Strengthening
I've said several times that I'm going to start working out more, but recently this has been actually happening. I'd like to say it's something about force of will but I think it has a lot more to do with my $50 bet with James.
Now it's all well and good for me to be doing this, and once I get into the rhythm of it I'm sure things will go a lot more smoothly, but early on in the process, when your health is somewhere between "abysmal" and "post-mortum" actually exercising involves looking like an idiot. This applies most dramatically to my conditioning regimen regarding my bicycle.
The real problem here is that Seattle has a deeply entrenched bike culture, with all kinds of rules and nuances etc. They ride for much more significant reasons. Things like eco-politics, fighting big oil, carbon footprints etc. There's also a kind of bike scensterism that goes on around here. My firm belief that anyone riding a fixed gear bike without brakes is an idiot one step from being the next "doucebag on poorly designed bike gets creamed by truck" headline would make me a pariah in that culture if I was part of it. I'm not but those who are exist all around me, and they're people with bodies that are accustomed to riding uphill. I'm still not fully used to walking uphill. This leads to scenes of me pulled over drinking water and catching my breath while gaggles of people sail effortlessly up the hill that has completely thwarted me.
In time I'll develop the endurance necessary to conquer those hills, and when I do I can't promise that I won't take terrible vengeance upon those healthy people.
Now it's all well and good for me to be doing this, and once I get into the rhythm of it I'm sure things will go a lot more smoothly, but early on in the process, when your health is somewhere between "abysmal" and "post-mortum" actually exercising involves looking like an idiot. This applies most dramatically to my conditioning regimen regarding my bicycle.
The real problem here is that Seattle has a deeply entrenched bike culture, with all kinds of rules and nuances etc. They ride for much more significant reasons. Things like eco-politics, fighting big oil, carbon footprints etc. There's also a kind of bike scensterism that goes on around here. My firm belief that anyone riding a fixed gear bike without brakes is an idiot one step from being the next "doucebag on poorly designed bike gets creamed by truck" headline would make me a pariah in that culture if I was part of it. I'm not but those who are exist all around me, and they're people with bodies that are accustomed to riding uphill. I'm still not fully used to walking uphill. This leads to scenes of me pulled over drinking water and catching my breath while gaggles of people sail effortlessly up the hill that has completely thwarted me.
In time I'll develop the endurance necessary to conquer those hills, and when I do I can't promise that I won't take terrible vengeance upon those healthy people.
posted by Max at 1:40 PM
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