Update - nearly 4 years since starting the journey.

Hey everyone!

I thought I'd post a long-term update...  I have to admit I haven't spent as much time on the boards recently as I would like.  The company I built and ran for 18 years was acquired 6 months ago and I've been super super busy with the transition.  I now have a "real" job - which isn't my favorite thing, but my wife and I will be set for retirement when I'm done working in 2 years, 6 months (not that I'm counting!)... everything's a tradeoff.

So here's me in March 2012:

I started my pre-diet shortly after this and had surgery in June, 2012. 

I hit my goal in November of 2012, and then started maintenance.  I also started cycling that fall.

Cycling appealed to me for some reason - I guess I loved being on my bike as a kid, so it seemed like a good exercise for me.

I have stuck with it.

Here's me (on the left haha) last weekend with "Fast" Freddie Rodriguez... a professional rider *****tired last year and came out to ride with our group in Palm Springs, CA...

When I started riding I could barely do 5 miles.  Last week I did 300... It was a long progression, but slow progress adds up over four years.

I loved all this so much that I started racing in endurance races last year.  I tried the year before, but crashed in my first race and broke my collarbone!  This year I had much more success.  I race in the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association - they have a variety of endurance events, and I chose to compete in the 12 hour division.  You ride for 12 hours and your "score" is how many miles you cover.  It's always on the road, usually a 20 mile loop out in the country somewhere.  I've now raced in Ohio, Texas, California and Florida.  For the year they take your highest three races and total them up - last year I won a couple races in my age-group and won the overall age-group (by 4 miles!).

*Yes, I know they misspelled "Challange" :)

Over the past six months I've added a strength coach and started lifting and working on flexibility and balance.

My weight has crept up, but I'm confident that it's muscle - with my coach's help I've been able to double or triple the weight I can lift, pull, push, etc.  It's not my favorite activity, but so important for old guys like me to keep up the muscle mass and work hard on core strength and balance.

As far as downsides go since surgery... I can't really think of any.  I know some have had difficult journeys, but my surgery went well, recovery was easy, and I reached goal without significant stalls or problems.

In maintenance I have to watch grazing - when I do long training rides or races, my brain tempts me into consuming more calories than I should. I've found that I burn far less than many of my riding buddies and I can watch them eat (quite literally) heaping plates of food, then consume chips, etc. for hours.  If I eat 25% or more of what they eat, I can gain weight.  During long races I have the opposite problem - not eating enough while riding.  During a 12 hour race I can burn 5000+ calories, but I rarely feel like eating so bonking is a real issue.

I don't track food as diligently as I should, but I do weigh in every single day.  My weight was very stable until I started resistance training and now it's gone up, but my daily weigh-ins (on my Garmin electronic scale) show body fat remaining constant, so I'm not too worried.

If you ever have any cycling related questions just let me know!

Tom

Congrats you look amazing 

Very inspiring.  I love to see long term results.

What a success story.  You are an inspiration. 

Carol

Congrats!!  Look at your vascular arms!  You look so fabulous and fit.  Way to go 

P.S.  They really need to send you a new plaque...that would make me mental :-) 

I treasure it more for the error!  I did notify them - they may redo it.  I don't care too much, I'll win another this year defending my title - then I move into the 60-69 group next year and beat up on the seniors!

I can't IMAGINE a 12-hour marathon! Hopefully you can get off the bike and eat at least once in a while? :-D

You can stop as often and for as long as you like - but the clock never stops :)

I figured as much! I suppose that's why there are pockets on bike jerseys and people get so good at riding with one hand!

The scary part is that the 12-hour is the minor leagues... my coach does 24-hours - which is where the action is at... there are longer as well - distance races like "No Country for Old Men" (1000 miles), Race Across the West (868), Race Across America (3000), etc. etc.  All sanctioned as part of the Ultra Cycling Marathon Association.