He insisted so much that I finally agreed to make a team, part curiosity and part to have him stop asking me about it.. So I began selecting my 25 riders team... I had just an idea of who to pick because of him yelling names at the computer screen for over the years.. I had no actual knowledge about the cycling sport, pro peloton or any of the other races besides the +Le Tour De France.
So how did I start selecting my team? I follow a few simple rules
- I am from Argentina so I picked every Argentine cyclist available.
- My wife is from Germany, followed the same rule... Or almost.
- Complete the rest of the roster with South Americans, Colombians, Brazilians and Venezuelans.
- Oh one of my best friends is from Slovakia so I ended up having a few of those as well.
That's it..! Team was formed and submitted, now Holmovka will leave me alone... No he didn't..! As the season started he kept talking to me about this race and that race... And I was curious to see how my team was doing after all is a competition and I was part of it..
First was the Spring Classics... (most of them from Belgium) Then the Ardennes (don't kill me with the spelling) The what became one of my favourite races of the year +Giro d'Italia just to name a few... There hundreds of races that you can follow now a days...
So I was hooked into "following" professional cycling..
As mid age smoker, over weight internet addict father of 3 I was happy with my life for the most part.. The kids started to grow older and start to annoy me with the typical question of why do you smoke? My answer? Because I am an idiot... My daughter then asked me why an idiot..?? because only an idiot does something that knows is bad for him, can kill him and still keeps doing it..
I probably repeated this thousands of times that I convinced myself of quitting smoking.. if I didn't have the strength to do it for me I would do it for my kids.. (used to smoke almost 2 packs a day)
So in April of 2011 I quit smoking...!!! Hardest thing I ever done..! Now remember I was already over weight right? Let me put it in perspective to you... 1.78 cm/5'10'' 110 kilos at the time of quitting more or less.. Most likely more...110 kilos= 242 lbs.
By May of the same year I had gained somewhere around 20 kilos=45 lbs!! Nothing was safe at home.. or at work.. or at the Chinese buffet.. Or any place I decided to go to.. Cookies, donuts, chips, grapes,peanuts, ANYTHING that I could reach and eat was fair game for me..
So if you can put numbers together.. I was between 140 and 150 kilos at that time... That is a lot of Lbs..! (280? 300?) I don't even wanted to know..! Right about then is when it crossed my mind that i quit smoking to be around longer for the family and I was stuffing my body with all sort of food, not always the healthiest choice in foods either..
This is a pic from October 2011, already melted a few kilos then...
That day I decided that it was enough and I had to start doing something again to lose weight and control my eating habits.. But what could I do?? It was the talk of the week or so at home, at work and with friends..
Finally again Holm's said to me: "Pablo just start riding your bike more often and increase the distance a little every week" Hey..!!! I already know a little about cycling and own a bike..!! I was commuting a whole mile every day between work and home..(both ways included in that mile) Sounded easy enough so I started..!!
My store brand MTB was OK to go to work and back.. And maybe go around the block a few times... But to actually ride for an hour? Well that was a bit too much for it.. I still did it in more then one occasion but wasn't the most comfortable ride ever...
Then I finally bought a used road bike and that was the beginning of a new story and chapter of my life...
Since then I recorded almost every km/mile I had done in +Strava and you can see my full profile Here.
And this is how I started my way into cycling and everything that comes with it.. Hope you had fun reading this little story about this one more story teller of the web..
Till next adventure.
Pablo Alves.
I knew bits and pieces of your story Pablo but not all of it! Hats off to you it's never easy to make changes but your kids are worth it.
ReplyDeleteMy niece and nephew just lost their dad do to his poor life choices that killed him way to soon.His grandchildren will never get to know him and that's so sad.
And cycling is fun!
Thank you..!
DeleteI always said that if it was just for me I wouldn't have the strength to do it.. But I could do it for them.. We all going to go eventually but I didn't want the kids to see me hooked up to machines in a hospital bed because of my own stupidity.
again thanks and there is more stories to come..
"but why don't you just straighten your legs out and start riding?" I still laugh (and wince a little) every time I remember that day. You came a long a way my friend! To even tackle that ride, let alone finish it, from where you started, is little short of amazing.
ReplyDeleteNow get out and ride your bike !
I am..! I will..! Just that life is playing tricks on me constantly and I can't find the right times to go ride.. On top of that my Road bike still at the shop and I have to be selective with the riding I do.
DeleteDon't worry that Diabolical Double will be part of the posts at some point.. Have a list of Subjects that i will write about.. (that is one of them) just keep an eye on 5001 meters ride..
I guess for me it started out with watching the 2006 TDF, which gradually got me into watching bike racing. In 2008 I started riding along the beach paths with my dad on his old bike, then he got me one for Xmas and I went on from there. But it really kicked into gear when I moved to Canberra (with its good bike infrastructure and poor public transport) and got put out on a job site 25kms away from my house. I guess the company wanted to convince me to get a car but it didn't work, I just got fit!
ReplyDeleteThe pros and cons of poor public transportation.. Glad you took the biking route other then that we wouldn't ever cross paths..!! 25 km one way or both ways? Suckers..! who needs a car right?
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