Guy Boutin's Motorcycle Touring and Travel Pages

Adventures in Sport Touring with the Honda ST 1100, 1300 and the BMW 1200RT

Exploring North America...One Road at a Time

                        This and That Page

Just rambling thoughts and ideas, that don't really fit anywhere else..

Ah where does the time go?  BamaRider has now been online 10 years.  I can't begin to describe how much I enjoy working and maintaining the website.  It has been a labor of love.

As you notice my long riding has greatly diminished the last 3 years.  Various reasons for that, (son in seminary, home improvement projects, etc).   One of the factors has been a lack of urgency.  Early in my career, I wanted to see it all, and I wanted to see it NOW.  Thus the first few years I logged 35k per year.  Now there is nothing left for me to do in terms of riding motorcycles in the USA or Canada.  I have literally ridden every motorcycle road worth its salt in North America.  From the far reaches of Western Canada, to Key West, Florida and everything in between.  There is not much left for me to see or ride, and that has removed the urgency.

Currently, the focus of my life is running.  I had let myself get terribly out of shape the last 4 years.   I had gained 50 lbs in the 4 years I had quit training.  I had run so hard, for so long, I was burned out and just got lazy.  I had spent a year working a part time job on a small delivery truck.  Looking back it had a lot to do with my downward spiral.  I sat on my butt, eating fast food 3x a day.  They paid me well, but looking back, it was I who paid the highest price. 

By spring of last year I weighed over 200 lbs, my BP was high, as was my blood sugar, in fact whatever was suppose to be down was up, and what was suppose to up was down.  Debbie said I was snoring at night, and not just a little bit.  I knew my condition was a precursor to sleep apnea, and I didn't want to go down that path.  All those maladies could be traced back to being obese, no way around it.

In May I had to make a decision; take charge of my life, or report to my doctor and submit myself to the medications to do what I wouldn't do.  I didn't want to be that guy.  In my 56 years I've never been on any type of medicine, and that really motivated me.

So on June 1 I set out to take charge of my life.  If I know anything, its how to train.  I knew there could be no shortcuts as I set out for that first 2 mile jog.  I had to forget "the Guy" of 2005 (the year I retired from the fire dept) and accept things as they currently were.  I was no longer the endurance athlete of years past, but just another guy trying to get back in shape.

I knew it was dangerous to start a intense exercise program at my age and shape.  "If I hurt anywhere I'll immediately stop."  I feared I would literally run myself into a heart attack.  I jogged and walked the 2 miles in 34 minutes.  It was terrible, I was gasping for air in the first 10 meters.

I knew if I stayed true, it would get better.  I put myself on a 1500 calorie a day diet, I layed off junk foods, fast food, limited red meat and sugar, and concentrated on just being able to run the 2 miles without stopping, disregarding how fast, just go the distance.

It took me 3 weeks to do it, but once there, progress came quickly.  By August I was at 4 miles, and pounds seemed to melt off.  The last 4 years the sloth in me, had beat down the athlete, but deep down he was still there, all he needed was stimulation.  Once I was moving again, he went to work, waking up long dormant muscles, and the circulatory system needed to transport me vast distances.  

I took my long hibernated Trek to the shop to get it road worthy, and 225 dollars later it was good to go.  I could now cross train on my off days from running.  Two days each week I would bike 25 miles in the morning, and in the afternoon run 4-6 miles.  My day revolved around working out, and eating and sleeping in between to be ready for the next workout.

When October rolled around, I was down over 40lbs, and my long run stood at 8 miles.  I took a few days off for the Fall Ride, came home and dove straight back into training.  My goal moved from just running, but to reach a point I could once again train.  

Over the weeks I spent hundreds of dollars upgrading my running equipment and apparel.  Just like long riding, I don't care what it costs if I need it.

I wanted to enter a half marathon race in early March, not just to run it, but race it.  That would mean a 13 week training program, but I would have to spend the remaining time from the Fall Ride to Thanksgiving training up to the point I could enter the 13 week schedule.

It was close but I did it.  I'm now in week 4, and my long run is at 12 miles at 9 min a mile pace.  I can now run the same 2 miles that crippled me in 35 minutes in 18 and then keep on for another 10.  I am on my way, the only thing that can stop me would be some kind of injury, which at my age is always possible.

My BP today was 119/72, pulse 45.  Not had my blood work checked yet, but confident it will be good.  I weigh 168 lbs, still 10 lbs from my marathon weight, but I'll get there.  I've relaxed my diet, thinking I can just train off these last 10.

It feels good to have my life back, and to be a athlete again.

I still ride when I can.  Saturday's are my day off from training, and I try to squeeze in a ride, and if I run early in the morning I can sometimes slip off in the afternoon if the weather is good, but it gets dark so early this time of year that can be hard.

So this is where I'm at in my life right now.  I'm going to try for a cross country ride in early June.  I might have a 2 week window between the spring racing season, and marathon preparation.  I do miss long riding, it has meant so much to me over the years.  The pages of this website are a personal treasure of glorious rides from years past.  I visit them often to relieve a day of life on the road.  When on the road a guy's life takes on a entirely different perspective, nothing I have experienced is like it.

Thanks for reading this, and I wish all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  I check and read the website mail everyday, been doing so for 10 years, so its like brushing my teeth.  Check in often because I plan on riding and writing about again soon.

Guy 
Dec. 23, 2011