Turbo...
Great name for a cyclist ;-)
The word "fit" is ambiguous. It sounds like you already get a fair amount of exercise. You don't
mention whether you're overweight, or what your goals are when it comes to bicycling.
Do you want to ride faster? Have more endurance? Climb better? Sprint better? All of these are
specific objectives, and there are ways to train to improve each one.
If you're interested in racing you'll need to apply whichever form of training you need most to a
greater degree. If you're just interested in keeping up on club rides, you can focus on just the
specific skill(s) you need to improve.
A lot has been written about the kinds of training that support each of these specific goals. There
are performance oriented bicycling books that describe them in detail, and Bicycling Magazine
(www.bicycling.com) has articles on how to target specific areas for improvement every month. The
Carmichael Training Systems approach has been getting a lot of press from them lately, thanks to
you-know-who.
In general you can improve your performance a number of ways, and certainly riding more would help.
Do you push yourself at least a couple of times a week to do better than before, or do you put in
about the same effort? This makes a big difference. Serious riders track their performance on every
ride, and use tools like computers with cadence and heart rate monitors.
If your goal is to ride faster and have greater endurance, you could cut back on some of the weight
training and focus on longer rides over varying terrain. When you're with the bike club, it may help
to ask more experienced riders if they think your bike is adjusted properly for you, and whether
upgrading any of your equipment would make an improvement.
I'm almost the same age as you are, and some professional racers are still going at it into their
early forties. You may not be elbow to elbow with the fastest twenty-somethings, but they may not be
members of your club ;-)
Enjoy.
-dreq
Turbo Fahel said:Want to know what you do to keep fit. I lift weights 3x a week and cycle about 100-120km.
I am 44 yrs old and started cycling over 18 months ago and looking at continual improvement.
I recently joined a cycling club and realised how unfit I am compared to the regular riders.
Any advise would be welcome.
--
Regards, Turbo Fahel __o -\<, ( ) / ( )
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