Hi guys
I'm new here (and to this forum format etc.) but am looking for some training advice. I love being out on the bike however I'd put myself on the bottom rung of experience. I used to go out sometimes daily and cycle for an hour or so 20-60 miles a day just to mess around and get fit.
Due to many different factors the bike has been shelved for well over a year but with summer approaching I want to get back and get fit. I'd say I'm probably about 3 stone overweight (given im 5' 8" and about 13 stone you can imagine) I used to play rugby so I'm not small up top but thats very quickly been replaced by nothing but lard!! I digress...
I'm looking to get back onto the bike and if I was to go back to my previous method of just getting up and going out on the bike it would not work for me with my lifestyle (i used to be a student with endless free days) or in terms of a routine as obviously I never really took it up previously, therefore never kept going.
I work pretty much 9-5 or 8-4 - 5 days a week. Takes about an hour to get home and there are no showering facilities in or near work which means I can only cycle after work and can't cycle into work. What kind of traning pattern would you lot suggest? I'm happy to go intensivley I'm still quite fit (still run and always maintain a good level of natural fitness) but with time constraints I really do wonder how and when people fit the time in. I've tried getting up early to run which I don't mind, but too early and there's no light which for running I can get away with but biking I can't imagine is so enjoyable. I really want to get fit this summer (or starting today really) but I'm not sure how to go about doing it because I really want to get into a routine.
The second point really would be that I live bang smack in the middle of a big city. I probably have to do 5 miles to get into anywhere that's slightly rural so thats 10 miles of what in the past has been a 20 mile trip on very busy roads. I have a local woods near me where I usually go instead but its a 5 mile trip there, round and then back so I don't really fancy doing that 20 odd times. How do you lot motivate yourself in urban conditions to keep going?
Finally I'm pretty enthusiastic and stubborn so I usually just end up going out and doing as much as I can in a day and then knackering myself out. Is it best potentially to do 2 or maybe 3 trips in a day over shorter distance than doing one long haul (obviously in the mean time to build fitness) or is it better to restrain myself and try build it up gently (which will leave me frustrated the first few times that i've not done enough), or i suppose just have the balls to get back on the bike everyday and keep wearing myself out at the end and doing my best to sleep and eat properly in between so as to rest up properly?
Hope someone can help and give me the inspiration I need
Jon
I'm new here (and to this forum format etc.) but am looking for some training advice. I love being out on the bike however I'd put myself on the bottom rung of experience. I used to go out sometimes daily and cycle for an hour or so 20-60 miles a day just to mess around and get fit.
Due to many different factors the bike has been shelved for well over a year but with summer approaching I want to get back and get fit. I'd say I'm probably about 3 stone overweight (given im 5' 8" and about 13 stone you can imagine) I used to play rugby so I'm not small up top but thats very quickly been replaced by nothing but lard!! I digress...
I'm looking to get back onto the bike and if I was to go back to my previous method of just getting up and going out on the bike it would not work for me with my lifestyle (i used to be a student with endless free days) or in terms of a routine as obviously I never really took it up previously, therefore never kept going.
I work pretty much 9-5 or 8-4 - 5 days a week. Takes about an hour to get home and there are no showering facilities in or near work which means I can only cycle after work and can't cycle into work. What kind of traning pattern would you lot suggest? I'm happy to go intensivley I'm still quite fit (still run and always maintain a good level of natural fitness) but with time constraints I really do wonder how and when people fit the time in. I've tried getting up early to run which I don't mind, but too early and there's no light which for running I can get away with but biking I can't imagine is so enjoyable. I really want to get fit this summer (or starting today really) but I'm not sure how to go about doing it because I really want to get into a routine.
The second point really would be that I live bang smack in the middle of a big city. I probably have to do 5 miles to get into anywhere that's slightly rural so thats 10 miles of what in the past has been a 20 mile trip on very busy roads. I have a local woods near me where I usually go instead but its a 5 mile trip there, round and then back so I don't really fancy doing that 20 odd times. How do you lot motivate yourself in urban conditions to keep going?
Finally I'm pretty enthusiastic and stubborn so I usually just end up going out and doing as much as I can in a day and then knackering myself out. Is it best potentially to do 2 or maybe 3 trips in a day over shorter distance than doing one long haul (obviously in the mean time to build fitness) or is it better to restrain myself and try build it up gently (which will leave me frustrated the first few times that i've not done enough), or i suppose just have the balls to get back on the bike everyday and keep wearing myself out at the end and doing my best to sleep and eat properly in between so as to rest up properly?
Hope someone can help and give me the inspiration I need
Jon