Rookie training

[ezbentman]

I'd like to add a view point from a novice cyclist.

I started cycling last year at the ripe old age of 53. This year I have been fine tuning my training. I currently ride 60-80 mpw. I have added weight training and it has helped me significantly, especially my legs. I have more power with less effort. My hill climbing has improved. My recovery rate has improved.

I'm 5'10, stocky built. I was a flabby 250 lbs. when I started riding last year and with a flabby 39" waist. I'm now a more toned 228 lbs. with a 37" toned waist. My upper body conditioning has really helped my stamina. No more aching shoulders, elbows or neck. I have packed on more muscle than expected, but I can also afford to lose another 20 lbs. of fat, which will help offset the additional muscle.

The gym conditioning has improved my overall stamina which allows me to focus more on my cycling technique. This is allowing me to pack more into 20 mi. rides without killing myself and suffering the next day.

I have also fined tuned my eating habits to fuel my "new active lifestyle". Less meat, more veggies, more fruit, no sugar, no chips or junk food. This has helped fuel my rides and has especially helped with recovery. At 54, recovery seems to be the hardest part of cycling. I will be adding more riding time per week due to faster recovery times.

I've gone from a struggling 12.5 mph to an invigorating 14-15 mph. I now average 20 mph on flats for longer periods of time. I live in a hilling area, so the extra gym conditioning has really paid off.

My goal is to get my weight down to below 200 lbs. while improving my stamina and overall well being and ejoying my rides more.

Well i weigh 278lbs and 15 -17 mph is work for me, today's ride was a little easier and i maintained 15.9 mph on flats and hills for 1 hr 15 minutes after a 20 minute warm up. I am sure as i lose the weight it will become easier basically i am trying to increase time while keeping up the speed i am currently at now. I was in the army and when i got out my weight went through the roof over the first two years i gained 60lbs and this last 2 years i have gained the other 18. At 200lbs i was at 12% bf which isn't bad now i am at 30% i want to drop my weight to 230 as my first short term goal and then work on intensity and speed. I have changed my lifestyle by eating healthier and tracking my calories on fitday.com (breaks down macros-micro nutrients and best of all it is free.) I am riding a cheap road bike but the way i look at it is if i can do it on this bike then i will be even better on a more expensive bike about 8-12 months down the road.

 

[thirdeye73]

I ride for 1 hour to 1.5 hours comfotably at 75-85% of max hr (my hands go alittle numb) but beside that i am comfortable with 2 hours or i should say being able to ride for 2+ hours. I ride mon tues weds- off thrus- friday and long ride staurday sunday off. My longest ride has been 1.75 hours at 80% and i was dead beat after. This weekend i plan to go 2.5 at 75% provide no blow outs or anything out of the ordinary happens.


What about soreness? I am a little sore today in my legs i am taking a prenatal vitamin after rides along with some extra fish oil caps and vitamin c and b complex. I guess it is only natural to get a little sore in the begining huh?

for soreness, i'd make sure to take a magnesium supplement (most athletes don't get enough) and learn to like bananas! also, do some light massage on your legs to help flush out some of the LA and toxins.

i just got into road cycling myself, and am probably around the same condition as you. not to demean any of the other members here, but i don't understand how riding at an average of 18mph for a couple of hours is that difficult. i always ride solo up and down the coast of Southern California (on PCH, which tends to be a little windy and has some decent hills), and i average 18-20mph. i'm 32, and haven't been cycling more than a few weeks, but i do come from a wrestling/grappling background. i guess i'm used to having to fight out of chokes when i can't breath or being slammed to the mat, so a little burn while i'm riding is not big deal. right now the longest distance i've dones is 35miles, but planning in working up to a 50-60mile ride once a week. i'm not to interested in centuries, but would like to race some shorter races or TTs.

 

[RapDaddyo]

i don't understand how riding at an average of 18mph for a couple of hours is that difficult. i always ride solo up and down the coast of Southern California (on PCH, which tends to be a little windy and has some decent hills), and i average 18-20mph. i'm 32, and haven't been cycling more than a few weeks, but i do come from a wrestling/grappling background.

I think you underestimate your fitness relative to the average population. I just returned from 4 days in OC (Balboa Island). Apart from one long ride when OCRoadie kicked my butt over a few thousand feet of climbing, I rode the PCH every day. I just checked my PM files and noted that I averaged ~19mph on the PCH, at a normalized power of ~205w. The typical recreational cyclist produces ~150w of power. There's a pretty big difference between 150w and 205w. Consider yourself fortunate to be as cycling fit as you are, but don't underestimate the time and effort required by most to reach that level.

 

[thirdeye73]

I think you underestimate your fitness relative to the average population. I just returned from 4 days in OC (Balboa Island). Apart from one long ride when OCRoadie kicked my butt over a few thousand feet of climbing, I rode the PCH every day. I just checked my PM files and noted that I averaged ~19mph on the PCH, at a normalized power of ~205w. The typical recreational cyclist produces ~150w of power. There's a pretty big difference between 150w and 205w. Consider yourself fortunate to be as cycling fit as you are, but don't underestimate the time and effort required by most to reach that level.

i think that says more about the pathetic shape of most Americans than it does about my own personal conditioning. i just got a HR monitor, so no way right now for me to monitor my power output. definitely something i want to get, but can't afford right now.

 

[Sublime99]

Let me ask you guys something, I ride on the hardest gear up front 3 and in the back i ride on 3-4 of 10 gears being on the easier side 1-10- 10 being the hardest. Should i be riding like this or should i kick it up a couple of gears harder and ride like that unitl i acclimate? I can average 15-17 on the 3 gear in the back i can ride a harder gear but my heart rate quickly reaches 180-185 which is over 90% (max 194) for me and i have to slow down or down shift. Is this normal? as i get more fit should i be able to progress in a higher gear to ride faster?

 

[ezbentman]

I totally agree. I tried doing that my first year and got burned out, not to mention being tired all the time. I was pushing my body too much too fast.

This year I'm pacing myself better and enjoying it more. I ride 4 times a week (Tues. 15 mi./Thurs. 15 mi./Sat. 25 mi./Sun. 10 mi. fast sprint or hill work). I workout at the gym (Mon/Fri) to improve my upper body which has really helped my stamina. I've also adjusted my diet, which has helped my recovery time.

I estimate I ride about 4 hrs and about 1 1/2 in the gym. That leaves plenty of time for recovery and other interests. I will eventually increase my Sat. mileage to include some 30-40 mi. rides.

2 hours a day, or 10-14 hrs/week is a lot of training for a guy starting out. I think it takes a few years for most of us to adapt to that kind of mileage without injury or burn-out, not a few weeks.

Also, wouldn't bet on anyone averaging 18-20 mph in groups within a few weeks. To be able to just hang on at those speeds takes a full season or two and many thousands of miles. Not for Lance of course, but for us average guys.

 

[RapDaddyo]

Let me ask you guys something, I ride on the hardest gear up front 3 and in the back i ride on 3-4 of 10 gears being on the easier side 1-10- 10 being the hardest. Should i be riding like this or should i kick it up a couple of gears harder and ride like that unitl i acclimate? I can average 15-17 on the 3 gear in the back i can ride a harder gear but my heart rate quickly reaches 180-185 which is over 90% (max 194) for me and i have to slow down or down shift. Is this normal? as i get more fit should i be able to progress in a higher gear to ride faster?

Well, two things. First, you want to avoid much chain crossover angle, which means you want to use the largest rear cogs (closest to the hub) with your small chainring and your smallest rear cogs with your large chainring. The middle chainring is the most versatile but you should avoid using the largest and smallest rear cogs with it. Second, the main difference between spinning at a higher cadence in a small gear vs. turning a slower cadence in a small gear is that the higher cadence will probably increase your heart rate but will reduce stress on your leg muscles. Personally, I like a fairly high cadence (85-105) but that varies from cyclist to cyclist (e.g., Armstrong vs. Ullrich). Pick a cadence that you are most comfortable with at that speed.

 

[LOW2000]

Well, two things. First, you want to avoid much chain crossover angle, .

First time i'd ever heard this little bit of info. Makes sense, but unless you see it somewhere, you'd probly never know.

Thanks.