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

[Nigelnaturist]

Great going there - your months mileage is just ahead of my YTD! 17.13 over 31.1 is v.good too.

I was going up a long (easy) hill this morning at just over 14mph feeling chuffed when a friendly guy on a Cervelo caught up with me, had a short chat and then just took off - lord knows the speed he shot off at but he was very fast! One of those tall skinny guys with enormous leg muscles - the polar opposite of me - lol!

Happens to me on hills too .
I really don't know what to say to this, time i guess is the biggest factor, in my life I don't have much else to do, if i am allowed to work again it will change, but I have built up a core fitness, that should enable me to do much, both in the work environment and cycling, besides I can never catch @Supersuperleeds
Doesn't happen often.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@sleaver
I know what you mean about just making it home, though on that occasion I was setting p.b's towards the end, must be something about when you get working you just seem to be able to do.

 

[sleaver]

@Nigelnaturist Although it's the only big hill I have got experience of, it's not to difficult because it's a constant gradient so if you get in a rhythm it's Ok. I probably didn't need to do it the third time, I could have extended the ride at the end for 50 miles but once I hard started it the third time, I was kind of committed.

What got me was the temperature suddenly warmed up. I had a base layer on because it was quite cold when I left the house, but then when it got warmer I started to suffer a bit plus with my legs aching the journey home was quite tough. In hindsight I should have taken it off, but at the time, I thought it would be easier to leave it on as it was a base layer rather than a top over a cycling jersey.

 

[sleaver]

@sleaver
I know what you mean about just making it home, though on that occasion I was setting p.b's towards the end, must be something about when you get working you just seem to be able to do.

I did set one PB which I have no idea how I did it and towards the end, the speed my my Garmin compared to how my legs went were at different ends of the scale

Edit - Even got a PB on a segment that normally kills my legs when they are feeling fresh let along when they just want to get home.

 

[Biggler]

Strava's calculation of your power in Watts is high at 177W

I'm carrying a fair bit of extra weight but my legs are quite muscly, it would need a fair bit of wattage to carry me along Hopefully as the weight drops i'll pick up some extra speed.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Happens to me on hills too .
I really don't know what to say to this, time i guess is the biggest factor, in my life I don't have much else to do, if i am allowed to work again it will change, but I have built up a core fitness, that should enable me to do much, both in the work environment and cycling, besides I can never catch @Supersuperleeds
Doesn't happen often.

Your mileage is fantastic and you shouldn't worry about catching a cycling God like me

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I'm carrying a fair bit of extra weight but my legs are quite muscly, it would need a fair bit of wattage to carry me along Hopefully as the weight drops i'll pick up some extra speed.

The extra weight is great for going down hill though, that is what I tell myself anyway.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

After it rained all day Saturday and being out yesterday, I got a ride in this morning. Planned a 70k with two assents of Box Hill (it's addictive) but the person I sit next to at work said something on Friday. Apart from saying I should go and see a doctor to get my head checked for wanting to ride up Box Hill twice, he said "Why don't you do it three times" as a joke. I didn't say anything, but I just thought I would see how I was during the second assent and go from there.

When I got there, I took the first easy knowing I was doing this at least twice. Fell good and made my way back down again. Second assent seemed to go quicker than the first and as I legs felt Ok, and thought that one more loop would also give me 50 miles I went for the third. For this one I paced myself against someone else but dropped back near the top as I felt I was taking advantage to much but by now my legs were aching. Then I just had to get home.

The descent down Pebble Hill Road was fun, NOT. I could see the car in front braking near the bottom and so guessed the level crossing was down. While slowing down, trying to unclip and change into the small ring to get going again, my chain came off as I somehow peddled backwards slightly after I changed down at the front but before it had dropped into the small ring. The the traffic started coming the other way almost straight away and cars were going past me while I was trying to get my chain back on. So I was stranded on the side of a banked road with cars coming quite fast round a bend. I did think of freewheeling further down, but as the chain was being held on by just the pedal, I didn't know what would have happened. Anyway, I got it on and it was just really waiting for a gap to get going again that was the cheek clenching part.

However, climbing Box Hill three times really took it out of my legs and the last bit home was a struggle. It was getting to the point of freewheeling down 0.0000000000001% gradients because my legs were burning like anything.

Although looking on the bright side, I was quicker than the last time I did 80k+

http://www.strava.com/activities/77668820

3 times, you should be locked up. I did one ride up Beacon Hill which is a pimple compared to Box Hill and I was shattered, I think if I had had to do a second, never mind a third, I would have just sat at the side of the road and cried for my mother.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Nigelnaturist Although it's the only big hill I have got experience of, it's not to difficult because it's a constant gradient so if you get in a rhythm it's Ok. I probably didn't need to do it the third time, I could have extended the ride at the end for 50 miles but once I hard started it the third time, I was kind of committed.

What got me was the temperature suddenly warmed up. I had a base layer on because it was quite cold when I left the house, but then when it got warmer I started to suffer a bit plus with my legs aching the journey home was quite tough. In hindsight I should have taken it off, but at the time, I thought it would be easier to leave it on as it was a base layer rather than a top over a cycling jersey.

View attachment 28396

I was only trying to compare because I have heard so much of it, understand what you mean about constant grade and a rhythm this is the only Cat3 I have done but it was easy compared with this Storrs Hill.
I usually wear a base layer, only once took it off, and felt naked, which is a bit odd really.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

3 times, you should be locked up. I did one ride up Beacon Hill which is a pimple compared to Box Hill and I was shattered, I think if I had had to do a second, never mind a third, I would have just sat at the side of the road and cried for my mother.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Your mileage is fantastic and you shouldn't worry about catching a cycling God like me

In my dreams, I did think I might this month,
and blame @Mo1959 for this because I was 0.33 miles off a target I went out to do it, what started as a simple 5 mile spin ended up 12.72 miles ' 15.1mph. did some one say the other day I have O.C.D.

 

[Mo1959]

Your mileage is fantastic and you shouldn't worry about catching a cycling God like me

........of course, if I wasn't having a rest you would both be working much harder to stay in the lead.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

........of course, if I wasn't having a rest you would both be working much harder to stay in the lead.

That is so true

 

[Stonechat]

Went up Box Hill in the 80's. Building up strength before I do it again.

 

[eevvee]

Ventured out onto dartmoor this morning. The first half of the ride is fine but the second half is torturous for someone who only cycles in Hampshire/the new forest.
http://www.strava.com/activities/77634749

Excellent climbing .... Very impressive, well done...my legs ache just thinking about trying anything similar