Crash and Burn

[Thelma]

I've only been riding my bike for a few weeks. In that time I've gone from doing 2 miles to just shy of 17. I can only really get out at the weekends at the moment, and Fridays because I don't work on Fridays. I've been looking forward to getting out today all week, and had a very challenging 20 miles planned.

1) I can't get out at the time I want to because it'll be busy with morning rush hour. So I hang around waiting.
2) My OH decided to drown his sorrows in vodka last night so he's hungover and a pain to get out of bed.
3) I've had a message from work asking about some coursework that someone reckons they gave to me, which they didn't. I know I'll get the blame for this, despite my innocence.
4) I realise that with one thing and another there isn't time for my much-looked-forward-to 20 miles. Decide to do 10 instead. Can't find a 10 mile route starting from home: it's either a long way or about 5 miles (unless I go on big nasty A roads and I don't want to).
5) Set out anyway in a bit of a huff because I'm dieting and my OH and son are eating sausages. My little boy even tried to share his with me.
6) The road I want to go down is closed for repairs. I knew about this but forgot.

All the time I was out I couldn't help but think I was probably the slowest cyclist on the planet and that I'll never be any faster.

I turned around and was on my way home the way I'd gone out - which I loathe doing, when I got to the "road ahead closed" sign again. Sod it, I thought, and I went down there anyway. That single act of defiance made me feel instantly a lot better. All the repairs were finished and I had the entire stretch to myself. It was fabulous!

Home now after doing about 8 miles. I can still smell the sausages.

Anyway... are these "I'm crap" days just part of the tapestry of cycling? Do you always get them, no matter how good you are? Do they go away?

 

[twozeronine]

All I would say is don't worry about being "crap" or being "good" (leave that to the pros), just get out an enjoy yourself! Attack those really steep hills if you want, but come back another day if they beat you, and over time your fitness levels will increase. I mean you've already gone from 2 miles to 17, so you're obviously improving.

 

[twozeronine]

Also, maybe just look at adjusting your technique to improve faster. Maybe look at your cadence and what gears you're using.

 

[Scoosh]

You went out

!

You had a ride

!

You've done 8 miles more than you would have done - and 8 miles more on the odometer !

WELL DONE YOU

!



Sure, every day is not perfect and the worst ones are when we have built our expectations, only for them to come crashing down - often due to circumstances beyond our control.

We all have days when the pedals don't seem to want to turn; when we've no energy; when it's all gone pear-shaped and we feel lousy; when we feel a bit depressed, even. It's called life, family, work and all the other things which get in the way of our cycling .

You have come a long way in a short time already and it is hard when you have the bug and can't feed it

.



Any other rides planed for the week-end ? < <-- the smiley, waving one this time

!

 

[zacklaws]

There's always bad days when nothing goes right, I've just had a month of them, injuries, bikes breaking, car breaking etc its cost me a fortune but I still kept getting out, as soon as I fixed one bike, another would break.

As for dieting, don't worry about it, up your mileage and soon you'll be able to eat as much as you want, just to replace all you have burnt off on one ride.

 

[Thelma]

As for dieting, don't worry about it, up your mileage and soon you'll be able to eat as much as you want, just to replace all you have burnt off on one ride.

#
I think I'd need to cycle constantly for about 6 months to shed the weight through exercise alone

We're going away for a couple of nights to North Wales tomorrow. I would like to take the bike, but with one thing and another, I think it's too late to get a rack fitted to the car. I'll do my 20 miles on Tuesday (school holidays). Bit anxious that I'll lose momentum (no pun intended) though because I'm going to be laid up for a week from Wednesday. I intend to spend some of that week planning routes and ogling at bikes on the internet.

Nice to know I'm not alone, thanks.

 

[TVC]

Everyone has bad days Thelma, days when it just isn't happening. These are fortunately balanced by times when you feel like you could cycle forever. If it isn't working for me I just turn round and go home, there's always tomorrow.

 

[Xiorell]

I've only had my bike a week and I can feel the strengh in my legs coming back (from zero jogging over winter). Hills on the way home from work seemed like a right pain in the ass on day one, I'm already zooming up them now.

 

[corshamjim]

Anyway... are these "I'm crap" days just part of the tapestry of cycling?

I think what you discovered there is that the "I'm crap" days are part of the tapestry of not cycling.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

All the time I was out I couldn't help but think I was probably the slowest cyclist on the planet and that I'll never be any faster.

I'm pretty sure you're not currently the slowest - and speed is one of those things that just improves gradually

I'm about middling now, and happy with that, I know most of the others on the forum would probably be twice as fast as me (I know Mr SHK is!) but I pass enough cyclists on my commute that I know I'm not the slowest....

We all have to start somewhere

 

[snorri]

Hi Thelma, have you considered signing up to Cyclogs or My Cycling Log?
You can set your own targets, and I think they can provide an incentive to go out sometimes when you are hesitating. Also, there are CycleChat teams on both sites if you want to join these.


http://www.cyclogs.org

http://www.mycyclinglog.com/add.php

 

[supercooper]

all i do when i get tired or fed up on a ride is I see something in the distance and think (just get to there and you have done well) , then just before i pass I look again to the distance and do it again and so on. The more (crap) it is the shorter the target so on a really bad day I look to 2 lamp posts distance. If you have an android phone download endomondo and uses that its ace you can set targets ect good luck

 

[coffeejo]

When I'm having a rubbish day, a short but quick blast to the village shop and back does me more good than a long ride, especially if I'm not in the mood for tackling steep hills. Worry less about targets and mileage and instead focus on the wind in your face and knowing that you caused it. At the end of the day, it's about having fun, oui?

 

[Thelma]

Hi Thelma, have you considered signing up to Cyclogs or My Cycling Log?
You can set your own targets, and I think they can provide an incentive to go out sometimes when you are hesitating. Also, there are CycleChat teams on both sites if you want to join these.


http://www.cyclogs.org

http://www.mycyclinglog.com/add.php

My inner geek is in absolute heaven. Thank you!

 

[Telemark]

My inner geek is in absolute heaven . Thank you!

Yay, we need all the help we can get to beat the Aussies (BV forum) on MyCyclingLog! Last year it was a close call (they won )

Back on topic ... crap days happen , and just getting out for a few miles must have made you feel just a tiny bit better, surely? Just think back a couple of weeks, you would have been very happy with an 8 mile ride . And you can't go further that the last ride each time anyway, not for very long anyway.

The speed will come with distance under your belt and going out regularly, so don't get hung up on statistics (yes, I like them too ) and don't forget to enjoy yourself while out on the bike!

About Wales ... maybe you can rent a bike for a day or two, where you are going? A chance to try a different one from yours (careful, might give you ideas for n+1 ).

T