. Kipping only helps with speed when you're in a pull-up race at your CFit gym.

9/3/2016 9:28:22 AM

Got one of these about a month ago. Good, steady progress with all types of grip widths

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HBUNAO

9/3/2016 10:37:24 AM

^^^ rather than Kipping you should do 'negative' pull-ups until you get strong enough to do 3 pullups. It will probably only take a week or two to get there if you're doing other strength training as well.

When you start strength training the most important thing is developing muscle memory. You want to really place emphasis on the form early on so it's ingrained when your workouts get more difficult and risk of injury increases greatly.

Kipping is horrible for strength development and it places your shoulders at huge risk of injury. Leave that for the crossfit people. They don't care about destroying their bodies with injuries, clearly

[Edited on September 3, 2016 at 6:41 PM. Reason : A]

9/3/2016 6:41:10 PM

#ripgirlfriend

9/4/2016 2:48:11 AM

What's everyone's thoughts on lifting shoes? I just got back into squats and lifts and have never had a pair of proper lifting shoes. They help with technique a lot and even help prevent injury (e.g. tilting forward when you're squatting)?

9/6/2016 12:53:29 PM

^my friend/lifting partner has a pair of really expensive Nike ones. I see him lifting barefoot more than anything. He was all about them at first but now says it's really not that much different and they limit what you can do in the gym (i.e. you can't just go for a jog on the treadmill in them).

-------------------------

I finally hit my initial goal weight (178) down from 200 in May. So it took 4 months to lose 22 lbs (about 1.4 a week average). Also went from 19-20% (maybe higher - at State the trainers measured me at 23%) down to 14.3% body fat. This is based off of tracking with a Fitbit Aria scale on weekday mornings.

Might cut just a little bit more and then start upping my protein and lifting more. I definitely lost a lot of lean mass during this cut. Like I said, never dirty bulking again. I feel like aesthetically I look like I did before I started but with a little more definition and size.

I wanted to post this just to show the "whooshes" because they really discouraged me in the beginning but if you stick to a routine, eat a deficit, and just do a little bit more when you hit a plateau you'll eventually break through.





[Edited on September 6, 2016 at 1:12 PM. Reason : ppics]

9/6/2016 1:11:19 PM

Quote :

"What's everyone's thoughts on lifting shoes?"

A simple pair of Chuck Taylors works for me. I have hi-tops, but loosen up the top few laces when doing squats so I can get more flexibility in my ankles. Just don't use them for cardio!

9/6/2016 3:20:35 PM

Thanks! Not a huge deal as I rarely do cardio in the gym. I only go to lift.

9/6/2016 3:29:49 PM

I like lifting shoes but more for oly lifting. They are nice for squats and all but depending on your mobility they aren't that big of a deal. They definitely help me with my squats but my mobility is dog shit and something I'm working on. I'd stick with chucks.

9/6/2016 4:39:44 PM

GoldieO and face, thanks! I stopped after that one kip. I just wanted to see if I could do it. It was only very slight waving of my legs. I don't have much headroom above my pull up bar (8' ceilings') so I'm doing leg-extended pull-ups for now. I might invest in one of those bands so I can adjust how much help I get while I work toward unassisted.

ncsuallday, great results! Do you know your BF%? The exercise physiologist who took mine said he tells people to keep cutting if they're in that mode as low as they can stand it, preferably to <10, or even <8%. Then bulk with 20% as a max.

[Edited on September 6, 2016 at 7:14 PM. Reason : ;]

9/6/2016 7:12:29 PM

^14.3% as of an hour ago (same as yesterday).

It's hard to tell what to do because when I set 178 as a goal weight, it was with the thought that it would be at about 10% body fat. I burned muscle at a higher rate than I thought (had a lot to do with going from lifting 5 days a week to 2 days due to injury and running the other days). I'll probably keep doing what I'm doing for now and watch my numbers and just play it by ear until I get down to 10-12% and/or it gets too cold to run frequently and then I'll do a slow mini-bulk.

I'm not gonna get up past 16-17% though it's just not worth it giving up several months of eating to get back into shape haha. Plus your clothes don't fit right - nobody seems to mention that part. At my peak I was a 36 waist, now I'm a 31.

9/7/2016 9:18:14 AM