Getting ready: Am I fit? - From Munich to Paris 2008 - CycleBlaze

Getting ready: Am I fit?

As soon as it gets warm enough, Janos and I want to be on tour. Last year we set out for a big tour through Eastern Europe but didn't get very far. I had spent an inactive winter and thought I would get in shape along the way. But a tour doesn't start gradually. I hadn't built up to riding a loaded bicycle all day and every day, sometimes on flat terrain, sometime with climbs. This was possibly the reason for my knee injury on the third day, which kept me from cycling for the rest of the summer. So to be on the safe side I want to do it differently this year.

We aren't completely out of practice since we did some loaded touring in southeast Asia over the past winter. Back in Munich, I decided to join the local gym to build up more strength. I am also out on my bike when it isn't raining and the temperatures reach 10°C (50°F) - well, that's my intention. We also want to do some 2 - 3 day rides before we leave for Paris.

I will turn 68 this summer and fitness is a relative concept. Fit at 68 looks different than fit at, say, 38. But I'm not out to set records, I just want to be able to pedal a loaded bike and sleep in a tent, take the hills as they come and have a good feeling at the end of the day. I try not to push beyond my capabilities, hoping that being sensible will prolong our cycling years.

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