fitness, and how do I get it



penguinonabike

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Jun 20, 2005
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I used to ride all the time to work and anywhere i felt like on weekends, was real fit too..

my problem is... I have over the past few years gained one heck of an amount of weight, have been dieting to lose it using the bike when I have been able to get out on it but the past winter here in uk has not been good at all... lazy I know lol weight has come down to just under fifteen stone now.. and falling.. food is so nice... and not working any more looking after my two kids all this time has taken its toll ... now i am gonna be getting more time soon for the bike

my question is:

I wanna get fit, but dont have the time or money for gym training, also not a lot of time for the bike, only evenings and weekends.

I ride for the enjoyment of knowing i got somewhere at my own pace in my own means..

what sort of foods should I eat to increase stamina so I can ride harder for longer to lose the weight, to get fitter kinda thing...

any tips welcome...
 
penguinonabike said:
I

what sort of foods should I eat to increase stamina so I can ride harder for longer to lose the weight, to get fitter kinda thing...

any tips welcome...

Complex carbs, pasta, potatos, rice, bread, oatmeal for a few. also since your new to riding again, build a base. endurance efforts 75-85% of your max heart rate. ride easy a few months, good luck.
 
zaskar said:
Complex carbs, pasta, potatos, rice, bread, oatmeal for a few. also since your new to riding again, build a base. endurance efforts 75-85% of your max heart rate. ride easy a few months, good luck.
cool thanks i will try that.... if i ever know what my max heart rate is lol i get out of breath tying me shoes up sometimes ....

generally take it easy till it builds up on its own... cool..
 
penguinonabike said:
cool thanks i will try that.... if i ever know what my max heart rate is lol i get out of breath tying me shoes up sometimes ....

generally take it easy till it builds up on its own... cool..
For a casual rider, just to pace yourself, I would suggest using 220 minus age as a reasonable estimate of your max heart rate, and going for your training rides at a percetage of that (a HR monitor is fun for casual riders like me too).

My max heart rate computed a couple of different ways actually comes extremely close to what I was able to do when I really pushed myself on a treadmill recently (173 observed, 220-48 = 172).

If you don't have a heart rate monitor, follow the usual "able to hold a conversation" rule. If you can hold a conversation, but not sing (breathing issue, not a skill issue :) ) you are probably doing about what you should for most of your ride. Short periods of huffing and puffing up hills is expected, and are generally a good thing, since spending periods of time in a higher level of exertion is essentially interval training and will help build you up.

If your rides are completely flat, try going faster for short periods of time for similar effect. Once you get to the point (if you are so inclined) that you want to bring it to a higher level, then search the forums for various comments on training schedules and methods for various objectives. Just reading them, even if they are for the more serious riders give you some ideas of techniques that will help you get fit (just throttle them back a little)

Also, if you are the type to push yourself hard, don't forget that rest is an important part of training as well.

Welcome back to the sport!
 
get a stationnary bike, it'll allow you to stay home and be there with the kids,
to burn fat the best time to do cardio is first thing in the morning. Carbs are good for energy but carbs aer what make you gain weight so if you can cut a bit. i have a friend who lost 50 lbs in 4-5 months using something like that.
 
Kazoo said:
get a stationnary bike.
I hadn't thought of this great suggestion. Also, you can get a trainer (Kurt Kinetic, CycleOps etc) to set your bike in... I should have thought of this since I do have a Kurt Kinetic trainer...

The down sides are that trainers cost more than cheap stationary bikes, and with your bike installed take up more room. However, you have the advantage of more time on your "outside" bike to tune in the adjustments. Adjustments to the bike and your body. ;)
 
dgregory57 said:
For a casual rider, just to pace yourself, I would suggest using 220 minus age as a reasonable estimate of your max heart rate, and going for your training rides at a percetage of that (a HR monitor is fun for casual riders like me too).

My max heart rate computed a couple of different ways actually comes extremely close to what I was able to do when I really pushed myself on a treadmill recently (173 observed, 220-48 = 172
cool thanx makes mine 183

might invest in hm sometime
 
penguinonabike said:
cool thanx makes mine 183

might invest in hm sometime
Which puts you in the HR range (75%-85%) of 137-155 bpm's for endurance riding....

A simple HR monitor is pretty cheap. I've seen them around $50.

L
 
one thing that iv noticed to eat just before u go out riding is yogurt. It sounds weird but it works really good for me. Every time i eat soem yogurt before i go out training i feel like i dont even need a warm up.
 
Wow, thanks for the yogurt tip, I'm gonna try it out tomorrow and see how it works.

Quick question for y'all. I'm a female rider, (41), been training about 4-5 days a week now for about 6 weeks. I can tell my legs are getting much stronger, as well as my cardio. I have a hard time riding everyday though. Since this is all sorta new for me. Should I be riding like a hard ride then a couple easy rides etc? I did a 26 mile ride this past Friday. Took me about 1:50. I pushed hard, and a lot of it was uphill. When I finished I had very bad leg cramps that lasted for awhile. I took Saturday off because I was tired, but did another 18mile ride on Sunday (not easily I might mention.) Took Sunday off then rode again today, but only about 3 miles but on a very seriously steep set of switch backs. I had a really hard time riding the hills today, just felt weak and tired. I know rest is important for recovery and repair. My dh seems to think its good to go everyday, I sometimes think after a hard ride that a couple days off is good (and I seem to do much better next time with this approach) How much rest is best?

Brandy
 
I am in the same boat, I to can only train after a hard days work and on the sunday. Of late I have done smaller 30 minute runs 3 times a week on my Heart rate monitor (not going past 150 ) and swimming once a week again non stop for 30 minutes. A long Sunday cycle with the boys of about 60 to 70 kms (yes I am last on the road and struggle on some steap climbs).

Stopping eating certainly isn't the answer, what I am concentrating on is what I eat. Its summer so a salad isn't a problem. I am not talking a pile of leaves but with a boiled egg, nice ham and salad cream if need be. Beer is a no no if i run for 30 minutes and burn 400 calories that can be undone by 2 pints of lager. Also if you can ditch bread that is a good start to. I have just come back from holiday so I am going through the annual weight loss ritual right now.There is no point loading your diet with carbs if you are only doing a minimal amount of exercise. Use energy gels on route or a banana prior to your run/ride. Sugars that will burn off and give you energy, too much carbs will just bulk you out on a daily basis and you will end up heavier than before!

It isn't an over night thing but you will notice a big difference in 2 to 3 weeks, no breasts, love handles etc.. Once the weight comes down the exercise becomes easier to maintain.

Good luck...Ian