Are ya brave enough? Well are ya...?

[huw williams]

Following on from "what are your goals for 2008" Does anyone have any target weights they're aiming for for a certain event or part of the summer?

You might be trying to achieve a target weight for the racing season, a perticular event like the Etape or just generally trying to loose a few ponds/stones

No doubt most people will say "yeah I wan't to be a bit lighter this summer" but be a bit more realistic, set a target. Weigh yourself now and once every month and post your numbers here for all the world to see how your'e doing. Any significant success and Cycling Weekly will want to run a feature on you, how you did it and how you're riding has improved (or otherwise) because of it

Anything from 7lbs lost or above and we're interested.

So, Are you brave enough? Well are ya...?

[Ivor]

Hmmm, only got a tiny bit I want to go.
I was 89kg (14stone) just over a year and a half ago when I started my cycling and fitness plan. Down to 77.8kg now but aiming to get to 73kg (11.5stone) for summer. So not a particularly exciting target!

[huw williams]

[quote="orv"]Hmmm, only got a tiny bit I want to go.
I was 89kg (14stone) just over a year and a half ago when I started my cycling and fitness plan. Down to 77.8kg now but aiming to get to 73kg (11.5stone) for summer. So not a particularly exciting target!

[Mike I]

I aim to lose enough weight to annoy Mrs I. She claims (quite truthfully) that there is much less of me than when we got married and that she has therefore been short-changed.

I'm about 76kg now (about 2kg less than my Christmas immediately-post-cheese-course weight). At what weight will she finally snap and insist I spend my weekends eating doughnuts and drinking beer? Will I reach it? If so, when? Will I listen? (er, no)

[Snoop Doug]

28th November 2007 I weighed in at 71.95kg. 17th Jan 2008 I weighed in at 70.85kg.

When I did London to Liverpool in 2002 I got down to 66.5kg, you could hardly see me fer goodness sake!!

I'd be glad to shift a few spare kg around me midriff but am conscious that lean muscle weighs more than fat. Given the amount of training I'm doing I bloomin well hope to pack on at least a teaspoon or two of muscle in the coming months (crikey I'm starting to waffle on big time).

So - I'm gonna plump for (geddit....) 67kg in time for the SCCU 50.

Snoop

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Quite a lardy 76kilos at the moment due to lack of miles out there on the bike. Racing weight, and therefore target is 70Kg. Have been steadily shedding pounds since Christmas and should reach target by May 11.

[kieran]

No, I'm not. Already about 63.5 kg (my weight tends to hover around 10 stone give or take a bit) and I intend to not lose any more. Recent research indicates that slightly over weight people live longer than people who have low or even 'ideal' bmi. It seems they're more disease resistant. Obese people still come out the worst.

[mlocke]

You all make me think i'm a bit lardy at 13 stone

I'm not that fussed about my weight so will set my target in terms of the groups that I ride in.

Currently I am confirtable in the 18's then kill myself on the way back trying to hang onto the lead groups.

By the 1st March (3 club runs) I want to move into the 19's.

May 3rd (10 club runs later) would like to move into tho the next group up - 20mh

Ambtious for me but.......

August 2nd (13 club runs later) would like to move into 21mph's.

If I achieve this I would be very happy

[Dominic]

I have made it my goal to get to a what I feel is a good racing weight for me. I am just over 6 feet tall and I am intially aiming to get to 12.5 stone fpr when I start racing at the end of Feb. I started this little experiment in the New Year when I was a portly 13st 5lbs. I am currently (as of this morning) 12st 9lbs. So the first part of the goal should be attained. My intention is to reassess after the first month of racing if I need to lose any more, or if it makes any difference.

I have to say I am not sure at the moment if it has made any difference. The only thing I really have to gauge against is the chaingang on a Wednesday. In 4 weeks I have gone from being dropped at Salfords on the way out to hanging on by the skin of my teeth to Gatwick and sort of back again (with a little help from Paul, Stu et al). Is this a due to a drop in weight or a concious effort on my part to do more intense training (or both), maybe I should get a power meter to tell me

The only comparison I have seen re weight is somebody like Sean Yates. We are about the same height and I think his optimum weigh was about was 75 kilos. I am currently at 80.3 kilos I will keep you all posted with how it goes.

[huw williams]

Cheers Dom

That's already pretty good progress but take care not to loose it too quickly or you'll lose more than just the weight

Your improved performance in the chain gang is due more to riding with the chaingang and the quality of the workout you get riding with Paul, Stu et al rather than the reduction in weight - though it will certainly help to have lost a few pounds. If you're struggling but just about managing to stay with the chaingang for over an hour or so, that means your right at your threshold and probably even over it at times and you can't beat that for quality training - it'll be improving all aspects of your riding so no wonder you're getting faster - the weight loss is a bonus which will help you further into the summer especially when you get into longer, hillier rides/races.
One more thing, how old are you?

Cheers and keep us updated on your progress

[Dominic]

I guessed it was down to riding with other faster people rather than anything else. It made me realise that last year all the training I did was on my own (typcial TTer). But what a difference training with others makes. It certainly feels right on the edge most of the time, usually with the scales tipping over on the inclines.

I am 39.

[tel]

Like most people after reading Huw`s piece in the Comic, I dedided to lose a few pounds in the New Year.
Cutting out biscuits and stuff, things were going ok.

Three weeks` ago, I managed to get that awful stomach bug and lost 8lb in three weeks. This has set the training back somewhat but atleast I`m at my perfect racing weight.

Terry

[MJ_1993]

What if losing 7lbs will cause someone to get done for neglect. Could I gain 7lbs instead? That would be a task.

[Antloony]

Im currently 12st and 7lbs, ok at 6'2" Im not massive but I'd like to shift the odd 7lb and be a trim 12 dead. I gave up smoking 4 months ago and rocketed up to just over 13 stone (from being 12st before I stopped) mostly noticible around my belly. I took up cycling shortly after giving up the evil weed and have never looked back, this was the first time I'd sat on a bike for over 15 years. Started off in the 17's on the club runs last november, moved up to the 18's and now think its time to move up again after being asked a few times to try out the training group by some of the guys that are in the group. Feel as though Ive achieved quite a lot over a very short period of time. All I feel I lack now is decent knowledge about food, what and when to eat prior to cycling and then when recovering. Im terrible at snacking, biscuits are my enemy, evil little things that I just scoff and scoff.

Im going to start taking it a bit more seriously now though, look into the food issue, lose the spare tyre and get some proper training advice and try to get better and quicker. Im 40 now, in another year I'd like to be racing, not still trundling along in the 18's every saturday with my belly wobbling about because I got attacked by several packets of custard creams.

[huw williams]

[quote="Antloony"] Im 40 now, in another year I'd like to be racing, not still trundling along in the 18's every saturday with my belly wobbling about because I got attacked by several packets of custard creams.