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It is tough getting back in shape

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It is tough getting back in shape

Old 01-26-22, 06:33 PM
  #76  
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Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
Getting stronger. By the end of December, I'll be squatting my bodyweight for reps, ATG. I want it.
Well no, I was not even going to the gym by the end of December, thanks to Omicron and 90% of the gym-goers refusing to wear masks. I have however restarted our Sunday group rides and am very gradually ramping up the distance and climbing. I'm back to where I was at this time in '20. Consistent training and being boosted is working. Watching for the Omicron surge to fade so we can start going to a different, mask wearing gym.
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Old 01-26-22, 07:27 PM
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I am slowly rehabbing my knee. May ride this weekend.
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Old 01-26-22, 08:05 PM
  #78  
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Originally Posted by pepperbelly
.....................................Edited to add: Now that it’s finally cooling down in north Texas I can ride during the day in addition to mornings.
If I do 2 or 3 5 mile rides does it still count as riding 15 miles, or is it better for fitness to do the distance in a single ride?
Originally Posted by pepperbelly
I am slowly rehabbing my knee. May ride this weekend.
r.e. -- 1st post and most recent

MILES are MILES and the more the better whether all at once or in segments.

for getting going.
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Old 01-26-22, 10:34 PM
  #79  
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Originally Posted by OldTryGuy
r.e. -- 1st post and most recent

MILES are MILES and the more the better whether all at once or in segments.

for getting going.
Things may be getting better. I have torn meniscus in my right knee. I was having a hard time walking-the pain was really bad. A couple of weeks ago the pain just stopped and the swelling went down. I think a flap of meniscus was caught under a ligament or tendon and moved. It doesn’t hurt right now- first time in months.
Now I can ride around town. That’s all I can do for now. A kid totaled my truck in the middle of the night a little before Christmas so going to some trails is on hold for now.
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Old 01-27-22, 09:38 AM
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Originally Posted by pepperbelly
Things may be getting better. I have torn meniscus in my right knee. I was having a hard time walking-the pain was really bad. A couple of weeks ago the pain just stopped and the swelling went down. I think a flap of meniscus was caught under a ligament or tendon and moved. It doesn’t hurt right now- first time in months.
Now I can ride around town. That’s all I can do for now. A kid totaled my truck in the middle of the night a little before Christmas so going to some trails is on hold for now.
r.e. your truck!!!

Sometimes the body does some wonderous healing of issues so it is helpful to be respectful AND cautious and not take advantage of the good fortune by exercising too hard and screwing things up.
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Old 02-03-22, 10:49 AM
  #81  
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PB,
I’m liking your thread here. If you don’t mind me adding my two bits…

I don’t need to lose (much) weight. But I do need to increase my cardio, at age 59 with a heart condition. (Yeah, the doc told me to “be careful” when I exercise.) I have my bike ready, but need to move back to New Mexico (from S Africa) before I can get regular riding. This is how I’m dealing with it and my goals. I hope this encourages you.

1. I’m doing spin at the local gym! Not the HIIT stuff, just steady work. I change it up often, so that I don’t get bored.
2. I do body weight training too. The rest of my body needs it as I age. This feeds into the bike riding, as vice versa. No need to go BIG and HEAVY. Just figure out some kind of all-around fitness that compliments your bike or helps you when the bike isn’t an option.
3. I have plans for various routes in my home town. Some are short rides, some are longer, and some include a hill or two.
4. Going to join a club, for sure. Have a cycling friend or three who help you set goals and stay working on it.
5. You and I are not professionals or racers. If it’s too hard on a day to reach a goal, then ditch it. Make up for it another way. (Just do this only one “ditch” at a time.)
6. Don’t overdo. My heart would not allow me to press too hard. So I don’t. And I don’t let myself feel bad about it either. Consistency will make up the difference.
7. If you ride several times/week, make one or two rides a month FUN rides. Go through a park or wooded area or along a river or with kids/grandkids.
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Old 02-03-22, 12:15 PM
  #82  
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Originally Posted by SAScott
PB,
I’m liking your thread here. If you don’t mind me adding my two bits…

I don’t need to lose (much) weight. But I do need to increase my cardio, at age 59 with a heart condition. (Yeah, the doc told me to “be careful” when I exercise.) I have my bike ready, but need to move back to New Mexico (from S Africa) before I can get regular riding. This is how I’m dealing with it and my goals. I hope this encourages you.

1. I’m doing spin at the local gym! Not the HIIT stuff, just steady work. I change it up often, so that I don’t get bored.
2. I do body weight training too. The rest of my body needs it as I age. This feeds into the bike riding, as vice versa. No need to go BIG and HEAVY. Just figure out some kind of all-around fitness that compliments your bike or helps you when the bike isn’t an option.
3. I have plans for various routes in my home town. Some are short rides, some are longer, and some include a hill or two.
4. Going to join a club, for sure. Have a cycling friend or three who help you set goals and stay working on it.
5. You and I are not professionals or racers. If it’s too hard on a day to reach a goal, then ditch it. Make up for it another way. (Just do this only one “ditch” at a time.)
6. Don’t overdo. My heart would not allow me to press too hard. So I don’t. And I don’t let myself feel bad about it either. Consistency will make up the difference.
7. If you ride several times/week, make one or two rides a month FUN rides. Go through a park or wooded area or along a river or with kids/grandkids.
i appreciate all the input I can get-especially when it agrees with what I was thinking. 😎
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Old 02-05-22, 11:46 AM
  #83  
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Pepper,
Keep on the mend!

I found a beginners training plan and bought a simple heart monitor. I learned I was working way too hard, way too fast. Riding smarter has helped me a lot (I don't mean you were riding ignorantly), especially adding heart rate to just speed and mileage.


Last edited by BTinNYC; 02-05-22 at 07:40 PM.
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Old 02-05-22, 10:35 PM
  #84  
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Originally Posted by BTinNYC
Pepper,
Keep on the mend!

I found a beginners training plan and bought a simple heart monitor. I learned I was working way too hard, way too fast. Riding smarter has helped me a lot (I don't mean you were riding ignorantly), especially adding heart rate to just speed and mileage.

You comment about a heart rate monitor brings me to ask a question. I have a Apple Watch. I bought it so that I could monitor my heart rate and do ECGs. (I have a heart condition.) Is a heart rate monitor something that is going to provide a benefit, maybe even more accurate readings than a Apple Watch?

I’m also piqued about a HRM providing a training plan, suitable for us “old timers” who are just starting again. I know that I need to work my way gradually to my goals. But so far, I’m kinda making my own plan.
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Old 02-05-22, 10:43 PM
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Originally Posted by SAScott
You comment about a heart rate monitor brings me to ask a question. I have a Apple Watch. I bought it so that I could monitor my heart rate and do ECGs. (I have a heart condition.) Is a heart rate monitor something that is going to provide a benefit, maybe even more accurate readings than a Apple Watch?

I’m also piqued about a HRM providing a training plan, suitable for us “old timers” who are just starting again. I know that I need to work my way gradually to my goals. But so far, I’m kinda making my own plan.
Here's the beginner training plan I'm using;

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitnes...eginner-153317

If I had a smart watch, I wouldn't have bought the monitor.
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Old 02-06-22, 03:12 AM
  #86  
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It sounds like you are motivated and losing weight and cycling more will motivate you more.

3 years ago I was 86kg (1.68m tall) and could only manage 10-20km on the bike. I bought an e-bike to help me out and started doing 20-50km rides. By my 50th birthday (3 months later) I was 65kg and ditched the e-bike.

Since then, I've won 2 races and I do around 400-600km per week - last year 21500km. If you had asked me if this was possible 3 years ago I would have said no. I had dodgy knees, was obese and a couch potato.

Just hang in there - it is a wonderful feeling when you reach your goals and can enjoy being out on the bike riding however you prefer to.
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Old 02-17-22, 12:22 PM
  #87  
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Out riding the beer has become much harder Never had to watch what I eat until recently and realizing you are never going to look like you did at 28 when you are 54. Hard pill for the ego to swallow even gets me depressed at times. Then I see people at Walmart that are 10 years younger than me so fat they use a scooter to haul out that industrial size bag of Doritos and I realize busting my azz on the bike is worth it after all. I’m not talking about people with medical conditions. But yes it is harder than it use to be.
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Old 02-19-22, 07:46 AM
  #88  
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Originally Posted by Hondo Gravel
Out riding the beer has become much harder Never had to watch what I eat until recently and realizing you are never going to look like you did at 28 when you are 54. Hard pill for the ego to swallow even gets me depressed at times. Then I see people at Walmart that are 10 years younger than me so fat they use a scooter to haul out that industrial size bag of Doritos and I realize busting my azz on the bike is worth it after all. I’m not talking about people with medical conditions. But yes it is harder than it use to be.
See Algarve's post above

I was 264 lbs at 54 and 182 lbs at 55 and I felt and looked 18.

54 is young. But it is true, it is almost impossible to outride a lousy diet or the poison of alcohol
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Old 02-19-22, 10:45 AM
  #89  
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Went to Vancouver, BC to visit my 86 yo mother. I joined the Trout Lake Community Centre gym for a month but due to Omicron, it closed after my third visit so I got my money back. Ended up buying a pair of 10lb dumbbells from a junk shop.

Now I'm back home in Toronto. Haven't returned to the gym yet but have been doing dumbbell exercises at home. Just got my winter bike ready to go: found a way to mount my rear facing camera. But we're having another few days of heavy snow and wind, so when I return to cycling, I start slowly. My cardio is shovelling snow.
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Old 02-19-22, 12:53 PM
  #90  
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
Went to Vancouver, BC to visit my 86 yo mother. I joined the Trout Lake Community Centre gym for a month but due to Omicron, it closed after my third visit so I got my money back. Ended up buying a pair of 10lb dumbbells from a junk shop.

Now I'm back home in Toronto. Haven't returned to the gym yet but have been doing dumbbell exercises at home. Just got my winter bike ready to go: found a way to mount my rear facing camera. But we're having another few days of heavy snow and wind, so when I return to cycling, I start slowly. My cardio is shovelling snow.
I bet you could have been riding outside in Vancouver by this time instead of needing a gym membership? Much harder to do in Toronto these days. All the power to you for getting the courage up to go out in the harsh conditions we've been having since the new year. I can't face it.

Not sure if you're familiar with My Little Bike Shop and it's owner Cam, but he posts his wheelie rides on Instagram just about every day and I have to watch in awe as he flies along the icy cold Toronto streets popping a wheelie and getting super excited about it. Entertainment.
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Old 02-19-22, 08:44 PM
  #91  
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Originally Posted by gthomson
I bet you could have been riding outside in Vancouver by this time instead of needing a gym membership? Much harder to do in Toronto these days. All the power to you for getting the courage up to go out in the harsh conditions we've been having since the new year. I can't face it.

Not sure if you're familiar with My Little Bike Shop and it's owner Cam, but he posts his wheelie rides on Instagram just about every day and I have to watch in awe as he flies along the icy cold Toronto streets popping a wheelie and getting super excited about it. Entertainment.
Cleared the snow today and took the bike out for a spin. Pretty wicked with the wind blowing snow all over the place and down my neck.
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Old 02-28-22, 10:40 AM
  #92  
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After taking a winter off (when I usually ride on snowy, stormy streets...I have an re-acclimation encounter coming by the end of this week when our temps hit the 30’s. I deserve every bit of this discomfort.
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Old 02-28-22, 01:46 PM
  #93  
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After a couple ice/snow storms, then a bout of flu mid-January, I had a lot of days off, little activity at while with the flu. When I got back on a bike I was feeling really weak and tired easily. I accepted it was going to take some time, ergo, I was doing 6 to 10 mile rides at a slow pace. Towards the end of the month, I felt like I was ready pick it up a bit. I was doing 12-15 miles and switching the pace a bit on those rides. By the second week of February I was back to 25 miles, faster but still not up to speed. Last week, I got sick again and it really hit me hard. I did a home covid test Saturday that read negative. This morning, I had a covid test scheduled at the lab where my doctor is located. I should get the results by tomorrow morning, this evening if I am very lucky.

I know when getting back on a bike, I am going to have to go through the same process, and I may stretch the process for a week or so longer. Being in my 70th year, I realize I may not get back to where I had been the past number of years. My mantra is " acceptance for age related changes, absolutely not surrender.

I have not gotten a flue shot in quite a few years. At the beginning of the year, at my annual wellness check up, my PC asked if I would consider the flu shot next year, my answer was, yes, I would definitely think about it. Now, with what appears to be a second bout of the flu in not quite 6 weeks, I will definitely get the flu vaccine. Maybe it is my age, I had not had been sick in any way for 6 years, and these bouts of the flu have been pretty bad: fluctuating between normal and a peak of 102.9, terrible headaches and body aches worse than I can remember from being sick, a bad stomach, and exhaustion from very little activity.
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Old 03-02-22, 07:53 AM
  #94  
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Doesn’t matter how fast or far you go as long as your having fun while
setting goals .
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Old 03-07-22, 04:21 PM
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Unless you are working as a lumberjack you cannot do enough physical work or exercise to lose wait. It is a matter of changing ones diet in terms of calories and the type of calories consumed. The keto diet is the closest to an optimum diet if one avoids red meat of any kind in any form. A "beer gut" is really just a carb gut.

Exercise improves cardio with strengthening of the heart which is a muscle and the body's muscles which are heavily involved in moving blood around. What I have long loved about cycling is that it is easy and natural to do intervals in any area with hillls. I don't need to think about it or use a stopwatch and time myself.

The biggest mistakes I see with riders is not having the right fit for the bike (including the optimum handlebar width and crank length) and having the seat too low. Either can result in back and neck and knee pain. I also see guys trying to muscle their way up a hill instead of going to a lower gear and this also stresses the knees unnecessarily. With the integrated shifters in the brake levers I found myself changing gears a lot more frequently and made for a smoother ride on my part.
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Old 03-09-22, 08:45 AM
  #96  
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Originally Posted by Darme
Doesn’t matter how fast or far you go as long as your having fun while
setting goals .
This. It’s still snowy/icy up here but warmer days start next week. In the meantime I’m cutting the 15lbs gained over the last 6mos. Unless I ride, progress is hindered. First time in several years I chose to ice fish (what a blast) instead of ride the snowy streets. Yesterday was a short ride in 35deg weather and today I feel it.

I’m back.
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Old 03-09-22, 10:05 AM
  #97  
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I am still dealing with my knee. I am also drastically changing my diet. We will see how my body responds at my age. It used to be easier, but as some of you know everything used to be easier. 😎
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Old 03-11-22, 07:42 AM
  #98  
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Originally Posted by big john
Don't worry about speed or mileage, just get out there and get some saddle time in. Don't forget to take rest days when you get tired.
Try to figure out how to get comfortable on the bike, change the saddle, your shorts, handlebar position, whatever.
Mostly try to keep it fun and it will help keep you fit and sane.
Good advice.

People are all different, and different things motivate them. Try to find where your motivation and your fun intersect, and do it.

This isn't advice regarding how to get as fast as possible as quick as possible. For that, hire a trainer. This is advice on how to work your way into shape in a maintainable way ... and to enjoy yourself while you are at it.

You asked a question: "If I do 2 or 3 5 mile rides does it still count as riding 15 miles, or is it better for fitness to do the distance in a single ride?" I would tell you this. At our age, the most important thing in any exercise regimen is consistency ... doing it every day or at least nearly every day. The gains you get won't be dramatic, but at the same time, they will not disappear so quickly either.

I used to ride 34 miles ot work and back every day. And because I did it every day, it really was no challenge whatsoever to do it. If I had a race or a big longish ride coming up, I might ride it a little harder to get into peak shape, but once aquired, that peak condition would disappear rapidly once I stopped doing it. Not so the basic condition I had from riding 34 miles a day. That residual conditioning was long lasting and took literally months of almost no riding at all to dissipate. So no ... don't be a "weekend warrior" or anything of the sort. Go out and do it consistently every day.

Everyone is different, but the last thing I want to do is to start to view riding a bike ... something I enjoy ... as a job. So I really would not respond well to a trainer telling me that I need to follow some kind of regimen where I have some truly arduous ride that I have to do to bump up my conditioning. I'm not that motivated to be fast, and the last thing I want to do is take something I enjoy and turn it into work (been there, done that). So when I finally lost all my conditioning because I was off the bike for months at a time, my goal was not to ride a certain distance or a certain speed. It was just to ride a minimum time, at whatever speed or effort I felt like. If I was feeling it that day, I might hit the hills. If I wasn't, I might just roll along the beach and admire the bikinis. But in either case, I would ride.

Be patient. Do that and you'll build up your endurance. And if you like, once those rides become trivial to you, you can try extending the time or trying some challenging rides. And you'll also have a level of conditioning that will not disappear so fast. If you have a challenging ride planned, by all means, take the previous day off. You'll be surprised how much stronger it makes you feel when you hop back on the bike.

About losing the belly: As others have said, you can't ride yourself into losing weight (absent very unusual circumstances), as your appetite will increase. To lose weight, you really have to focus on eating less or eating better. I try to focus on eating foods that are better for me and less calorie laden. No one ever got fat eating plain oatmeal or broccoli,
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Old 03-11-22, 08:12 AM
  #99  
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Originally Posted by Biker395
Good advice.

People are all different, and different things motivate them. Try to find where your motivation and your fun intersect, and do it.

This isn't advice regarding how to get as fast as possible as quick as possible. For that, hire a trainer. This is advice on how to work your way into shape in a maintainable way ... and to enjoy yourself while you are at it.

You asked a question: "If I do 2 or 3 5 mile rides does it still count as riding 15 miles, or is it better for fitness to do the distance in a single ride?" I would tell you this. At our age, the most important thing in any exercise regimen is consistency ... doing it every day or at least nearly every day. The gains you get won't be dramatic, but at the same time, they will not disappear so quickly either.

I used to ride 34 miles ot work and back every day. And because I did it every day, it really was no challenge whatsoever to do it. If I had a race or a big longish ride coming up, I might ride it a little harder to get into peak shape, but once aquired, that peak condition would disappear rapidly once I stopped doing it. Not so the basic condition I had from riding 34 miles a day. That residual conditioning was long lasting and took literally months of almost no riding at all to dissipate. So no ... don't be a "weekend warrior" or anything of the sort. Go out and do it consistently every day.

Everyone is different, but the last thing I want to do is to start to view riding a bike ... something I enjoy ... as a job. So I really would not respond well to a trainer telling me that I need to follow some kind of regimen where I have some truly arduous ride that I have to do to bump up my conditioning. I'm not that motivated to be fast, and the last thing I want to do is take something I enjoy and turn it into work (been there, done that). So when I finally lost all my conditioning because I was off the bike for months at a time, my goal was not to ride a certain distance or a certain speed. It was just to ride a minimum time, at whatever speed or effort I felt like. If I was feeling it that day, I might hit the hills. If I wasn't, I might just roll along the beach and admire the bikinis. But in either case, I would ride.

Be patient. Do that and you'll build up your endurance. And if you like, once those rides become trivial to you, you can try extending the time or trying some challenging rides. And you'll also have a level of conditioning that will not disappear so fast. If you have a challenging ride planned, by all means, take the previous day off. You'll be surprised how much stronger it makes you feel when you hop back on the bike.

About losing the belly: As others have said, you can't ride yourself into losing weight (absent very unusual circumstances), as your appetite will increase. To lose weight, you really have to focus on eating less or eating better. I try to focus on eating foods that are better for me and less calorie laden. No one ever got fat eating plain oatmeal or broccoli,
I started a low carb diet. It isn’t keto but it’s not far from it. No more beer or bread. I have found there are a lot of what I call sneaky carbs around. I never thought about bbq sauce until my wife checked.
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Old 03-14-22, 09:36 PM
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Hondo Gravel
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Went on a 50 mile ride today was getting a little tired near the end probably because I didn’t eat anything in route. So I’m happy with the progress. I notice after mile 40 I start feeling the hernia mesh no pain but I start feeling it. Weird sensation.
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