time, time, time

Hey everyone,

As a newbie, I'm working hard on getting in shape and establishing a routine. What's eating me now is how much time it takes me to get in a decent ride. I am riding at about 14.5 mph avg. most days (though not today, when I had to deal with an unexpected unpaved bike path and lost my way -- we're on vacation so there are a lot of unknowns...).

My question is: what are some techniques to build strength and endurance while keeping time commitment in check. I have a young daughter and demanding job, but I don't want these facts to become an excuse. Still, I need to find ways to shorten the workouts so I can get out more than 2x per week.

Thanks! Sara

Ride your bike to work! I spend 1+ hours getting to work in the morning, and 1+ hours getting home in the afternoon, no matter what my mode of transit (bike, Metro, or car). I get some good reading and crossword puzzles in that time by Metro, nothing but alot of frustration and an aching back by car, and over 2 hours of bicycling every day when I go by bike.

Over 1000 miles and 90 hours commuting by bike since January. I'd hate to be spending the time in a car!

Now, before you say, "I can't do that. I have a fancy-clothed job, I have a small child, I have whatever," just think about ways that you can incorporate riding into your daily life. We'll give you specifics if you want them. Just tell us your obstacles and we'll provide some solutions. The best solution is in you, however. I changed my attitude from "I can't" to "how can I?". It has made all the difference.

I'm definitely going to start riding to work more regularly (once I go back, that is). But unlike you, my job is not very far -- just about 2 miles each way, I think. So that is good for getting some more time in on the bike, but it is not an enormous amount more. I guess my question really is more about how to make my rides more intense so that I get a similar benefit from a shorter ride.

Thanks,
Sara

Commuting is the answer for busy people. If you live "too close" to work, find a long way home. :)

I completely agree about commuting. I started doing that this year and have really improved my speed. I'm in grad school and am working on a big research project, and also work part time to pay the bills. I'm very busy, and was finding in April that I wasn't really riding much. Grant it I live in Chicago and the weather was bad a lot, but I could have done a lot more. So I decided to start commuting in May. I'm totally hooked. There are threads on commuting tips so I won't get into too much detail here. But my average speed in April was probably around 15 mph. I was topping out at 18mph for any speed I could maintain for any distance. Now I cruise into work at 20+ mph. I was going 21.5 into a slight headwind yesterday. That's just with about a month of riding pretty much 5 days a week to school/work.

Good luck!

Thanks for this. It is helpful. I'm working on my ideas for how to do this when I go back. I searched the threads for commuting and found some good ideas. Smiles, Sara

Another good way to get into shape is taking spinning classes at a gym during the winter. Living in Altanta, you probably don't have the same problems I do living in Boston, and you may even be able to ride outdoors year round (lucky you). This suggestion may not help you right now, but might be useful in the future.

Actually, the spinning class strikes me as a great idea. I've heard that working out on a trainer is more intense that riding on the roads. Not that I would ever want to give up the roads, but to fit in a short intense workout now and then would really help me. Also, while Atlanta does have good weather most of the year, the extreme heat and humitidy of the summer can occasionally be really debilitating to me (a transplant from the north). Thanks also for this tip! Sara