Just how far can ones fitness progress?

[MattHB]

I'm very early doors on the whole thing, but already I feel so different to before.

Last weekend I went on a 15 mile hilly ride that while it didn't do me in, left me pretty worn out. I'm doing about 50-60 miles per week, mixed up rides, some slow, some fast (for me), flat, hilly.. All sorts.

To increase my overall fitness, do I just keep building the miles up? I'm not interested in racing or massive weekend jaunts, but I want to be as fit as I can be. ive already lost just over a stone since about may, about a stone to go until I hit my happy weight. How far can my fitness go?

Cheers

 

[BrumJim]

I don't know, but scarily much, much further.

When I started, 40 miles was right at the limit. I've done 60 with serious hills as Saturday entertainment. 100 no longer looks like a momentous challenge. When I started running, I did 5k in 25 minutes. I thought I had plateaued at 23.5, then again at 22, and now I haven't got a clue how fast I could go if I tried.

I think it is a function of how committed you are to training.

 

[MattHB]

The odd thing I'm finding is that the fitter you get, and I know I'm only scratching the surface, the more you feel driven to improve. But the thought of doing more than I did on Saturday fills me with fear! But a month ago, the thought of doing even that would have done the same.

 

[HLaB]

Up to a point its up to you how far you go and a lot of it is psychological.

 

[Fiona N]

I guess the answer is pretty much - how much time are you prepared to put in?

Pro athletes train full time for a reason and it's rare (but not unheard of) for amateurs (i.e. part-timers) to achieve the same level of performance. Iron-man triathletes reckon that you can train reasonably for that event, which no matter which way you cut it requires a huge level of endurance just to complete inside the time limits - on a minimum of 10 hours a week. If you want to compete as opposed to merely complete, then the requirements increase and it just requires a lot more time to get in the training, no matter how focused or targeted. Once you increase the training you also increase the requirements for quality rest and recovery, so no re-laying the driveway, painting the green house or 5-a-side at the weekends either.

Probably once you're doing 2 hours a week day and 5+ hours on a Sunday (assuming a Saturday rest day), with some gym/core stability work in addition, over a period of several years you'd probably be able to build up to say 90-95% of maximal performance (depending how you measure it, which depends on what you want it for). The remaining 5% or so which could turn you into an elite level competitor (assuming some talent for the sport, of course) would require a greater time commitment because you'll probably have hit the point at which you can no longer stress your body enough in the time to build training adaptation.

A lot depends on your history/age too. The above is assuming you're in your twenties at most but starting from scratch so the period of building performance comes through your 20's and early 30's and peak conditioning occurs before aging starts to wither you, as it were If you had a history of say distance running or swimming - basically sports with a strong aerobic component - then the period for conditioning would be shorter. Conversely if you're in your 40's and have never done any exercise, you can make the best of it but obviously you're never going to be able to achieve what you could if you'd started in your teens or early 20's because the best conditioning in the world is never going to overcome the aging process.

It's never too late of course, and there's always the World Masters...

And late starters may have fewer injuries

The key thing is that you have to keep pushing - once you settle into a routine of (in my case a 25km each way commute), your body gets accustomed and unless you're actively trying for a new personal best every week or some other goal, it just becomes time wasting as far as increasing fitness it concerned. The challenge has to be continuous, which I reckon is where the mental side comes in. Some people are just not comfortable pushing themselves whereas others (and I'd include myself in this, still) need to have a continuously moving (receding) goal post to aim for almost as a condition for living. Complacency's not an option...which I reckon is generally a good way to live. And on that philosophical note, I'll finish

 

[MattHB]

Wow thanks Fiona.

Well, I'm a slightly withering 37 year old who's been in reasonable shape up until anxiety and depression problems took me out about 5 years ago. Since then I'm fully recovered, but at 6ft 5 and (currently, was 17st 5) 16st 4 I'm more padded than I'd like to be.

My main motivation is to improve my quality of life, have more energy after hard days working (I'm a college lecturer/first tier manager) and most importantly, to remove the weight my recent lifestyle/medications have caused.

So I have no pressure to get fit, just a deep desire to do so which is becoming stronger the more I do, especially when I see/feel the changes that are happening. Almost overnight my remaining dregs of medication are no longer needed and my overall demeanour is better. This and that I'm horribly competitive with myself makes me wonder just how fit I can get myself.

So I think I'll carry on how I am.. Improving what I'm eating (lots of fruit and veg now, much less starchy stuff too), and pushing my miles up slowly. It'll be interesting how I am in a year. I don't intend to stop, or to stop living on the bike as I've done in the last 6 weeks, it's a joy, even in our weather.

 

[zigzag]

So I think I'll carry on how I am.. Improving what I'm eating (lots of fruit and veg now, much less starchy stuff too), and pushing my miles up slowly. It'll be interesting how I am in a year. I don't intend to stop, or to stop living on the bike as I've done in the last 6 weeks, it's a joy, even in our weather.

always nice to see the improving fitness. setting yourself a target and training up to it helps a lot. there is a great ride in scotland for example next june. but be quick to make up your mind - less than four hours left to register!

 

[Willo]

Up to a point its up to you how far you go and a lot of it is psychological.

I agree. While I played a bit of football, and have been on and off with the gym over the years, it wasn't until my late 30s that I started to get a bit more serious about my fitness. I've improved what I can do by pushing myself with some milestones (and as has been said, it becomes infectious after a while when you begin to feel the progress).

My time is limited but by pushing myself with some incremental targets (running faster; cycling further is my general focus) it is surprising how far you can progress. For example, I picked up cycling to balance against running which was starting to take its toll on my ageing legs. After starting with some relatively short rides last year, this summer I've progressed up to 120k+ plus and can now realistically contemplate my target of a 100 miler next year. I just kept creeping up the distance and before I knew it wasn't thinking twice about distances that were just an ambition a few months earlier.

Personally, and this may counter more scientific advice, I would balance distance vs speed (as you are already) but importantly do whatever keeps you motivated to get out; it's important you enjoy it as otherwise it will become a bind and won't be sustainable. I have found that I enjoy pushing myself to cycle further, rather than trying to go faster. Therefore, my cycling milestones have mainly been around incrementally building up distance. However, when time is limited I do factor in cycling faster over shorter distances.

While I haven't seriously suffered, stress from work has been a problem on occassion for me and the more I have got into my exercise, the more I have noticed how it helps manage that stress and generally give me a lift. So much so, that 2 or 3 times a week I get into the gym at 0630 before having to get on the train to work; the mental lift from exercising outweighing the benefit of an extra hour's sleep.

 

[The Jogger]

You are doing the right thing by getting out there. One way to see how your fitness is improving , is by measuring your recovery heart rate. I believe this is one of the best measures, to see improvements. 30 beats in the first minute means you're alive and 50 is really good. I also think when people give us their pb s including the age would be a great help.

 

[ColinJ]

Wow thanks Fiona.

Well, I'm a slightly withering 37 year old who's been in reasonable shape up until anxiety and depression problems took me out about 5 years ago. Since then I'm fully recovered, but at 6ft 5 and (currently, was 17st 5) 16st 4 I'm more padded than I'd like to be.

My main motivation is to improve my quality of life, have more energy after hard days working (I'm a college lecturer/first tier manager) and most importantly, to remove the weight my recent lifestyle/medications have caused.

So I have no pressure to get fit, just a deep desire to do so which is becoming stronger the more I do, especially when I see/feel the changes that are happening. Almost overnight my remaining dregs of medication are no longer needed and my overall demeanour is better. This and that I'm horribly competitive with myself makes me wonder just how fit I can get myself.

So I think I'll carry on how I am.. Improving what I'm eating (lots of fruit and veg now, much less starchy stuff too), and pushing my miles up slowly. It'll be interesting how I am in a year. I don't intend to stop, or to stop living on the bike as I've done in the last 6 weeks, it's a joy, even in our weather.

Yes, it was a great reply.

You actually have quite a lot in common with me so my past example might be of interest.

I'm not as tall as you, just a smidge over 6' 1", but I have been up to 16.5 stone twice and battled my way back down below 12 stone with the help of regular cycling and controlling my calorie intake.

I found that the fitter I got, the less depressed and anxious I felt. I managed to shed over 3 stone in 6 months by cutting out alcohol, and riding my bike 10+ hours a week (or doing the equivalent on a turbo-trainer) and I was older than you when I did it.

I never got close to reaching my limits. I was still improving significantly month by month until I had a bad winter which is where the rot set in. I've always had problems with the winter, losing fitness and gaining weight, but I used to burn it all off again in the following spring and summer. The succession of wet, dreary summers we've had recently took its toll on me; I was back to square one!

Since then, like you, I've managed to get a stone off, but I want to lose another 3.

I know that you could make fantastic progress in 6 months of hard work. If you really got stuck in now and kept it up, you would be flying by next summer! That's what I'm telling myself too ...

Good luck!

 

[MattHB]

Thanks for your replies all I think I'm the right track. I'm hoping for a rideable winter, but we never seem to know what's going to happen next!

In a few months I'll be moving in with my GF which will take my commute miles up nicely, then I should be much more able to up my weekly miles and still maintain a day off.

I've already noticed my resting pulse is a lot lower. I had a check up the other day when she put me on a bloody pressure machine and I was clocking 55bpm after having walked to the surgery, which amazed me, and the doc! It's things like that that are really giving me motivation, as well as getting into clothes that I was about to throw away as they were too small! I'm starting to have the opposit problem now.

 

[fossyant]

Keep it up. Good base training. They training is like a pyramid, lots of good base miles and some speed/hill work at the top. The more time you put in the fitter you get. There is nothing worse than grovelling up hills, so that's why I like to keep a good base.

For racing then you need specific interval training, and a more structured plan to be good.

We used to say, the difference between pros and the rest was indeed time on the bike.

 

[jay clock]

The answer is a LONG WAY. I was pretty much in your boat, got back into cycling and can remember when doing a 30 mile ride felt like a huge achievement. This year I did my first Ironman (3.8k swim, 180k bike, then a marathon). People would not have expected it of me, and nor would I!

Take it easy, little and often, and build up slowly!

 

[Mozzy]

At almost 60 I was walking some of the hills that I now cycle easily. Weight loss is actually a problem right now as it is still falling off despite eating as well as I can. Cycle pretty much every day unless it is tipping down. When I started off I just sort of felt at my age it would be beneficial health wise and a couple of stone off would not do any harm. I'm approaching 4 stone off now which when compared is almost 30% of my original weight.

I did a 35 miler yesterday in two and a half hours which I'm chuffed with. Only stopped to collect a couple of small bits from the LBS; other than that it was as flat out as possible all the way. Strength in my knees and thighs is amazing; I would always creak getting out of the chair having been sat for a while; no more though. So I suppose it can progress and I would have thought the younger you are the more it can.

Good luck

Mozzy

 

[MattHB]

The answer is a LONG WAY. I was pretty much in your boat, got back into cycling and can remember when doing a 30 mile ride felt like a huge achievement. This year I did my first Ironman (3.8k swim, 180k bike, then a marathon). People would not have expected it of me, and nor would I!

Take it easy, little and often, and build up slowly!

Wow Jay, ironman is hardcore. I still can't imagine doing 30 miles though lol

At almost 60 I was walking some of the hills that I now cycle easily. Weight loss is actually a problem right now as it is still falling off despite eating as well as I can. Cycle pretty much every day unless it is tipping down. When I started off I just sort of felt at my age it would be beneficial health wise and a couple of stone off would not do any harm. I'm approaching 4 stone off now which when compared is almost 30% of my original weight.

I did a 35 miler yesterday in two and a half hours which I'm chuffed with. Only stopped to collect a couple of small bits from the LBS; other than that it was as flat out as possible all the way. Strength in my knees and thighs is amazing; I would always creak getting out of the chair having been sat for a while; no more though. So I suppose it can progress and I would have thought the younger you are the more it can.

Good luck

Mozzy

thanks Mozzy, my weight is starting to come off quickly now after a slow start (muscle changes?). I'd like another stone off, but we'll see how it goes.

Building slowly is my plan, and just to keep going extending my milleages during the weekends.