Achy (but it's good!)



OldTimer79

New Member
Sep 4, 2011
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Ok so I guess I am starting to achieve some results (achy after an hour-long ride this morning, and feeling my arm and leg muscles tightening. (I am 52 so this isn't as easy as it is for you folks in your 20's and 30's). But this is why I got back into riding, to tone up and improve my energy level. Are there suggested techniques for people like me to do this properly? I assume longer but steady rides are better than short hard stints where I push myself hard, but that's just me guessing.
 
There is an article in the current issue of Bicycling magazine that says if you ride for 20 minutes every day at 80% of your maximum effort and each week add another 20 minutes, in very short order you'll be in very good riding shape. The author claimed that in about 90 days he was riding for 6 hours and was able to hold over 20 MPH.

YMMV.

Brian in VA
P.S. I'm 56 and started back at 54. Took me about 6 weeks to start feeling comfortable on the bike again.
 
I've been pushing hard since December. Trainer set-up in the winter months with a couple of trips to warmer climates during Feb/Mar. Started racing crits, and focused hard on improving VO2 max and leg strength. I started to feel sluggish on Saturday, felt like **** on Sunday, (yet 6 PR's on a ride I do constantly) and today... I'm done. My body is saying...STOP. I have a crit tomorrow that I may blow off in lieu of listening to my body. I hope that if I do take some time off, the result will be additional PR's when I resume.

I have no idea if that will happen.