Healthy Living: Harry Main
Harry Main is a name that’s been on everybodies lips recently, mostly due to his ability to invent impossible new tricks and put it out online for all to see. Part of the reason for this is Harry’s natural bike riding ability, another reason is that he doesn’t spend every weekend getting wasted. As part of our series on healthy living (If you missed Scott Buchanan’s article, click here) we present Harry Main…
Have you always steered clear of drugs and alcohol?
Yeah, I pretty much messed around at the age of 16, the normal you know? What every teenager would do… I got to a point were I just thought I really am not into this. I didn’t really enjoy the feeling of being drunk it just didn’t and hasn’t ever done it for me. I know its kind of cool being drunk, but when I go and get drunk every once in a while its kind of like I feel like I haven’t achieved anything but instead wasted a night. I could of been out having a chilled curb sesh or something, maybe enjoying nice food. That doesn’t mean I don’t drink ever. If I go to a contest and I do well I’ll defiantly have a few drinks to celebrate but as for getting trolleyed every Friday and Saturday I’ve never been a taker.
Do you not miss it when you goto a comp and everyone’s partying and you are not?
I don’t miss it at all. I can have just as much fun sober as they can have drunk. I’ll still have a few drinks at some contest. One thing I find annoying is people like “Have a drink, come on have a drink.” but I suppose that’s them just wanting you to have a good time. I got pretty loose in Estonia and the next morning just thought to myself, why? What was the point in that? To feel crusty and tired the next day? But once again nothing against people who drink. It’s pretty cool when everyone is having a good time. Just my good time isn’t so drunk…
Can you explain what working out is and how it helps you as a rider?
I started going to the gym in about February. Jamie and Kerry [Bestwick] helped me out and showed me alot. Without them I would be kind of clueless as to what to eat and how to stay fit. I think the hardest thing for me is committing to eating healthy. It’s like when I go out I have a choice pizza or a salad and that’s when you really know where you are with eating healthy. It wasn’t until I got back in England I knew weather I was committed or not. I’m not going to lie. I’m not 100% clean cut with healthy eating training in the gym. But I’m a 100% sure its a damn shot better than MacDonald’s and 4 litres of soda a day! That was my regular diet every single day before I started trying harder to look after my body.
What sort of foods do you eat and not eat?
When I’m riding ill wake up and eat some form of healthy cereal you know special k or Weetabix then for my dinner ill have a tuna salad or a sandwich with some salad. When I’m home from riding if I haven’t already gotten a subway ill get myself some a meal with some chicken in it.
Who taught you about all this?
Jamie and Kerry Bestwick
Can you summarize how all this has helped you as a person and a rider?
As a person it’s made me more confident with myself just being able to have mind control on what to eat when I need to and it’s made me feel alot better. When I come out of the gym I feel really good and ready to ride. Motivated and stronger. Lately I’ve been doing alot of stretching, I felt that was something that I needed to work on.
But once again, if eating healthy isn’t an option for you then that’s fair enough. I ate fast food for pretty much at least a year straight with at least one 2 litre bottle of pop a day, it was the normal for me, I thought I felt good. When I started eating properly I would wake up in Jamie’s after a good ride at Woodward. I was like, ‘Jesus I’m not aching all over from head to toe!’ and that was from just eating a good diet not to mention what going to the gym helps you feel like. Alot of people consider going the gym as just going and getting massive arms and massive pecks it’s not about that, it’s about letting your body loosen up. But I’m far from eating perfect or drinking perfect, I still drink a Monster Energy when I ride and eat sweets every once and a while. It’s not a problem I just feel a hundred times better than I ever have!
May 28th, 2009 at 11:12
Fair enuff, sound bloody clever to me.
maybe if i eat less maccy ds i could land flair whips.
May 28th, 2009 at 13:30
[...] Main has an interesting interview on Ride UK about not drinking and eating [...]
May 28th, 2009 at 14:09
if we would devide all into 2 roughly chosen vids. harry main would be something like the nike vid or odyssey elektronical… all hd and riding, good times n shit…
i would be more banned3 XD
if he lyks it… cool. he´s doing it for all the right reasons, obviously.
eating mcD right now
May 28th, 2009 at 15:09
Shoulda just said NAME DROP rather than saying who taught you all this?
he he
May 28th, 2009 at 18:28
To me it sounds like the voice of Nike trying to uphold an image (what self respecting scouser or even English person uses the word soda? I know he’s been in the US a bit but come on!)
I bet if Lacey was getting hooked up by Nike they’d force him to quit the reefa!
Each to their own I guess, but I genuinely think Nike want to keep a clean cut image even in BMX which is cool but it’s all about a few beers with the bbq down the trails for me!
Maybe that’s why Spinner got dropped…he might have been a raging alchy getting prostitutes and partying till he puked! hahaha!
May 28th, 2009 at 20:24
i totally agree with him, drinking is the biggest waste of time i think, it doesnt make me feel good and if its not healthy then whats the point?
good to see someone thinks the same as me
May 28th, 2009 at 21:43
Err… me lager, finchy lager…gareth lager sometimes cider……so.. different drinks for different…needs.
May 28th, 2009 at 22:22
haha what a plug at the end!
May 29th, 2009 at 02:36
am proud on you thats for sure..but i wont forget you bringing your own “quick menu: long chicken” into the restaurant;) , and hiding it behind the menu card.
come to amsterdam bro.. fresh tuna…and some tequila fernandez, a nice hashjoint..and naked naked girls..bbq can be healthy bro…..shit that truly makes you happy is most defenitely healthy.or ment to be done.
May 29th, 2009 at 04:46
ATTENTION HARRY: go to http://www.crossfit.com if you want to start being and living fit! seriously its a ton more beneficial then stupid benching and curls! plus the diet method described is amazing!
May 29th, 2009 at 07:37
Is it ‘98 all over again, how many straight edgers are still straight edge. Hold back on the tattoo’s boys.
May 29th, 2009 at 09:44
what a square! if i was as successfull as him id be getting wasted the whole time. i hate the way bmxers think they are athletes! gays
May 29th, 2009 at 19:12
[...] the original post: Healthy Living: Harry Main Tags: next-morning, pretty-cool, tired-the-next [...]
May 31st, 2009 at 11:58
Monster & Nike just payin to say all that shit , being straight edge is not drinking monster energy aka heart attack juice!
May 31st, 2009 at 12:04
this guy needs to get out more! maybe he will eventually get his fingers sticky!
May 31st, 2009 at 12:05
No , i was actually thinking , Will their ever be a boy born who can swim faster then a shark?
May 31st, 2009 at 12:06
what aload of balls i saw him in corby toilets pining up takin some heroin and he got baked with us at nass the dirty smack head!
June 2nd, 2009 at 13:35
wtf guys he want to be healthy and fit + hed be riding longer if your more fit so yeah. i know drinking can be fun but it aint worth it id rather go for a night sesh cause its more useful to do in spare time get more shit down init .
i cant say i dont drink at all but i can say i never have more than 3 cans of cider when i do so never get drunk
yu would be a better rider if you stay fit look at harry main good example :L he got so good since he started his healthy life
June 3rd, 2009 at 16:47
Healthy living for Chris Duncan on DECO BMX dot Com too
July 6th, 2009 at 10:54
It really helps not drinking and taking drugs, I still drink a bit but never that much and yeah i can get up earlier for the good weather we sometimes have down here, Its a really good feeling to get on your bike and not feel like shit from getting wasted the night before.
July 8th, 2009 at 19:43
subways are stupidly bad for you their full of fat and other crap so is monster which he probly drinks … so yeah your REAL healthy
July 21st, 2009 at 17:10
i dont get some people. biking is a sport and a way of life. If you get wasted every night and/or take drugs you cant use bmx as either.
July 26th, 2009 at 21:32
um,what?
putting aside time to drink and socialize with friends is much more healthy then having a “chilled curb sesh” like harry says.i can just picture him in the dark on his own on a friday night in his street,and hes thinking,wow,this curb really is my friend,weve got so much in common and shared some good times,i love you curb,even if you arent that chatty.
and ive seen many bmxers kill it when theyre hungover.
boozing doesnt stop you being a ripper.
August 23rd, 2009 at 02:18
if thats what harry wants to do then its up to him so i don’t know why some of you are getting stressy about it!
ANT IN SWINDON……. he obviously doesn’t ride a curb u dumb ass he just saying getting drunk and feeling like shit in the morning is a waste like riding a curb for the night! hes the one who can ride any were he wants he the famous one right now for being the way he is, not for talking to a curb!
September 3rd, 2009 at 13:17
i eat lots of shit stuff
September 6th, 2009 at 17:55
you smoke crack on a daily basis using a monster can as a pipe you bootle baghead
November 13th, 2009 at 14:16
So,if were being honest. I agree that not one English person I know uses the word “soda” come on Harry. No one holds any right to critisize a boy that alot more succesfull at 18 than most of you will be in your whole lives. Everyone’s making a huge deal over the fact that he wants to eat healthy and live a life thats not controlled by alcohol to have a good time, your the ones who feel the need to read the interview and comment on it. You should try harder to hide the jealousy!
November 13th, 2009 at 14:20
&& Well done Harry for becoming a star in your own right!!
November 30th, 2009 at 20:30
harry main can i have 1 ov dose shirts and box hats + u rok man