Back in the day, sitting on my couch watchin' TV looked a bit like my present-day YouTube jaunts. Whatever would pique my interest was/is anything out of the ordinary, less familiar, and otherwise unique. Invariably, I would find something that allowed my mind to totally release any worries and fears, achieving true relaxation by way of getting totally locked into a box of flickering lights and odd sounds. Upon one such occasion I watched a documentary about The Netherlands. A place which is informally known as Holland, with their people colloquially dubbed The Dutchies.
It was really nice to see how people from this part of the world lived and interacted with one another. The main takeaway was how tall people from this part of the world are. In the USA, men and women on average are 5'9β and 5'3β respectively. In The Netherlands, itβs more like 6' and 5'7β...respectively.
One other memorable aspect was how cycling is a popular mode of transportation. As in using a human powered bicycle. So much so that civil engineers take this into consideration when designing bike paths in conjunction with roadways for cars.
To provide a little more context, this documentary was true to form of its time. Reality television was still kind of in its infancy so no fake, ie scripted, drama. Social media didn't even exist. Shorts or vlogs set to corny music, outlandish content, thirst trapping, or click-baiting designed to grab likes and traffic were not a thing really. It was just the documentary film maker along with a small camera/sound crew. Straight info, no filler. Something I really miss.
In this blunt style, I do recall an interview they did with a woman cycling along one of the bike paths. In the narration, they mentioned she was actually 80 years old and on her way to see her grandkids. The film maker expressed his dismay by the state of the woman, as was I while sat on my couch. She definitely seemed to be in her golden years, but, she was tall, fit, and trim with a straight back and shoulders. Excellent posture for any human being really, let alone someone of her vintage. She also seemed vibrant, engaging, well mannered, and otherwise happy. Once the interview was done, off she went pedaling away on said bike path.
Other bits of the documentary focused on the how these folks eat, work, play, relax, and go about normal everyday life. The point I believe that was trying to be made was that there does exist another way of life, one where you too could end up a very fit and sharp grandparent in your 80's.
The documentary summarized by stating that the level of health and fitness of the elder folks was likely due to the cycling culture in Holland along with their diet and social interactions.
At the time of watching this I was a bit of a gym rat. That is to say, I was primarily weight training for exercise. Perhaps I would hit a slow jog on a treadmill for a bit of cardio. And as the treadmills at this gym were perched in a loft type area, I would watch everyone below lift, or watch ESPN's sports center in the TV. So just gym, gym, and more gym.
As this treadmill routine persisted, it dawned on me that I was kind of like a rat or hamster traversing a wheel in a cage of some sort. It was as if I was prescribing myself to a sort of inhumane activity and self-deprivation. The fog of youth would disallow me to quite put my finger on it in that moment. Well, that is until the fog lifted because soon enough I decided to do my jog outdoors. For me, this meant on public roads. Why? Well my ideal was to just step outside my door, stretch, then proceed to jog. Jog though the parking lots and main strip running up and down the hill I was living on. Then onto the major roadway which, by the way, had no sidewalks. There was barely even any runoff area to the right of the white lines. So I would jog alright, but was in constant fear that I was going to be hit by a car traveling 40-50 miles an hour down the road.
I did not want to drive to a high school track to run in circles for a half hour. I did not want to drive 20 minutes to some wooded trail. I drove enough as it was. So in the face of this mental stalemate, back to the treadmills for a dry cardio experience it was.
Overtime, I realized that all of my exercise eggs were in a pumping iron basket. When it came time to play sports, something I loved, my legs were nowhere to be found. It was as if my muscles were made of petrified wood from the knees down. I was all strength no endurance.
In my late twenties I can remember playing a pickup soccer game and this lack of aerobic, or physical endurance led to me doubled over in exhaustion. My feet were in pain. I was gasping for air, hocking up my lungs, and drooling a disproportionate amount saliva. Although this was mildly embarrassing and eye opening for me at the time, I was not the only one on that field who was realizing their fitness was off.
Cut to when I was about 30. By this time, I had been attempting to make a change to my exercise regimen for a few years. My lack of aerobic performance did not seem fitting for my age and I was feeling out different options for rectification. Luckily by this point I had moved to an area where the roadways seemed a bit safer to traverse on for a jog. As in, there was plenty of runoff on the side of my local roads. Also, they had sidewalks which provided even more distance from cars. Not to mention the quiet neighborhoods with their local streets that ran parallel to main roads. Two thumbs up, all is a go right...?
Well, truth be told I never was much of a long distance runner. Maybe this contributed to me giving up outdoor cardio work in me mid 20's. I did, however, have a nice mountain bike. One that I paid really good money for when I was 22 and had more money than I anticipated at that age. One that I rode maybe five times in the 8 years I had owned it. One that was collecting dust. I thought to myself, 'If the roads are safe to travel on, and I can get to them from my doorstep so I don't have to load my bike on the back of my car, why not just ride me bike for cardio...?'
And there it began. I dusted it off. Put air in the tires. All was a go. I started by doing a 6-mile round-trip. The topology of my area was relatively flat, so my thighs and lungs would not be on fire like in the past when trying to climb a mountain or traverse hilly terrain unconditioned. This allowed my body to ease into proper cycling shape. After about one season, I started to set up my bike better for my body. Adjusting the seat height for correct pedaling efficiency. Tuning up the gearing, brakes, handlebar height, gear change actuation.
Next season after this, I doubled the range of my bike rides to 12 miles. This allowed me to ride down to the waterfront near my apartment for a solid hour of exercise. Most importantly, it got me outdoors and in the sunshine once or twice a week. During a time period when my one-sided training regimen was very old, and my overall mental state was in and out for various reasons, this was HUGE.
Not only did I get to bask in the sun during my rides, but it got the wind in my hair again. I got to see civilization around me unfiltered from my carβs windscreen. I got to hear more of the sights and sounds around where I lived. It got me fresh air. And being as I grew up riding bikes around the neighborhood with all my friends, it made me feel like a kid again. Thus I became more childlike, which I feel is something we all need not lose sight of.
Some of the highlights of my rides are the following:
Passing by the daycare center and hearing all the children playing in the playground, or at the pool, while being chaperoned by cute college girls working their summer jobs.
Dealing with the tweens who would talk sh!t to me as I rode by, or try to steal my bike if I stopped in the local grocery store.
Being overtaken by the pear-shaped, middle-aged dad boded, yet ever so smug corporate dudes on their days off. Complete with their high dollar road racing bicycles and skintight Tour De France style outfits. Beer bellies and all. In contrast, I was (and still am) a slender dude wearing loose fitting athletic shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt on a mountain bike. Road race bikes are inherently faster than mountain bikes due to their gearing, tires, and lighter weight. Even if I pedaled as fast as I could, I still would not beat them. Not a chance. I swear. And if I was riding a road racing bike, I would not allow this to happen haha. Nope not up in here.
Oh, then there were the people intentionally trying to startle me and run me off the road.
Children greeting and waving at me from their doorsteps as I rode by.
Chillin' at the waterfront for 10 minutes with my bike only to realize a storm is coming in and I got to hurry home so I don't get zapped with lightening.
The physical workload. The heat. The sweat. Once more, the sunshine...!
It was all magical and heartwarming in many different ways. This made the time pass by in a splendid manner. Not just in those moments, but the glow I would get from all this would last for the entire season. My mood was thoroughly lifted for months.
And it continues to be. Present day, I still try to cycle once a week during the warmer months. If I could afford it (hello paid substack subs where are you...?), I would purchase wind breaking cycling gear to extend the season to the spring and fall in my area. Currently, I ride around a local college campus. There does exist a separate bike path in town that goes for miles and miles. However, it is always overcast on it due to tree cover, and I find my self stuck in top gear for the majority of the ride since the path is mostly straight and flat. So very little sunshine, and since I am stuck in top gear it is mostly an aerobic sort of affair. In contrast, the college campus is full sunshine with a mixture of flat sections, hills, paved/unpaved terrain, and urban assault sort of riding. This provides me with a mixture of an aerobic and anaerobic load, something I strive for with all my non-weight training activities.
After a few seasons from getting back on a bike at 30, I found my legs again. My muscles from my knees to my feet no longer felt like dead wood. And when I began to play soccer a few years afterwards, I no longer got winded. I could hang with everyone on the field without gasping for air. Providing contributions to my side (team) and being more of a force. Getting to play again made me feel like a kid even more...which was great.
I'm so glad I kept that mountain bike around. It saved me from a life that had become dry and dull. Cycling made things more hydrated and vibrant. It opened me up allowing me to rediscover a beautiful world I had all but forgotten about. It provided diversity to my exercise regimen, something I had been looking for. You should give it a go or find your own form of exercise that does for you what cycling has done for me.
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