2023 - A full year of hobbies while waiting for Lotus...

[Bilbao-Emira]

Everyone has their own hobby! Everyone I work with makes fun of me when we go on work trips or have events at golf clubs, etc. because I dont drink at all (or seemingly do anything considered conventionally fun) so I order chocolate milks, if they have them. For some reason, people find that hilarious! Guess I am 7 years old at heart!

I´m kidding!

i envy you healthy guys!

But don't overdo it, like in everything, otherwise the healthy hobby becomes a torture, even for the body.

 

[SmallerBaller]

And I want my sleep to be closer to 8.5 ... if I could get my blasted car and stop checking the forums/FB at night for any new news then I could get more restful sleep ))))) I'm fortunate in that most of my staff are international so my work hours tend to start later morning to early eve. I've been tracking numbers for several years ; I'm definitely much more consistent and want to maintain or best each year. It's good to look back and see progression as I know at some point it will slow down. But I did get smoked on the Peloton yesterday by a 60+ so I plan to work it as long as I can.

Hey well you'd smoke me cardio-wise and im half your age, so don't worry about it! Good motivation for me to get my butt in gear. Always great to see people continuously improving.

 

[TomE]

I'd hoped my only weight lifting in 2023 would be the wait lifting on my Emira delivery. Instead that's become a cross between a marathon and one of those military selection assault courses with all the ropes, barbed wire and mud.

Apart from spending too much time on car forums and messing about with cars in the real world, my other hobby is cycling - mainly road with some time trials and a bit of MTB in the winter. I got back into it after my children laughingly said I was too old, fat and unfit to manage the 100-mile bike ride that used to pass our house every year (RideLondon, the mass cycling event started after the London 2012 Olympics).

I enjoyed the training, losing weight, feeling healthier and seeing the countryside from a different perspective, both in the UK and on business trips in the US and Australia. Plus it's a good opportunity to mentally unwind. I managed that 100-mile ride and also completed a 200-miler coast to coast across the UK with my daughter, who took up cycling following my example and now competes in triathlons. I'd like to do more but have to juggle it around other stuff.

We have several cyclists on here and a thread was started a few months ago:

Cycling and bicycles

I'm a Golf R lover as a daily driver. Don't buy the Golf 8 though, get a 7.5 and a 3 door unless you really need easy access to the back seats. That's 26k for a nice one. So then imagine what you can buy as a weekend car for 'only' 55k BUT make sure you give the Emira a chance on test drive 🥰...

www.emiraforum.com

I also think I need to take up yoga so I can continue being able to get into the Exige as I get older!

 

[Leonard]

I'd hoped my only weight lifting in 2023 would be the wait lifting on my Emira delivery. Instead that's become a cross between a marathon and one of those military selection assault courses with all the ropes, barbed wire and mud.

Apart from spending too much time on car forums and messing about with cars in the real world, my other hobby is cycling - mainly road with some time trials and a bit of MTB in the winter. I got back into it after my children laughingly said I was too old, fat and unfit to manage the 100-mile bike ride that used to pass our house every year (RideLondon, the mass cycling event started after the London 2012 Olympics).

I enjoyed the training, losing weight, feeling healthier and seeing the countryside from a different perspective, both in the UK and on business trips in the US and Australia. Plus it's a good opportunity to mentally unwind. I managed that 100-mile ride and also completed a 200-miler coast to coast across the UK with my daughter, who took up cycling following my example and now competes in triathlons. I'd like to do more but have to juggle it around other stuff.

We have several cyclists on here and a thread was started a few months ago:

Cycling and bicycles

I'm a Golf R lover as a daily driver. Don't buy the Golf 8 though, get a 7.5 and a 3 door unless you really need easy access to the back seats. That's 26k for a nice one. So then imagine what you can buy as a weekend car for 'only' 55k BUT make sure you give the Emira a chance on test drive 🥰...

www.emiraforum.com

I also think I need to take up yoga so I can continue being able to get into the Exige as I get older!

Did you manage to do Ride London whilst it was still closed roads and the 'full course' ?

I've never been a massive fan of Sportives and wasn't really expecting much from it.
But i dont mind saying that it was one of the best cycling experiences I have ever had!

 

[TomE]

Yes, did it in 2016 on closed roads on a dry day and full course. It was a great experience, particularly cycling past my family and our house about half way. I'm glad I did it but wouldn't do another mass event like that again - too many people who didn't look out for other riders and I got knocked off at one point.

 

[Leonard]

Yes, did it in 2016 on closed roads on a dry day and full course. It was a great experience, particularly cycling past my family and our house about half way. I'm glad I did it but wouldn't do another mass event like that again - too many people who didn't look out for other riders and I got knocked off at one point.

Lot of riders who didn't know how to ride in a fast group.... Fortunately I'd put down a reasonably fast finish time in my event application so didn't have too many riders to contend with.
Still saw a couple of very bad accidents though.
I hope you weren't beat up too bad.

 

[SmallerBaller]

I'd hoped my only weight lifting in 2023 would be the wait lifting on my Emira delivery. Instead that's become a cross between a marathon and one of those military selection assault courses with all the ropes, barbed wire and mud.

Apart from spending too much time on car forums and messing about with cars in the real world, my other hobby is cycling - mainly road with some time trials and a bit of MTB in the winter. I got back into it after my children laughingly said I was too old, fat and unfit to manage the 100-mile bike ride that used to pass our house every year (RideLondon, the mass cycling event started after the London 2012 Olympics).

I enjoyed the training, losing weight, feeling healthier and seeing the countryside from a different perspective, both in the UK and on business trips in the US and Australia. Plus it's a good opportunity to mentally unwind. I managed that 100-mile ride and also completed a 200-miler coast to coast across the UK with my daughter, who took up cycling following my example and now competes in triathlons. I'd like to do more but have to juggle it around other stuff.

We have several cyclists on here and a thread was started a few months ago:

Cycling and bicycles

I'm a Golf R lover as a daily driver. Don't buy the Golf 8 though, get a 7.5 and a 3 door unless you really need easy access to the back seats. That's 26k for a nice one. So then imagine what you can buy as a weekend car for 'only' 55k BUT make sure you give the Emira a chance on test drive 🥰...

www.emiraforum.com

I also think I need to take up yoga so I can continue being able to get into the Exige as I get older!

That is awesome! Maybe I really should get into cycling, this seems like people here know what theyre doing and could be a good starting point! I live in a pretty mountainous region, so it is hard to bike anywhere near me without it being uphill 50% of the time. I went about 20 miles in a few hours on some crappy rental bikes while touring a canyon this summer (surely not that same experience as having a nice road bike that fits you) and I was pretty darn sore. Again, I've been slacking on cardio... would like to avoid that soreness when doing things like that in the future. Definitely a different stimulation than leg day at the gym, that is for sure.

 

[Leonard]

That is awesome! Maybe I really should get into cycling, this seems like people here know what theyre doing and could be a good starting point! I live in a pretty mountainous region, so it is hard to bike anywhere near me without it being uphill 50% of the time. I went about 20 miles in a few hours on some crappy rental bikes while touring a canyon this summer (surely not that same experience as having a nice road bike that fits you) and I was pretty darn sore. Again, I've been slacking on cardio... would like to avoid that soreness when doing things like that in the future. Definitely a different stimulation than leg day at the gym, that is for sure.

Living somewhere hilly is THE best thing for cycling. May be hard work to start, but once you get some fitness you will be able to go anywhere and cruise it
Half decent bike and bike fit. Good pair of cycling shorts and shoes and you are set.

 

[SmallerBaller]

Living somewhere hilly is THE best thing for cycling. May be hard work to start, but once you get some fitness you will be able to go anywhere and cruise it
Half decent bike and bike fit. Good pair of cycling shorts and shoes and you are set.

I own a unicycle from high school, does that count?!

Okay so my official goals for 2023:

1 rep max-
Flat Bench 250lb
Squat 351lb
Deadlift (mixed grip) 405lb

Run total of 500 km (mostly 5-10k at a time)

Get started cycling. Luckily my fiance's extended family owns a cycling shop, just never something I really though about. Maybe I can set some more specific goals once I know my limits to start a bit better!

 

[Nova]

I can't take on road biking. Too monotonous. I have been mountain biking since the late 80s and have tried road bikes here and there but never really liked it. I am now riding a 29er hard tail, completely self built using individual parts. I do some urban riding with it and like the ability to jump on and off sidewalks and walking paths as needed - when no pedestrians are nearby.

 

[Nova]

Okay so my official goals for 2023:

1 rep max-
Flat Bench 250lb
Squat 351lb
Deadlift (mixed grip) 405lb

Jeezus, my dude, leave some plates on the tree for the rest of us.

 

[SmallerBaller]

I can't take on road biking. Too monotonous. I have been mountain biking since the late 80s and have tried road bikes here and there but never really liked it. I am now riding a 29er hard tail, completely self built using individual parts. I do some urban riding with it and like the ability to jump on and off sidewalks and walking paths as needed - when no pedestrians are nearby.

View attachment 20998

I have a friend who mountain bikes on courses with wooden obstacles and small ramps (im sure there is a word for it that I dont know) and he got in a pretty bad accident... that definitely ups the badass factor compared to road cycling though imo

 

[Cachaco131]

Good thread. After a 10 year incredibly difficult period (which forced me to sell my Elise), I have a diagnosis! Not a great one and a rather odd one, so will start on some biologics as per the advice of my rheumatologist.

So my goal for 2023 is to be able to ride a bike with my son (will probably start with electric). Sounds very mundane for most of you but I have to start somewhere. Continue hitting the gym a lot for upper body and very gradually strengthen legs which has been really difficult because of "enthesitis".

Hope to report back later in the year with some progress.

 

[SmallerBaller]

Jeezus, my dude, leave some plates on the tree for the rest of us.

Hey ask me to run a 5k right now, not even sure I could finish without stopping once or twice anymore, tbh. I am not very close to the numbers anymore, but I used to be so I think 'muscle memory' or whatever will kick in, based on past experience. I am currently around 205 bench, 230 squat, 315 deadlift. Always had good chest genetics, as you can tell by my criminally imbalanced numbers.

 

[SmallerBaller]

Good thread. After a 10 year incredibly difficult period (which forced me to sell my Elise), I have a diagnosis! Not a great one and a rather odd one, so will start on some biologics as per the advice of my rheumatologist.

So my goal for 2023 is to be able to ride a bike with my son (will probably start with electric). Sounds very mundane for most of you but I have to start somewhere. Continue hitting the gym a lot for upper body and very gradually strengthen legs which has been really difficult because of "enthesitis".

Hope to report back later in the year with some progress.

This sounds like an amazing goal! Not mundane at all, sounds like you have a purpose to drive you! Definitely keep us up to date with progress periodically!

 

[Nova]

I have a friend who mountain bikes on courses with wooden obstacles and small ramps (im sure there is a word for it that I dont know) and he got in a pretty bad accident... that definitely ups the badass factor compared to road cycling though imo

Yea, not for me... my knees limit the aggressiveness of the biking that I can do. I built a 27.5 full suspension "all mountain" bike and just couldn't keep up with the younger guys despite having 6 inches of plush travel front and back. I was sad to sell that bike but I needed to come to grips with my relatively advanced age for the sport. Now I stick to single-track trails.

 

[Nova]

Hey ask me to run a 5k right now, not even sure I could finish without stopping once or twice anymore, tbh. I am not very close to the numbers anymore, but I used to be so I think 'muscle memory' or whatever will kick in, based on past experience. I am currently around 205 bench, 230 squat, 315 deadlift. Always had good chest genetics, as you can tell by my criminally imbalanced numbers.

I only did serious weight training for one year about 10 years ago, and have been just maintaining ever since. I don't know what my 1-rep max bench is, but I've done 185 for sure. I don't dare figure out what my squat and deadlift max is because of my knees. These days I only do deadlifts with a step-through bar so that I can dump the weight at first sign of trouble without hitting anything. I do 135 pounds at 10-15 reps, 4 sets, depending on how my knees feel that week. I just don't want to look like a cake pop.

Other than the two bad knees, my shoulders are also taking longer and longer to recover from each workout. It got to the point where I thought I had torn something because I couldn't work out without pain for a couple of months. But X-ray looked fine. Doc gave me a cortisone shot in the left shoulder and it's been good for a year, knock on wood. The right shoulder is limping along but manageable.

Time comes for us all.

 

[SmallerBaller]

I only did serious weight training for one year about 10 years ago, and have been just maintaining ever since. I don't know what my 1-rep max bench is, but I've done 185 for sure. I don't dare figure out what my squat and deadlift max is because of my knees. These days I only do deadlifts with a step-through bar so that I can dump the weight at first sign of trouble without hitting anything. I do 135 pounds at 10-15 reps, 4 sets, depending on how my knees feel that week. I just don't want to look like a cake pop.

Other than the two bad knees, my shoulders are also taking longer and longer to recover from each workout. It got to the point where I thought I had torn something because I couldn't work out without pain for a couple of months. But X-ray looked fine. Doc gave me a cortisone shot in the left shoulder and it's been good for a year, knock on wood. The right shoulder is limping along but manageable.

Time comes for us all.

I dont blame you at all. Deadlifts dont bother me (I think because the weight is below me mostly?), but squats get me scared when loading up. For some reason placing lots of weight on top or your spine and trying to push as hard as you can doesn't always feel like a great idea to me. Form keeps you safe... until you pass out. Plus even with proper form, once you are down, you kind of have no choice but to get back up! Luckily I dont have knee issues, at least yet.

 

[MPD]

That is awesome! Maybe I really should get into cycling, this seems like people here know what theyre doing and could be a good starting point! I live in a pretty mountainous region, so it is hard to bike anywhere near me without it being uphill 50% of the time. I went about 20 miles in a few hours on some crappy rental bikes while touring a canyon this summer (surely not that same experience as having a nice road bike that fits you) and I was pretty darn sore. Again, I've been slacking on cardio... would like to avoid that soreness when doing things like that in the future. Definitely a different stimulation than leg day at the gym, that is for sure.

hills suck but will make you a much stronger rider ... but a good bike and proper fit makes alot of difference. Get ready for your bum to hurt for about 2 weeks if you start riding regularly but then it will go away :-0

 

[MPD]

I own a unicycle from high school, does that count?!

Okay so my official goals for 2023:

1 rep max-
Flat Bench 250lb
Squat 351lb
Deadlift (mixed grip) 405lb

Run total of 500 km (mostly 5-10k at a time)

Get started cycling. Luckily my fiance's extended family owns a cycling shop, just never something I really though about. Maybe I can set some more specific goals once I know my limits to start a bit better!

nice goals. I wont ever get to those levels at my age now but we'll hold you accountable