[artie159]

2 years ago I got my friend interested in road riding. He was overweight and could not pedal around 2 blocks before he coughed up a lung. I gave him my old road bike and told him to get moving. He started riding consistently after that and dropped a few pounds, started to feel better.
After the one year mark he goes out and builds himself the ultimate road bike, buys everything , puts it together and its a masterpiece.
After last years New York Gran Fondo I told him how much fun it was , how difficult it was and generally bored him to tears talking about it.
Well he signs up for it and starts training. He was not happy with the results so he hires a coach who sets him up with a training plan , he jumps in to this with both feet.
We get together a couple of times a week to ride and I can see he is getting stronger.

I had this great plan on how I was going to ride the Gran Fondo and what I was going to do, after riding with my buddy I have condensed all my efforts to this.
Ride his wheel and try not to puke.

He is 58 , when he started riding he looked 100 , now he looks 40.
He had me laughing the other day, he sells BMW's and you need to make an appointment if you want to see him on a Sat or Sun. If you call and tell him you ride he sets up a 60 min block of time. I asked " 60 Min , aren't your weekend appt only 30 min ". His reply " Well I show them the car for 30 and we talk bikes for the other 30 ".

I see the last 10 miles of the Fondo turning in to a sprint to the finish between the two of us, that is if I have not hurled my brains out trying to keep up with him.
It's going to be great !!!!

 

[Theoo]

Man that's really cool!

Also motivating. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Cooper1960]

Funny how that stuff happens, but you have to be proud of your friend and of yourself for introducing him to a healthy and active lifestyle.

Kind of the same story with my buddy. I introduced him to biking three years ago and about the middle of last summer he decided to go all in and bought himself a fancy bike. At the end of last season he jumped right into spin classes and over the winter shed 20 lbs. He is a new man this year, absolutely kicks my butt at every ride, matter of fact so far this year he is one of the top dogs in our riding group. The funny part is I spent two years looking back over my shoulder for him and soft peddling so he could keep up, now we do a club ride and he never even looks back, he's gone with the big boys leaving me with the slow group. lol

 

[love4himies]

You've probably added 20 quality years to his life, good going and both of you deserve a pat on the back.

 

[mikerp]

You've done a good thing, turned him around and generated some competition/motivation for yourself.

 

[Bevo]

Good on you!!

Its a great feeling to get someones health back and give them a love they did not know!

I have had the pleasure a few times including an obese woman which still gives me the goose bumps.
Long story short, she joined our running club at over 260 and just over 5 feet, couldn't run 50 feet. I took the time to mentor her until she lost 25 pounds then I left the group. A year later this cute 140LB girl says hello at a trail race as she catches me at 45K of a 50K race, as we run in she tells me who she is...shocked is all I could say!!!

 

[gearloose]

I had this great plan on how I was going to ride the Gran Fondo and what I was going to do, after riding with my buddy I have condensed all my efforts to this.
Ride his wheel and try not to puke.

He is 58 , when he started riding he looked 100 , now he looks 40.

Remember... age and treachery will always overcome youth and exuberance