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

[Stonechat]

It is difficult, but I find keeping a full record since I started has helped me to make new goals, almost on a weekly basis.
Just today I set one of 2,000Km for this month, it's do able, but I got to keep at it, and push my boundaries being out (time wise) and distance to be consistent over the next few days as it stands 33 miles a day. This will see me do the CTS challenge, I also need 122 miles to make 9,000 since i started in June 2012, which sets me up for the last for months of the year to do another 3,000 (750) a month going into winter, and how amazing that total would be, in just 18 months.
There is always something to push you, and apart from a dozen or so miles, it's all been done solo.

EDIT, this is the first time I have mentioned this new goal, as of the begining of Aug I was 6-700 miles behind target.

I am trying not to the the cycling take too much time! I admire your goals
My only real goals are to increase my distances and to get more comfortable with those distances and to get faster at the lesser distances.
I imagine the two go hand in hand. Also I suppose to enjoy myself. This month has bee a minor breakthrough and I feel fitter and lost 1 1/2 lb.
(I am not heavy but at New Year I was heavier than I had ever been so was conscious of fitness.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I am trying not to the the cycling take too much time! I admire your goals
My only real goals are to increase my distances and to get more comfortable with those distances and to get faster at the lesser distances.
I imagine the two go hand in hand. Also I suppose to enjoy myself. This month has bee a minor breakthrough and I feel fitter and lost 1 1/2 lb.
(I am not heavy but at New Year I was heavier than I had ever been so was conscious of fitness.

Everyone enjoys cycling for their own reasons, when I started I never dreamed it was possible for a 48 year old, with previous drinking issues, and a smoker could do this, like you I wasn't much overweight and wasn't the reason i started ( if my calorie use is anywhere near accurate at 40 cals/mile I am currently losing over 3lb a week, but I dont because of what I eat, it's more generally 2lb)
Whats more its not on an expensive bike (though its been through a few mods in the last year or so), its not light for a road bike @ about 12Kgs stripped down, but more usually 14-16Kg's depends what I am carrying.
I suppose I part the reason I keep posting what I do, to show what can be done on fairly limited means.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

For reference: link copied from another thread. Standard times for various distances - not terrain variable.

Bedtime reading for the statisticians.

http://www.vtta.org.uk/information/standardstables.php

 

[Nigelnaturist]

For reference: link copied from another thread. Standard times for various distances - not terrain variable.

Bedtime reading for the statisticians.

http://www.vtta.org.uk/information/standardstables.php

What for racing, I am starting to push 16mph avg and I cant get close to any of those times, I did a 8 mile TT route recently at just over 18mph solo.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I am trying not to the the cycling take too much time! I admire your goals
My only real goals are to increase my distances and to get more comfortable with those distances and to get faster at the lesser distances.
I imagine the two go hand in hand. Also I suppose to enjoy myself. This month has bee a minor breakthrough and I feel fitter and lost 1 1/2 lb.
(I am not heavy but at New Year I was heavier than I had ever been so was conscious of fitness.

It's a good hobby as it can be 'sized' to fit the time you have available and/or the time you wish to spend on it.

As a Newbie (Nov 2012) I am committed to 2 rides/week on average across the year for my 'year 1'. Obviously the actual number of rides/week will vary by the season. I targeted like this just to get into the swing of things plus it's not the biggest thing in my life. Works well at the moment.

I have thought about my 'year 2' and I am thinking about setting an hours target/week - maybe 3 as 3 x 1 hour rides or 2 x 1.5 hour rides. Not sure yet what to do but tbh that'll be it for me for the foreseeable future (might change - who knows) and I have no plans to do any more. That way I'll get to over 2000 miles pa which is quite a long way really.

I have v.short attention span for riding (no idea why as I really enjoy it) and having done half a dozen 20-25's (not a huge distance I admit) I have found that whilst my body is more than willing to do more my brain has had enough!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

It's a good hobby as it can be 'sized' to fit the time you have available and/or the time you wish to spend on it.

As a Newbie (Nov 2012) I am committed to 2 rides/week on average across the year for my 'year 1'. Obviously the actual number of rides/week will vary by the season. I targeted like this just to get into the swing of things plus it's not the biggest thing in my life. Works well at the moment.

I have thought about my 'year 2' and I am thinking about setting an hours target/week - maybe 3 as 3 x 1 hour rides or 2 x 1.5 hour rides. Not sure yet what to do but tbh that'll be it for me for the foreseeable future (might change - who knows) and I have no plans to do any more. That way I'll get to over 2000 miles pa which is quite a long way really.

I have v.short attention span for riding (no idea why as I really enjoy it) and having done half a dozen 20-25's (not a huge distance I admit) I have found that whilst my body is more than willing to do more my brain has had enough!

Would be better
I get something like this, but it's a different thing, which is why I am happy to do two 30 mile rides in a day, but one 60 I get very anxious when out that long in one ride. Three hours is usually my max, I can do longer but not really happy with it.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

What for racing, I am starting to push 16mph avg and I cant get close to any of those times, I did a 8 mile TT route recently at just over 18mph solo.

Yes they are tough times but then they are for serious TT'ers. Quite a good reference for how you are doing on an aged basis. Not to see if you could beat them (*loody impossible for me I'd say) but maybe working out on a percentage basis how you perform over a given distance vs the standard as each year goes by?

Maybe we could all do a 10 or 20 and see who gets the highest percentage for their age one day!

Just been looking at some of the records and it's astonishing what some guys in their 70's/80's/90's achieve! Gives me some hope!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Would be better
I get something like this, but it's a different thing, which is why I am happy to do two 30 mile rides in a day, but one 60 I get very anxious when out that long in one ride. Three hours is usually my max, I can do longer but not really happy with it.

I'm not sure of the science. I don't have a clue about the science of less frequent but longer rides vs more frequent but shorter rides.

Any links?

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@SpokeyDokey my quickest single 11 mile ride was 17.32, but can be as fast over 30 miles

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I'm not sure of the science. I don't have a clue about the science of less frequent but longer rides vs more frequent but shorter rides.

Any links?

It's endurance, short rides are fine but to improve you need to work at them, which can be counter productive, if you don't enjoy it. I have a 10 and a bit loop I haven't done in a while I was doing in about 38 mins for the 10 miles, i will try it tomorrow, see if I have improved.
It's quite a climb in the last 3 miles, not steep just steady for nearly three miles with the odd drop.
Edit on todays speed I should do it in just over 36 mins.

 

[BrianEvesham]

For reference: link copied from another thread. Standard times for various distances - not terrain variable.

Bedtime reading for the statisticians.

http://www.vtta.org.uk/information/standardstables.php

Looking at these tables I should be an 88 year old!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Looking at these tables I should be an 88 year old!

Thats one way of looking a it.

 

[Exile]

I am trying not to the the cycling take too much time! I admire your goals
My only real goals are to increase my distances and to get more comfortable with those distances and to get faster at the lesser distances.
I imagine the two go hand in hand. Also I suppose to enjoy myself. This month has bee a minor breakthrough and I feel fitter and lost 1 1/2 lb.
(I am not heavy but at New Year I was heavier than I had ever been so was conscious of fitness.

I find cycling is good for not taking up too much time if you can't spare it. Given my 'job' involves keeping my parents out of trouble (they don't like me calling myself their carer, it makes them feel old), I'm mastering the art of nabbing an hour or so on the bike when I can. Luckily the younger brother finished university this summer so he's able to keep an eye on them

I too am focusing more on my distances and endurance, and I definitely could stand to lose a bit of weight. Speed isn't a major factor for me, I'm a circa 130kg bloke on a bike that weighs 18kg, so I'm not going to be winning races any time soon. So long as I'm getting from A to B quicker than I could on foot, I'm happy. Admittedly, there's always a bit of pride when I see I did the same sort of distance quicker than in the past, but that's just a bonus.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Looking at these tables I should be an 88 year old!

You should worry - I'm 93 (ish).

 

[Nigelnaturist]

89 here, so you see Brian your doing ok.