About two months ago at the age of 30 I've gotten back into cycling. So heres my story
I feel like I spent my entire teenage years on a bike. I didn't train properly and I was stubborn in my choice of equipment (would not part with my hybrid). With as much concern as I had for speed I never used the proper bike. I was too content with simply being faster on a bike than others my age and beating a bunch of old men that were past their prime. Somehow in my mind I thought that I could win any race even though I never actually competed in a real one. As the teenage years went by I wasted that talent till there came a point where riding was just something I did once a year because I was doing the MS150 charity bike ride since the age of 13. I didn't enjoy it anymore I was too busy with cars, drinking, women, and other reckless activities I won't mention so I stopped. Several years passed where I didn't even touch a bike, or if I did it was 2-3 times and then it would be back to collecting dust. Cycling become something that "I'll get around to doing what I used to do".
Eventually enough time passed that I was so out of shape just riding for a handful of minutes was enough to take my breath away. One Summer probably 2-3 years ago I decided to ride out to one of the harder hills around the block, I got about halfway up and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even turn the pedals any more, I just fell right off into someones yard. I was in the fetal position for several minutes trying to catch my breath, I felt like I was dying. I saw stars, my heart felt like it was exploding, my ears were ringing, I truly thought I had given myself a heart attack. I was so weak afterwords I had to walk the bike back to my parents house about a quarter mile. I was using the bike like a crutch because I couldn't even stand. I went from riding 100 miles in a single day to such a pathetic state. After that I was afraid to even touch a bike because I knew I was too far gone to try it.
In Jan 2010 I started making a change to get myself back in shape and even initially the bike was not part of that plan. During the summer of 2010 I did a best ride of 27 miles and set a modest goal that by the end of 2011 I would do a 50 mile ride again. It was simply a goal to complete the miles, not in any time frame or speed, I just wanted to do it. One thing I did notice was that the bike rides did burn up considerably more weight in a single ride than alot of my workouts. So a few months ago I decided to start using the bike as a way to further my weight drop and aid it along a bit faster. Never did I have any intentions of it being more than that but after spending much of the winter on the stationary bike and dropping 20-30 lbs from last summer I was astonished to find how much better on the bike I was. First ride out I did 20 miles, then 25, then 30. In May I decided I was light enough to break out my old hybrid Raleigh that I used to ride in my teens, I still had it, everything was in working condition, just a bit dusty. First ride out I do 40 miles, I think well 50 miles shouldn't be that much of an issue now!
The rides continued and in June I did a 72 mile ride, and interestingly enough the speed also began to return, I found myself doing alot of things I never did even in what I thought was my prime. I never enjoyed training in my teenage years, it was just something I did to keep my dad appeased that he wouldn't have to wait up for me if we went out for a ride. The hybrid bike had alot of issues and mechanical failures and finally I decided it was time, after all these years to buy what I should have, a true racing bike with all the other items for racing.
Even before getting the new bike I set a goal of completing another 100 mile ride. I hadn't done one since 1997 which for all intents and purposes was half a lifetime ago and barely even relevant now as far as an accomplishment. Originally I had planned this to happen on Sep 18th, then also added the Philly Livestrong Challenge even earlier on Aug 21st. Though to my surprise it actually ended up happening with a training ride that got broken up into 2 separate rides totaling 100 miles in a single day a few weeks ago. I'm still going to do those events but now its a chase for beating my personal best time rather than just being concerned with finishing.
After realizing I could do a century again, I aimed for the one thing I've always wanted, which is to legitimately race, I originally planned to do this in the spring but now there's a road race in Milton, PA Sep 10th and the Kings Gap Mountain Time trial Sep 11th. Then of course the century ride the week after which I'll be expecting even faster speed at.
I feel like I spent my entire teenage years on a bike. I didn't train properly and I was stubborn in my choice of equipment (would not part with my hybrid). With as much concern as I had for speed I never used the proper bike. I was too content with simply being faster on a bike than others my age and beating a bunch of old men that were past their prime. Somehow in my mind I thought that I could win any race even though I never actually competed in a real one. As the teenage years went by I wasted that talent till there came a point where riding was just something I did once a year because I was doing the MS150 charity bike ride since the age of 13. I didn't enjoy it anymore I was too busy with cars, drinking, women, and other reckless activities I won't mention so I stopped. Several years passed where I didn't even touch a bike, or if I did it was 2-3 times and then it would be back to collecting dust. Cycling become something that "I'll get around to doing what I used to do".
Eventually enough time passed that I was so out of shape just riding for a handful of minutes was enough to take my breath away. One Summer probably 2-3 years ago I decided to ride out to one of the harder hills around the block, I got about halfway up and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even turn the pedals any more, I just fell right off into someones yard. I was in the fetal position for several minutes trying to catch my breath, I felt like I was dying. I saw stars, my heart felt like it was exploding, my ears were ringing, I truly thought I had given myself a heart attack. I was so weak afterwords I had to walk the bike back to my parents house about a quarter mile. I was using the bike like a crutch because I couldn't even stand. I went from riding 100 miles in a single day to such a pathetic state. After that I was afraid to even touch a bike because I knew I was too far gone to try it.
In Jan 2010 I started making a change to get myself back in shape and even initially the bike was not part of that plan. During the summer of 2010 I did a best ride of 27 miles and set a modest goal that by the end of 2011 I would do a 50 mile ride again. It was simply a goal to complete the miles, not in any time frame or speed, I just wanted to do it. One thing I did notice was that the bike rides did burn up considerably more weight in a single ride than alot of my workouts. So a few months ago I decided to start using the bike as a way to further my weight drop and aid it along a bit faster. Never did I have any intentions of it being more than that but after spending much of the winter on the stationary bike and dropping 20-30 lbs from last summer I was astonished to find how much better on the bike I was. First ride out I did 20 miles, then 25, then 30. In May I decided I was light enough to break out my old hybrid Raleigh that I used to ride in my teens, I still had it, everything was in working condition, just a bit dusty. First ride out I do 40 miles, I think well 50 miles shouldn't be that much of an issue now!
The rides continued and in June I did a 72 mile ride, and interestingly enough the speed also began to return, I found myself doing alot of things I never did even in what I thought was my prime. I never enjoyed training in my teenage years, it was just something I did to keep my dad appeased that he wouldn't have to wait up for me if we went out for a ride. The hybrid bike had alot of issues and mechanical failures and finally I decided it was time, after all these years to buy what I should have, a true racing bike with all the other items for racing.
Even before getting the new bike I set a goal of completing another 100 mile ride. I hadn't done one since 1997 which for all intents and purposes was half a lifetime ago and barely even relevant now as far as an accomplishment. Originally I had planned this to happen on Sep 18th, then also added the Philly Livestrong Challenge even earlier on Aug 21st. Though to my surprise it actually ended up happening with a training ride that got broken up into 2 separate rides totaling 100 miles in a single day a few weeks ago. I'm still going to do those events but now its a chase for beating my personal best time rather than just being concerned with finishing.
After realizing I could do a century again, I aimed for the one thing I've always wanted, which is to legitimately race, I originally planned to do this in the spring but now there's a road race in Milton, PA Sep 10th and the Kings Gap Mountain Time trial Sep 11th. Then of course the century ride the week after which I'll be expecting even faster speed at.
