Is 20 miles in under an hour a realistic goal for a MAMIL?

[Jon George]

Okay, maybe a bit of expansion on my original post is called for. It has never been my intention in my cycling to attempt to emulate the strength and stamina of my youth - it's mostly been about staving off the decrepitudes of old age and reducing the risks of possible hereditary disease - and, as such, on Mon-Fri I spend about an hour-and-a-half each day out on the bike, and indulging in much longer and much slower rides on Sunday. (Last year I did a couple of 100 milers.) The weekday routes alternate between a flat course and (for Suffolk) one with a succession of hillocks I rush up as a form of interval training. On these latter rides, my MHR has been 187 and I recovered to reasonably normal breathing in less than a minute. I am convinced that the way I approach keeping fit is doing me far more good than any risk I may or may not be taking given my age (I'm a great believer in 'listening' to my body and not excessively over-exerting myself. I think Andrew Marr just leapt into strenuous exertions without any sensible build-up.) If my average weekday speed increases slightly as a consequence of attempting to achieve, just once, an average of 20mph over 20 miles, I'll take that and even if the kids and younger people still keep whizzing past, then I'll bid them good day and carry on enjoying my ride at my pace.

Alpha-male? I moved beyond such limiting restrictions over thirty years ago.

 

[Over The Hill]

Thanks for clarification Jon.
I seem to be getting a bit of flack for firstly pointing out the lower hear rate limits advised as we get older but really I think it is worth noting as it is silly to put effort into doing good for yourself if there is a negative side that can be avoided.

I then read into the original post that you may be rather goal-led and so was suggesting other goals. Clearly though you are doing a lot of cycling over a week and that does put it in a different context to if you just did one hour a week hammering it all the way.
I am perhaps fortunate in that I only took up cycling aged 45 ten years ago and so was rather past my prime at the outset!

 

[Jon George]

I seem to be getting a bit of flack for pointing out the lower hear rate limits advised as we get older

Don't you know that no flak = no opinion?

But you do raise an issue I've been confused about ever since I leant about MHR. Am I correct in understanding it's the maximum your body can achieve, or am I meant to use it as a limit to what I should be putting my body to? Clarification, anybody?

 

[Rob3rt]

Don't you know that no flak = no opinion?

But you do raise an issue I've been confused about ever since I leant about MHR. Am I correct in understanding it's the maximum your body can achieve, or am I meant to use it as a limit to what I should be putting my body to? Clarification, anybody?

Max heart rate for a given activity is the maximum heart rate your body can achieve when doing said activity. It is a physiological limit NOT a recommendation and it will vary depending on the activity undertaken, for example you will be able to achieve a higher max heart rate running than you will cycling.

@Over The Hill seems to have become confused and assumed it is a recommendation, at least that is what I am gathering. This is not the case, it is a limit, the absolute max you can acheive and the formula's simply predict/estimate what value you should be able to achieve as a maximum (not a value you should aim to stay below, in fact it would be impossible to exceed if the formula's were any good - which they aren't - since it is a maximum limit, you can't exceed the maximum), based on age since it is known that the maximum heart rate one can achieve generally falls with age.

 

[ColinJ]

I met a cyclist well into his 80s a couple of years ago, on his way back from a ride! He had been pretty handy on a bike in his youth, and had done a 100 mile TT in about 4.5 hours in his mid-60s - about 22.2 mph average speed. So, yes - 20 mph is a realistic goal, and one that isn't exactly going to wear out most people in reasonable health if they train for it.

In fact, 20 mph is the target speed I have in mind for my local 'Cragg Vale loop' which is 20 miles in length and has about 1,300 ft of climbing. I am 58 now and recovering from a serious illness. (I did the loop in 1 hr 9 min (17.4 mph) when I was 50 and in reasonable but not peak fitness, which is about the time that my current avatar picture was taken.)

I agree with the sentiment of 50000tears, above ... I am not interested in living a boring life to the age of 100. I would much rather have fun on my bike and if as a result of the effort I die at 75, 80, 85 (whatever), fine! Most people extend their lives through exercise and it will be just a few fanatics who do so much that they actually damage their bodies.

 

[Rob3rt]

I just cycle to enjoy it now.

Not singling you out here, or really even replying to you, I just wanted to comment how I find it rather odd that those of us who chase times/speed and whatnot are often assumed to do it for some other reason than that stated above. Do people really think that performance focused riders cycle without enjoyment?

 

[smutchin]

Age-based formulae for MHR are good for working out population averages but notoriously unreliable for providing meaningful data relating to individuals. Having a MHR of 185 at age 55 puts you well above the national average and suggests you're probably healthier than the average person, but you'd need to get a more detailed analysis by sciencey boffin types to find out what your true condition is.

OTH is right to say that as you get older your capacities will diminish - and no amount of training can overcome that completely - but I think your goal of 20mph is both achievable and probably safe for your health.

You can use MHR as a rough guide to estimating your level of effort, and if you look into things like functional threshold power, you can use it to help build your training program, but it's probably best not to read too much into it.

 

[smutchin]

Not singling you out here, or really even replying to you, I just wanted to comment how I find it rather odd that those of us who chase times/speed and whatnot are often assumed to do it for some other reason than that stated above.

Quite. My idea of enjoyment is a balls-out effort that leaves me physically exhausted. I enjoy it even more if I've beaten my PB. I think the OP's 20mph target is admirable even if I wouldn't recommend it for everyone.

 

[50000tears]

Not singling you out here, or really even replying to you, I just wanted to comment how I find it rather odd that those of us who chase times/speed and whatnot are often assumed to do it for some other reason than that stated above. Do people really think that performance focused riders cycle without enjoyment?

I agree with this entirely. My current training is showing good results and as a result I can travel further, faster and recover quicker. The more I train and the fitter I get the more I am enjoying my cycling. If I get to a point that I don't think the payoff is enough for the hard efforts I make in training, then I will either ease off or rethink the program. Not anywhere near that point though yet, as at the moment I just want to get better and better and my journey has just begun.

 

[Over The Hill]

Not singling you out here, or really even replying to you, I just wanted to comment how I find it rather odd that those of us who chase times/speed and whatnot are often assumed to do it for some other reason than that stated above. Do people really think that performance focused riders cycle without enjoyment?

Good point. I suppose it is more a phrase to mean that it ticks the box whatever. Perhaps like running a marathon, for some they are just happy to do it while others are aiming to be the fastest or others aiming to beat a PB. In a way they are all goals and we choose to set ourselves easy or more difficult goals.

Perhaps as I have always been really bad at all sports and never the fastest at anything that I don't go down that route. Would you enjoy the ride if you had a goal of 20mph and came in at 19.5? I suppose it is the same as if I did a 100 miler but had to stop 5 miles short.

On the heart rate, I guess it is an issue for all cyclists, not just those who set themselves a speed target. We basically can all bust a gut on a hill if we push it too much.

I really don't know the answer on heart rate, is the limit set lower by our older bodies or is the medical recommendation that we impose an upper limit on ourselves?

 

[Jon George]

@Rob3rt @ColinJ @smutchin - thanks all for your clarification. Watch this space ...

 

[Rob3rt]

On the heart rate, I guess it is an issue for all cyclists, not just those who set themselves a speed target. We basically can all bust a gut on a hill if we push it too much.

I really don't know the answer on heart rate, is the limit set lower by our older bodies or is the medical recommendation that we impose an upper limit on ourselves?

The limit (i.e. your max heart rate) is a physiological limit. The formulae estimate (rather poorly for an individual) what this limit is based on age. It is not a medical recommendation or a limit you impose on yourself.

 

[mattobrien]

@Jon George I have just managed my first 20mph average ride of the year, a 21.5 mile loop, so as much help as hindrance from the wind etc.

Previous best ave of the year was 19.3mph, but I went for a mid length ride with @Andrew_Culture at the weekend, so after a day off yesterday the legs felt good. To get the average I wanted, I had to properly push myself, but hopefully the only way is up for the rest of the season and when I get out on the lighter / faster summer bike I ought to be in good shape for some much better averages.

If you fancy joining me and @Andrew_Culture for a quicker rider some day soon, just let me know.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Glad you did well today, I thought I had limped round the miles I did this morning but it wasn't too bad and average. I'm noticing a huge difference between those who have consistently put in the miles (regardless of speed) and those of us who haven't.

More miles needed!

 

[Andrew_Culture]

My point being that Jon has definitely put in the miles!