getting back in the saddle after 10yr. retirement

[speedy_gt]

I have had the itch to get back on my bike for the last few years but just could not get motivated. I rode for about 10 years before I got tired of the training and quit. I need some advice on what I should do to ease myself back into the game. Before I even attempt to get back on the bike, what should I do as far as stretches,cardio excercises and healthy eatng?

thanks for the info.

a bit of encouragement and motivation from the forum will be very much appreciated.

 

[toa]

a bit of encouragement and motivation from the forum will be very much appreciated.

Tell you what, I got back on the bike in spring 2003, after 18 months of total inactivity, following a long periode of hard training/racing. I was 22 kg overweight and had absolutely no psysical ability, I just woke one morning and though "well f$¤k this, I'm going for a ride".
Yes I couldn't push the pedals worth ****, but (and this is where it gets mushy..) the sensation of being out in the wild, moving along, beating heart (you can say that ), wind in my face and the world suddenly opening up....no fooling I almost wept.

So IMO, skip the preparations apart from: Dusting of your racer, softening up the chamois and then just get on the bike and ride

 

[perryr]

I use to ride hard, race a little.. was pretty serious into Cycling. Also a musician. In may of 95' my son was born and I had to pick music or cycling as my obsesive hobby.. not enough time for both. I picked music, went from 165lbs to 195lbs and no excersize.

June of 2004 (9 years later) I did this provida.com diet and lost 20lbs in 2 months. August I took my bike for a spin and like the other poster quickly remembered why I liked cycling so much!

October 1, 2004 my wife quit her job, for good, which free'd up a lot of time. Now I have the time to train again. We talked it over and she agreed to give me 10hrs a week of ride time.

Mid november was a local MTB race, first of a 4 race series. Last race was mid december and I finished 3rd overall and first in my age group. Granted, part of my placing was a result of attending all the races, but I wooped up on some guys.. plenty of young ones too! (I'm 41).

Anyway, I was amazed at how quickly I snapped back. After a couple months I had a sizable amount of conditioning. I didn't lose it all, thats for sure. But i do contribute much of the rebound to loosing weight and starting cycling without a lot of baggage.

So there ya go.. I have been off the bike for 9yrs, and after a few months of cycling I am really pumped with how quickly it all (well alot) came back.

as far as tips.. I just started riding. Small gears, hi cadence and just recently have been pushing the bigger gears. I train under LT right now, zing it on hills occaissionally, but definitely base training. Oh, and real long warmups.. I like a good 20-30 minutes of spinning. Things just take a while to get warmed up.. but they do!

 

[daymat]

Try this plan for size .....
http://www.abcc.co.uk/iddles1.html

I use to ride hard, race a little.. was pretty serious into Cycling. Also a musician. In may of 95' my son was born and I had to pick music or cycling as my obsesive hobby.. not enough time for both. I picked music, went from 165lbs to 195lbs and no excersize.

June of 2004 (9 years later) I did this provida.com diet and lost 20lbs in 2 months. August I took my bike for a spin and like the other poster quickly remembered why I liked cycling so much!

October 1, 2004 my wife quit her job, for good, which free'd up a lot of time. Now I have the time to train again. We talked it over and she agreed to give me 10hrs a week of ride time.

Mid november was a local MTB race, first of a 4 race series. Last race was mid december and I finished 3rd overall and first in my age group. Granted, part of my placing was a result of attending all the races, but I wooped up on some guys.. plenty of young ones too! (I'm 41).

Anyway, I was amazed at how quickly I snapped back. After a couple months I had a sizable amount of conditioning. I didn't lose it all, thats for sure. But i do contribute much of the rebound to loosing weight and starting cycling without a lot of baggage.

So there ya go.. I have been off the bike for 9yrs, and after a few months of cycling I am really pumped with how quickly it all (well alot) came back.

as far as tips.. I just started riding. Small gears, hi cadence and just recently have been pushing the bigger gears. I train under LT right now, zing it on hills occaissionally, but definitely base training. Oh, and real long warmups.. I like a good 20-30 minutes of spinning. Things just take a while to get warmed up.. but they do!

 

[bikeguy2004]

I have had the itch to get back on my bike for the last few years but just could not get motivated. I rode for about 10 years before I got tired of the training and quit. I need some advice on what I should do to ease myself back into the game. Before I even attempt to get back on the bike, what should I do as far as stretches,cardio excercises and healthy eatng?

thanks for the info.

a bit of encouragement and motivation from the forum will be very much appreciated.

July of 2003 I started to ride again after a 20+ year rest from cycling. I always loved to ride, but some where along the way I stopped riding.

Just start riding again, that’s what I did. Start out by taking short rides, and your body will tell you if you are working too hard.

My motivation was weight loss. In July of 2003 I was looking at the pictures of our June 2003 vacation, and I was wondering who that fat guy was with my wife, it could not be me…. I have lost 50 pounds since then.

Riding is something I WANT to do. So don’t set up any rigid training schedules and enjoy the rides.

So just start riding….

 

[djrocker257]

Reading this thread was the impetus I needed. The 60degree temps helped also. I just back from a leisurely 10 mi ride. First ride I have been on in months. I am trying to make an effort for many more miles on the bike this year and also do a century. My plans also include losing 25 lbs.

Anyway, Happy New Years to everyone...

Doug (Chesapeake , VA)

 

[stang106]

I also returned to cycling after a 15 year 'rest'. By the late eighties I had raced about 30 triathlons and two Ironmans. I Totally burned out and quit everything. Ran a bit when I returned to school and even managed a 3:27.56 marathon. Two year ago I didn't like the extra weight on my gut and coincidently my sister was starting running to get her weight/blood pressure/bloodsugar down. I started running and mountain biking and last year raced 14 races- running, x-country mountain bike races, a snowshoe 10k race and three triathlons. I'm now the 'run coordinator' for the new local running club (lots of social fun too) and am training for the Idaho Ironman Triathlon next June. I am absolutely amazed at how my fitness has returned. I'm 40 and alot smarter than before when I was 21. My philosophy for training the runners and myself is 1) it must be injury avoidance- keep MHR (max heart rate) under 85% when running tempo/hills/legspeed. 2) It must be fun or social or why do it. 3) 90% or training is base at 70 -80% MHR. Only one hard run a week or one run and one ride to raise your lactate threshhold. 4) sore or injured? stop until better. I am now down to 176 from 190+ at six feet. Every pound I lose I get faster. I just stopped eating junk, second helpings, and only fruit at night. I love who I am again, most people can't believe what I am doing but in reality anyone can do it. And the kicker? It wasn't that hard to change and lose the weight, I just do things smarter now. I only train when my six year old is in shool or bed.

Hope this helps
Dave