Unfit 40yo .Advice

[skeltrike]

Really sorry to hear about your son.

if it's any help to you, I did a similar challenge following a stroke when I was 47 reasonably fit but unable to walk or stand. I started at 'ground-zero' by getting a trike (couldn't balance 2 wheels- still can't) I started slowly cycling around my local area gradually increasing distance and after about 3-4 months managed a 25K local charity ride, kept at it gradually getting fitter and losing a bit of weight. More importantly I got a bit of confidence back. I was(am) very lucky to have some patient mates willing to ride at my pace. 2 years on I was able to cycle 30-40 miles a day for 40 odd days to ride roughly 1500miles to my destination. It did involve crossing the Alps so I treated myself to some electric assistance.

So-,if you want to do LEJOG or any other challenge you can absolutely do it. My simple advice is:
- start simple, take your time and pace yourself.
- meticulous route planning is very important. be realistic about speed/daily distances.
- cycling is the best exercise for cycling.
- using an e-bike is just as much fun and still a challenge.
- help from friends and family is invaluable so don't be afraid to ask.

Best of luck, you'll smash it!
Skel

[Navrig]

Personally I found cycling a tremendous uplift both during and after consecutive, difficult life events. Might be chemical/endorphins I don’t know but just going out for a ride somewhere ‘nice’ is a rejuvenating thing to do.

Cycling is brilliant for this. I have (and still do) used it for mulling over work issues and planning things. It helps with stress through some mindfulness time and the endorphins are a great, natural "treatment" for depression.

[cycle tramp]

Hi all. So for the last 12 years i have been a carer for my son who had Duchenne muscular dystrophy . He sadly passed away on the 1st of June and i want to do something in his name and also to perhaps raise some money for a charity . I have not worked in all of that time and so well..Im kind of fat and unhealthy . I have no idea where to start or just how difficult this route will be..Is it even going to be possible ?

Blimey - I've got no idea what you've gone through - I am sorry though....
..if its any comfort I returned to cycling in the mid 90's and I'm still fat and unhealthy*
...but in answer to your question; 'is it going to be possible?' the answer is 'yes, but not all at once'.
You start off perhaps with a 2 or 3 mile cycle route and then after a month of cycling it 3 or 4 times a week, you add a couple of miles and so on and so on... but the more cycling you do the bigger the leaps you can make.... so you might start of just adding a couple of miles at the rides.. and then you find yourself lengthing the rides by 6 or 8 miles as you get stronger...
....In a year or two you're doing 50 or 80 mile rides without even thinking about it.

(*especially right now- for the last three or four years most of my cycling trips have been single figure mileages... I'm even gonna struggle pulling a 20 miler out of the hat)

[plancashire]

My condolences about your son.

Cycling is a great way to get fresh air and exercise. It is more fun with friends or a group. Some enjoy walking; my wife was in the Ramblers Association for a while and made friends there.

I know sponsored fundraising efforts are popular and well-publicised. I did sponsored walks when I was young when they were the standard way of fundraising. Over the years since I have preferred to do something more directly useful, such as volunteering. You meet others when you volunteer and it can bring a structure to your days and weeks. [Today I was at our bike workshop where I had a beaming father able to take a restored bike back to his daughter who had cried when it was stolen and was full of hope when it was found vandalised recently in a playground.]

You might like to think about getting fit and doing something in memory of your son as separate goals. Maybe you have some great skill others value? Maybe you'd like to do something for people with disabilities? You could combine that with cycling on accompanied rides and similar.

Whatever you do, I wish you all the best.

[deeferdonk]

So sorry for your loss.

This is not directly cycling related, but I had a very sedentary period of my life and wanted to get active - so can tell you what helped me.

I started to do some jogging and did the couch to 5k plan from the NHS.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/g ... uch-to-5k/

When i did it, there was a podcast you played that played music and a nice lady told you when to run or walk and gave words of encouragement, looks like they now have similar in an app.

I found the structure, encouragement (albeit from a disembodied voice!) and the obtainable achievement of running for half an hour was exactly what i needed to get me started. More running, cycling, swimming led on from that as i got into the habit of exercise.

[simonhill]

The OP Mr Starfire joined on 7 July, last visited (logged in) 7 July.

It would be interesting to hear again from him.