This is my favourite run at Whistler. It goes from the very top of the mountain to the very bottom. It is a vertical drop of a mile and the run itself is 7 km long. I love to ski it non-stop. It is my favourite way to end a day of skiing. I finally got around to timing myself.
Have a look and do the math!
To put this in context, there was a race of the same distance but on a different route running that same day. I noticed that Rob Boyd, a famous Canadian world class downhill racer in his younger years, did it in 5:22 minutes. Of course he had to ski through gates but he also didn’t have to dodge other skiers, he had proper racing gear and he is 16 years younger than me (http://www.skimuseum.ca/biodata.php?lang=en&id=58).
My motive for sharing this with you is not purely for reasons of braggadocio. I know I couldn’t have performed like this 10 years ago when I was eating a typical high carb diet. The fact that I can do it now is amazing to me because I am definitely not a jock. I do a little cardio and core workout most days but I certainly am not a gym rat of any sort. I think this speaks to one of the significant benefits of a LCHF diet. It gives you energy, strength and stamina.
I’m thinking I’ll enter that race next year. I’ll let you know how that turns out.
I completely agree, Dr. Jay. I know I would not be as physically active as I am if I had continued with my low-fat diet. I suspect I would be obese and “diabetic.” I just registered for two bike rides for this coming summer, two weeks apart. (and I’m trying to convince my partner that we should do a ride through the French countryside in July) The second one is a 4-day, 250+ mile ride that is a fund-raiser for food charities and one I have been affiliated with for several years. This will be my 5th year biking. The first one is the Bike Ride Across Nebraska, which for years I swore I would never do because I didn’t think I could get in shape for it. It is pretty grueling, as, believe it or not, parts of Nebraska are quite hilly. This year, I will have the month of May to train since I now teach at a college that ends classes the first week of May. So, I decided I really want to do the ride. It is a 7 day ride, with most days covering 70+ miles. My biking partner (and life partner) has been doing these sorts of trips for 15 years. He usually depends on his summer biking to take off his winter weight and has never done anything diet related. The past few years he discovered that he could no longer lose the weight with cycling and swimming. Although he has been supportive of my 12-years of low-carbing, he didn’t believe it was important for him because he doesn’t have my family history of diabetes, et.al. He read “The Art and Science of Low-Carbohydrate Living,” which was scientific enough for him as a retired physician and finally was convinced to try a low-carb diet himself. By the end of the summer he had lost 40 pounds and was bragging to every one who would listen about how we would ride for 30 or 40 miles with no snacks, then eat a breakfast of steak and eggs, and ride another 30. We are both amazed at our fitness and energy. He will be 70 next month, and I turn 59. Not bad for two geezers!
Dr Jay’s Reply:
Your story totally rings true. Thanks for sharing it. My good friend and colleague, Dr Steve Phinney, is an avid cyclist and he tells me similar stories of endurance that were made possible by a switch to a LCHF diet.
Stunning Jay, absolutely stunning. A man half your age would have been chuffed. Thank you for your advice and friendship. You and your family are an inspiration to all. Keep up your great work.
Eddie lowcarbdiabetic
Dr Jay’s Reply:
I neglected to mention that that was my first full Peak-to-Creek run of the season (it hasn’t been fully open until now). I’ll keep at it to see if I can shave a few more seconds off that time. I told the wife that I need to start shopping for one of those skin-tight racing suits, too.
I will be 67 years old April of this year.– Just a few short years ago at 365# plus, with a 58-60 inch waist and 5X shirts and being 5′ 9″ tall and not knowing what a carbohydrate is, — I was headed for support hose and a walker and cane and powered wheelchair into an early grave. — Resigned to it, as nothing worked and there was nothing I could do. I’ve gotten only 75# off after several years of trying but I can already do everything I could do when I was 40 years old. I might live to be 90. — I can’t imagine what it’s going to feel like with the next 75# removed and even possibly 25# more after that. I would still weight 175#. About right.