Show us your.......newbie progress! [4 Sep 2012 - 4 Oct 2014]

[MaxInc]

I may even start looking at working out with heart rate zone plans. It doesn't sound fun like just riding, but I may still give it a shot and see how I like it.

When riding alone I find it more fun doing intervals than just riding. Time flies so much quicker when I'm watching the timer for the next set. It gives me something extra to focus and you never get bored or exhausted during the week. If you follow a suitable plan for you fitness level it will keep you constantly challenged while forcing you o take the appropriate rests in terms of either very gengle rides or full rest days. Afterall, it is during the rest days that the magic happens.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

That sounds like a good plan Mo and good luck with it - I'm sure it will work out.

I think all you high-milers and your big targets have done great job and admire the dedication and the self-motivation but it will never be for me.

Tbh I have no idea how anyone can do 2/3/400 miles a week and really get any cycling pleasure. After about 1.5 hours on a ride my head has had enough if I am to be frank. And to do that 2-3 times a week is enough for me - I have heaps of other stuff going on in my life. It is very easy to burn out on the enthusiasm front. Two examples:

When I moved up here I walked/scrambled/climbed every spare moment I could and then one day I was doing an ascent of Striding Edge just to see how fast I could do it and I thought "what the heck" (although I didn't use the word heck) - I had gone up and down real quick and had got home and Mrs SD asked if I had had a nice hike and I couldn't really remember much about it. I throttled back considerably and am still passionate years later.

My mate retired at 46 and he is golf obsessed - absolutely 100% obsessed. He played 4-5 times a week until Spring this year when he suddenly cut back to twice a week - he told me was getting burn't out and bored and wanted to keep the game fresh in his mind.

So - I think you have made a wise move.

The majority of my cycling is commuting to and from work and I just treat it as part of the working day. My pleasure rides come at the weekend where I go for a ride with our lass and have a spin on the road bike. If it wasn't for the commuting I reckon I would be on a couple of thousand miles at the most.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Well, whilst walking the dog this morning I was contemplating my cycling a bit and have arrived at a couple of conclusions.

I am starting to feel a bit fed up of doing big miles. Spending over 4 hours most mornings is a wee bit too much and I feel I am starting to neglect other things.

I really enjoyed just doing a short ride this morning and, even setting out later, still got back at a decent time for dog walking and other things.

So, plan of action:-

One of the weekend days for a long ride.
A midweek medium/long ride.
All other days a mix of shorter rides, some higher intensity and a couple of gentle recovery rides.

I think I will probably enjoy my cycling more doing this which means I am more likely to keep it up long term.

Thank God for that, even though I only compete against myself , it has been knackering keeping up with you in the Powerbar challenge, and I bet I haven't done a quarter of the climbing you have.

 

[Reece]

Chris, did I see you this morning? I stopped and let you(?) pass on the GCW at bede park? Or at least got the feelng it was you? If that makes sense? On a dark coloured hybrid

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@SpokeyDokey
I am happy with 150-230 a week, I have done greater than 250 three times, and like you the miles this month have just been a blur, including the A1 bit yesterday, just another road at the time (just extremely busy one ) and fatigue can lead to serious accidents. However positives from the higher mileages lead to endurance (which again helped yesterday) but shorter more intense rides can lead to higher speeds and better cardiovascular improvements.

 

[RWright]

Not riding as much has been sort of interesting so far today. I didn't get to see Robert Plant but I did find this link to his show review. http://carycitizen.com/2013/07/22/music-robert-plant/
I also got to do two laundry loads of cycle clothing and a sink full of dirty dishes.

I also just did something quite different for me. I watched a live funeral broadcast for the "bicycle man". A man that lives in the town about 25 miles south of where I live. I had heard about him before but didn't realize he had died until today when I saw the live funeral broadcast link at the top of my local TV news website. He had spent the past 22 years collecting discarded bicycles and fixing them up to give to needy kids at Christmas. This is a link to his obituary http://www.wral.com/fayetteville-s-bicycle-man-moses-mathis-passes-away-at-age-76/12663742/ People like him make the world a better place.

This stuff about getting a little rest from all the riding isn't bad at all. Now to get my filthy bikes cleaned.

 

[Mo1959]

@SpokeyDokey
I am happy with 150-230 a week, I have done greater than 250 three times, and like you the miles this month have just been a blur, including the A1 bit yesterday, just another road at the time (just extremely busy one ) and fatigue can lead to serious accidents. However positives from the higher mileages lead to endurance (which again helped yesterday) but shorter more intense rides can lead to higher speeds and better cardiovascular improvements.

That's what I was finding Nigel. Towards the end of some of my long runs I was getting fatigued and maybe not concentrating quite as well.

At the end of the day, I'm not sure what being able to do three or four hundred miles a week is really proving? Once you can do it once to show yourself that you can manage it if you have to, after that I just feel you are overtaxing your body needlessly. Pretty sure one long ride a week is enough to keep the endurance side of things up.

Oh, and as a bonus, since I am on a very limited income there won't be as much wear and tear or the bikes which is always a good thing.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@MaxInc
I have a copy of sportstracks which i find a little better, as it will show wind speeds and direction with a plugin, rain, pressure, dew point temp, ect..) along with a stack of other features and plugins but like everything it isn't perfect, I generally just keep distance, time, total time, sped, elevation, cad, h.r. in a spread sheet, from this I can get most things I need.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Chris, did I see you this morning? I stopped and let you(?) pass on the GCW at bede park? Or at least got the feelng it was you? If that makes sense? On a dark coloured hybrid

Could have been, I was there 8:15 ish I would have thought, I hope I said thanks!

 

[Supersuperleeds]

That's what I was finding Nigel. Towards the end of some of my long runs I was getting fatigued and maybe not concentrating quite as well.

At the end of the day, I'm not sure what being able to do three or four hundred miles a week is really proving? Once you can do it once to show yourself that you can manage it if you have to, after that I just feel you are overtaxing your body needlessly. Pretty sure one long ride a week is enough to keep the endurance side of things up.

Oh, and as a bonus, since I am on a very limited income there won't be as much wear and tear or the bikes which is always a good thing.

It proves I am well 'ard.

Off for a bath to soak my aching rear

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Wind markers
and elevation

From yesterday.
Not sure about the 8% max grade rwgps has it @ 11% and strava something like 17%

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Well so far today I have caught up on three mass extinctions, looking for live beyond Earth, the only thing that was really new was the speed of that, that over took the dinosaurs, though there was no mention that the planet was already suffering global change (see nothing new), The Chronicles Of Narnia, a few sc-fi films, some other doco's

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Chris, did I see you this morning? I stopped and let you(?) pass on the GCW at bede park? Or at least got the feelng it was you? If that makes sense? On a dark coloured hybrid

@Reece

Just thought, was it on one of those mini roundabouts on Bede Park, you coming from Narborough Road end and turning right? If so that was me.

 

[Pieface]

Just changed my inner tube. Tyre has a hole in it though which is weird as there was no shrapnel anywhere :/

 

[ThinAir]

Did my first 20miler today (Although I lost a bit of it on Strava as I kept messing about with it )

Feeling great, very pleased with myself.

Been messing about with it again.... Strava that is.... Well actually, paused it when I stopped for a drink halfway. Forgot to restart it. Schoolboy....