Reflection - the past month

Photo credit Aizuddin Yusoff

Wow.

Wow is all I can say.

I know at this moment it doesn't take much to impress me when it comes to exercise and its benefits. But there it is. Wow.

And I say this not because I have managed to bike hundreds of kms, or that I spent a significant portion of the month on bike.

I say this because at this point in time I have managed to achieve the following:

1) I enjoy biking. Well, when I can convince myself to get the engine running, and I manage to make myself head out the door with my bike in tow, the results are almost always good. I feel good about myself. I feel good about my body. I smile more. And it all starts from just getting off my lazy ass and doing something physical.

2) Carpal tunnel is still in check. Now many of you may recall that carpal tunnel syndrome has been a bane in my existence, sometimes resulting in incapacitating pain and numbness. I still get it, especially when I am cycling, and especially when I am cycling for more than 5 minutes (which is incidentally one of the factors why I am still unable to go out for really long rides). But it is still under control. I manage by breaking up my ride into segments, especially when the pain starts to become unbearable. After a short rest, it is good again for about 5 minutes or so. It sucks, but I'll take it.

3) This week I have biked 40+km so far. Now this is nothing for people who bike every day, but for an armchair warrior like me, hey I'll take it. I used to be scared of distance. Even the thought of going for more than a few kms used to scare me. I'd always think - I can't make it. But this week I have busted through that. I'll take it.

4) I have changed my blood sugar levels! Now THIS one is no mean feat. For the past two years my blood sugar has been consistently high, up to the point where I was told to see a specialist about starting diabetic medication. Of course I was crushed. No one wants diabetes. So for the past year I had been cutting down sugars but not eliminating them altogether. I wouldn't add sugar into my drinks, and cut down on sweet treats, but everything else was still pretty much the same. And 3 months ago I went for a checkup, and still not much had changed. So recently I started 2 things - juicing and of course cycling. I didn't really juice that much, on average 3 times a week, and cycled on average twice a week, chalking up an average of 10km a week. Not much. I know that. But just imagine my absolute surprise when I went for my latest checkup - my blood sugar was NORMAL!!! Glory be to God for that! Dr said - whatever it is you're doing, keep doing it.
And so I plan to. Looks like I should keep to cycling and juicing.

And that is the update so far on the PhD Fat Cyclist.

Till we meet again, I bid you good health and happiness.

McLeans Island Bike Trail

McLeans Island in the outskirts of Christchurch is a hidden treasure for Cantabrians to discover. I've lived here for the past 3 years, and this is actually the first time I'd been here.

We started off later than we had actually planned. Quite a few things happened to cause this, and it was probably a miracle that we even went at all. First of all, I wanted to transfer the child seat rack from my wife's bike to my new bike. Transplant unsuccessful. Reasons? Frame too big. And disc brake got in the way. Verdict? Dust off the old Shogun Trailbreaker and use that for this trip. As you can guess this dusting off time went on for a bit longer than expected.

But finally, we were underway after tucking in a sandwich, and getting the bike rack on the car (seriously biking takes up quite a bit of work even before you hit the trail!).

It took quite a bit of time to reach McLeans Island, roughly taking about 20 mins by car, but we finally made it (after getting a bit lost I must admit).

This first thing that hit us when we arrived was this fantastic scent. I couldn't quite place it first. It came wafting with the cool breeze, this lovely aroma - refreshing and calming. And as we hit the trails, I realised that we were smelling the pine trees! So that's what they smelt like.

The trails were gorgeously fun. Small slopes and winding ways, it was like going on a rollercoaster! And people actually pay to get this much fun in other places! And we Cantabrians get it for free. Isn't that grand?

I was so proud of Adel today. We must have done close to 7kms or so, which is nothing for me, by for a little 6 year-old on a BMX, that is quite an achievement.

I am also surprised that my legs don't ache, and that my shoulders are killing me. But I guess it would make sense since a lot of the time I spent manoeuvring the slopes and turns, instead of making good speed by pedalling. And of course it is no surprise that my left hand burned all the way.

All in all a good day. If you live in Christchurch and you still haven't gone here, DO come! Bring your kids. Make it a day. You won't regret it!

Burning hands

My pride and joy: My new 2012 Merida Crossway 20 MD

It's the aftermath of my first 11km ride.

Not as bad as I thought it would be. Muscles aren't feeling significantly weak.

Just two things today I think. One - getting on the bike again was hell on my crotch. We men weren't designed to have something as small as a sliver of a bike saddle jammed up our crotches. It just isn't cricket.
To help with that - invest in some padded cycling shorts.

Done that. Delivery 2-3 weeks time. From China. That's all good.

Now the one that isn't so hunky dory - Two - my carpal tunnel has started screaming at me to stop the torture I have been meting out since yesterday. It has started burning again, and people who suffer from CTS would know what I'm talking about. People who don't - imagine if you will a numb sensation, like when you wake up after sleeping on your hand; and add a pinch of being stung by a fire ant. That's probably where I am today. It hasn't hurt like this for quite some time. My carpal tunnel will probably be the undoing of my biking, but that still remains to be seen.

But I still want to push on. I am committed. No one buys a bike worth NZD800 just for the heck of it.

And speaking of which, I now understand the difference between a bike worth NZD850, and a bike worth NZD100 (which is what my old bike was worth). It rides like a dream. Every movement is like poetry in motion, as long as my muscles aren't protesting too much and my lungs aren't gasping for breath. And I can't get over how comfortable it is, at least when I don't feel the saddle crushing my sore buttocks. And it doesn't crush my wrists as badly as my mountain bike did! Woo hooooo!!

I am averaging a few kms a day at the moment, and I know that is not nearly enough for serious cycling. But it's probably the best thing to do at this stage of my journey. However, I can't deny that I can hear the trails of McLeans Island calling me... whispering... come... come...

Man... I gotta get out more.

Actually, I gotta get more writing done. This PhD isn't going to write itself.

The PhD Fat Cyclist

My name is Abdullah and I am a PhD candidate at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.

Oh, did I mention that I am fat?

Muscular body of an athletic youth gone down the drain. That pretty much sums up how I look like.

That's me in the picture up there with my two boys, Adel and Adam, taken slightly more than a year ago.. And as you can see, I am a bit of a train wreck. But looks aren't really what I care about at this stage. I know it sounds cliche, but I want to be healthy enough to play with my children (I have another one on the way, and it's a he too!). I want to have enough energy to at least keep up with them full speed, at least for a full hour of all out playing. I want to be able to run without feeling like I was hit by a double decker bus. I want to live to see my boys grow up, and have children of their own. I want to enjoy my children, and my grandchildren, as my father is enjoying his golden years as a doting grandfather.

To do this I need to lose weight.

A lot of it.

I've tried diet fads before. Some have actually worked for a few years, but the weight always manages to find its way back. Doing a PhD doesn't help much either, sitting for hours on end, reading, writing, researching. All that sitting. Day in and day out. Something somewhere has to give.

And so, I decided - this is where it ends.Today I bought a new bicycle. I invested in a good one, which I hope will be worth the years I will add on to my life. And to strike while the iron is hot, upon getting the bike, I started on a bike ride that I had not tried in years - to go further than just going round a few blocks. I got on the bike and I rode. I rode and I saw the sun setting, shining its last golden rays into a magenta sky. I rode and I saw the world slow down, and not just whizz by like when I am driving my car. I rode and felt the fresh summer breeze on my face, heart pounding, feeling alive.

But it wasn't all a bed of roses. My muscles were not used to the punishment I was meting out. My lungs were not used to having to pump so much oxygen in and out of my body. I was out of shape, and my whole body was screaming this fact out at me. But I held firm.

Oh, and did I mention that I have carpal tunnel syndrome as well? Basically I can't apply too much pressure on my wrists, otherwise they get numb really quickly, and many times I would feel a burning sensation tingling through the hand and fingers. I am now wondering how much riding my wrists would allow before then pack it in.

But I am committed.

So this is me trying to undo some of the damage caused by my weight by shedding the pounds - and trying to write up my PhD at the same time. This blog will document the trials and tribulations, and I hope the successes that I will face in my journey, whether I manage to do what I set out to do, or fail in the attempt. I invite any reader who comes this way to leave a comment or two, or perhaps even share their own journeys with me. It would be an honour and a pleasure to have you as a reader and a contributor.