novice needs help please



pincie44

New Member
Jun 17, 2012
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Hi everyone. I have just signed up to a ride in india, 350kms over 6 days, in Oct. Worst day is 52miles...so 26m, lunch then 26m. My problem is - I am a complete novice. I have been out on my bike over the last month and it is not getting any easier. I can do the 4 miles to my gym - just - but yesterday I decided to do 17 miles. It took me 3 hours, and I had to walk some hills and I feel completely pathetic....at this rate, I won't even get through the morning, let alone 350kms. Have I bitten off more than I can chew? Is this do-able? My Mother told me this evening I was too old and should just give up (I am a 44 year old female). I have spent the last 3 months working really hard in the gym, doing circuits, Zumba, weight training - every week I do 5/6 different classes and, for the last month, I have got on my bike also. I have lost no weight at all (and I am overweight by a couple of stone) but I do feel more toned. But, all in all, progress is painful. So - another question - how important is my diet in all this - or am taking it too seriously? I do eat well-ish but certainly not the diet of an athlete! Any help greatly appreciated - husband and Mother not too interested! cheers
 
Just spitballing here, as a novice myself and also overweight, but it sounds like you're trying to do way too much. Do you have recovery time in between?

Given how hard you're working out, unless you're biking mountains 17 miles in 3 hours is extremely slow. Given that everything else you're doing would pretty much kill me, I don't think it's about your fitness level.

I started in August (having been almost a complete slug for 5 years and wasn't exactly tearing it up before then either) doing around 7 miles during lunch (in about 30 minutes), now I do 10-13 miles, also during lunch, but that's just about all I'm doing too given a very limited schedule. I recently did a 14 mile loop with 3 pretty stiff climbs (for me at least) and did it in under an hour.

One thing that helped me was reading about cadence (how fast you're pedaling). Pedal so it's easy, and keep shifting till it is. I started with several friends and everyone but me and one other guy got the idea stuck in their head that using the "hard" gears would give them more benefit (it was really common to hear 'I try to stay in the big chain ring all the time'). While I was trying to get my RPMs from 80 up to 90 since my back wouldn't allow me to grind, they were riding ahead of me grinding out 40-60RPMs (one RPM is a complete revolution on one side). 9 months later the two of us who spun generally ride together on longer and faster rides while the others grind out very short routes with a break in the middle.

It'll feel like you're cheating, but ignore that feeling! It'll feel like you're going too slow, ignore that feeling too! You might feel more winded earlier in your ride, but that's OK. You'll find that it'll get harder much slower doing it this way (I don't know if I said that in an understandable way). Said another way, rating the intensity of the effort from 1-10, if your ride feels like a 3 at the beginning and a 9 at the end grinding hard gears, spinning easier gears will feel like a 5 at the beginning but a 7 at the end. Very rapidly, though, you'll find that 5 goes back down to 3 and that 7 goes back down to 5-6 ish.

I also found cycling to be a very "adaptive" activity. In other words, you'll get better at it in ways that have nothing to do with fitness or strength. You'r body will learn how to pedal using less energy, you'll learn when to shift when the slope changes, and when to push it and when pushing it won't really help.

As for the ride you're describing in the timeframe you're describing...I don't know. That sounds like a challenging ride even for a more experienced cyclist. But I know if I were you I'd go for it, and if I failed...well I failed and the sun will still come up tomorrow.
 
Riding is the only thing that really makes riding any easier. The Gym and circuits may be helpful w/posture, overall muscle balance, and looking good at the beach, but unfortunately do diddly for the bike, absolutely nothing. You mentioned you have started to notice a change in muscle tone, that's good but you are still only in the very begining stages of getting in shape.

If you've only been riding a month have some patience. It can take 3 or 4 months to get some basic bike fitness built up, especially if you haven't been in "riding" shape before. Folks who have had a high level of fitness can usually get back more quickly - "muscle memory" is the term many like to use.

Age can be an issue but in our 40's we are not over the hill yet. At 44 I manage to race for fun, but I am more achy after tough workouts than when I was younger, and it takes longer to get in shape than it used to.

Consistency and moderation in training are the key. Don't pedal with too much effort (use your gears), try to ride 4 days a week (substantially more fitness is gained with 4 days instead of 3). Build up your mileage slowly by adding a couple miles each week, but try to get to a point where you can ride for 60-90 minutes at a time in the next few weeks. In the months leading up to the trip you should be doing at least 5 or 6 hours a week on the bike.

If you are getting off the bike during your ride, do you just not have any easier gears? You might be starting the hill pedalling too hard. On the flat, and using the right gears/effort, riding a bike can be made to happen so it doesn't take much more effort than fast walking/jogging. If you can walk for an hour, you should be able to ride for an hour.

Loosing a little weight can go a long way to making the riding easier, especially uphill. One stone will make a drastic difference. Once you are able to ride for more than an hour at a time, loosing the weight will be a little easier. It's a bit of a catch 22 at the moment. You don't have the fitness to ride for an hour, but you need to ride for more than an hour to start loosing the weight. Take it slowly, make a commitment to yourself to do this thing, and then do it. October is a long way away. But while sharp whit and gifted intelligence allowed us to miss our homework in school sometimes, your enjoyment on this ride is dependant not only on doing all your homework, but learning to love doing your homework. As you get in better shape, doing homework (riding) will become more and more fun.

As far as diet, we all secretly know the answer regarding our own circumstances. A well balanced diet is important, but portion control is another thing. Making our bodies change physically (adapting) requires some degree of discomfort along the way. A little discomfort on the bike when training, a little discomfort (in our heads and bellies) when contemplating that second trip to the buffet, when going for that second slice of pizza, when contemplating grilled chicken or fried chicken with some delicious creamy blue cheese sauce - you get the idea. I had a chocolate shake with my cheeseburger yesterday instead of the usual coke. My pants feel a bit snugger today, nothing the next few days of riding won't handle... as long as I don't have another chocolate milkshake again today. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif
 
thank you for your insightful reply, I may well be expecting too much too soon. One thing's for sure - it won't get any easier if I give up!
Today I have tackled the diet. In for a penny, in for a pound.
And am going to get my gears checked (because they sound terrible and clunky) and then hit the road again. Your advice has been greatly appreciated. I am now going to re-read and absorb!
cheers
N
 
hey, thanks to everyone that has given me some advice here. I am going to take it all on board and see how I can make changes. I have also asked all the other 300 girls on the ride how old they are - and most are older than me.
so, today I feel more positive that this is a challenge I can rise to.
keep cycling!
N
 
Originally Posted by pincie44 .

I have also asked all the other 300 girls on the ride how old they are - and most are older than me. so, today I feel more positive that this is a challenge I can rise to.
keep cycling!
If 44 is your age... you would be one of the "kids" in my cycling club. Your at the perfect age to take up cycling for fitness! Being fit, trim, and at the proper "ideal weight" is always a plus. But there are many many over-weight cyclist that also do just fine. Cycling doesn't require peak fitness... to be fun or proficient.

If you want to be a good cyclist... ride lots. Put a bicycle computer/speedometer on your bicycle [if you don't already have one] and chart your progress. Watch your speed, average speed, time and miles. In little steps... you can make progress nearly every day. Enjoy India!
 
I think the most important message here is - to be a good cyclist, you just need to ride.
So I am just going to ride my little socks off!