I’ve been watching these three kittens run around for the past week and am amazed how agile they are. And how fast they are gaining coordination and speed. I compare that to the average human and we pale in nearly all aspects of athleticism. I’ve addressed this before, but it never ceases to amaze me.
On the ride yesterday, we just rode out a new rails to trails path that is here in the city of Topeka. It is a big deal around here because Kansas doesn’t have much public land. In fact, by percentage, Kansas has the least amount of public land with over 99% of the state being in private hands.
Anyway, while we were riding out the trail, I was thinking that it doesn’t seem that outrageous to think that the average person should be able get on a bicycle and ride the 15 miles out to the end of the path and back. But, obviously, that isn’t the case. I don’t think the average American could go out and easily walk for an hour. Something is wrong with that.
On Friday I saw a couple yard guys riding motorized fertilizers. I’d never seen such a machine. It seems that we’re coming up with more and more personalized robot type things to transport us around for doing just about anything. Riding mowers, golf carts, scooters for meter readers, electric carts for grocery shopping, the list is never ending.
Obviously, most of us do a lot to try to be fit. Athletically fit and generally fit. And no matter how much we train, most untrained mammals can take us to the cleaners in most all athletic endeavors. That is just the way it is.
But, the automation of nearly everything is definitely adding to our deficit. We don’t even expend any energy to manually roll up the windows of our cars anymore. I wonder how many calories we’d burn if there weren’t remote controls for our TVs? But, TVs don’t have buttons anymore, do they?
When I was in NYC a few months ago, I was surprised that nearly everyone there was pretty thin. Not necessarily healthy looking, but definitely not fat. It has to be the amount of walking the average New Yorker does.
I’m going to make it a point to start always taking the stairs when available. Especially after watching the USGP in Louisville yesterday and seeing how many stairs and run ups there are going to be in Louisville in January. If a few more people would do that just every once in a while, then we all be better off in the long run.
Bromont had such a heavy exercise schedule this past weekend that he already has to nap by 9 am this morning.
I got a Locust thorn in my tire on the ride yesterday. I need to seal them up with latext.
I made tapioca pudding yesterday. Nothing but tapioca, milk, egg, sugar and vanilla. I love it.
Plus, a pumpkin pie on Saturday. It is about the same for ingredients, but the crust isn't that good for you. I don't really care, because I love it too.
We got to the top of the animal ladder on our brains not our bodies. Now our brains are trying to kill our bodies.
I have set a goal for myself to ride fifty rides of fifty miles or more before my fiftieth birthday next December.
Seeing first the Locust stabbed tire, then your comment on the need to inject latex, and just the image of the spoon and mixture, I naturally thought this stuff is going to be: “Tillie’s Thorn Th-stopper”, good for what ails your leaking cx ride.
When we go back to Moscow, we notice that there are less people that have time to exercise due to the long commutes but people are overall in better condition. Average length of commute is at least a 10min walk to the train station, jockeying on the train, same on subways, then another walk…(1-2hrs)that’s one way. Commutes also entail going to the market for groceries, so you only really bring back essentials. So it always makes me laugh when you see people driving around the parking lot in an effort to get the prime 1st row parking spots. No big surprise when you look at the average American on the BMI scale.
Good points made. I’ve thought about similar things w.r.t. my dogs. They seem to sleep a lot but when they’re up and about they’re burning a lot of energy.
Another semi-related point. I saw an add on eBay for a nice high-end mountain bike. The dude said “not ridden hard” because of his dislike for crashing due to his age (40). Are you kidding me? 40? I’m 48 and I race crits all season. What a wimp. People are too caught up in what should or shouldn’t be done (at any given age). Maybe you’ve already written about this.
It’s videogames. When I was a kid I played them all day everyday with never a thought of going out side or playing sports. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I took up long distance running and then eventually cycling.
Here in Ontario 87% of land is owned by the provincial govt. A little different than Kansas
I watched this Ted Talk earlier today coincidentally (http://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_mcdougall_are_we_born_to_run.html) and it dives into the point you’re expressing. We’re not explosive and strong animals. We’re actually pretty soft and weak in comparison. Our development as a species however has made us exceptional endurance athletes.
We don’t even have PE in schools anymore.
steve …try slime the type that has small particles of rubber in it .. works great have had punctures and actually heard them reseal themselves
Also your right the lazy-ness of most people in incredible .. I commute several times a week on my bike … .have had people say iam nuts?? its only 14 miles each way.. saw a neighbor the other day using a golf cart to walk the dog?? thats lazy!
I was thinking the same thing the other day. I had gotten back from a ride earlier in the day and I was out shopping/walking around for a few hours, when my legs started to get tired of walking. Then I started thinking how many times on an average week I get to a point where I am breathing hard, somthing that takes a pretty decent effort. For mayn people just walking up a small flight of stairs has them gasping for air. These same people never get that feeling of going out and shredding yourself on a long hard ride or run. Maybe thats why so many Americans need Prozac and other anti-depressants and drugs to help their heart and what not.
I have a 10 lb. dog. She tows my 100+lb. bike at times. Really.
I think that tapioca would make a fine sealant.
I think that most people could do a 15 mile out and back ride – 30 miles overall – by just keeping them distracted with conversation, maintaining an easy pace, and lying to them about the distance – only telling the truth at the end…