October rides...

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Originally Posted by north woods gal

Cranking' and NY, hope you'll be up and pedaling, soon. Yeah, the guilt thing is a real pest. I know it all too well. Just comes with the territory for those of us who ride a lot. Don't let it get you down.

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I must confess that I don't feel guilty. Today we had nice weather, I have my bike and all my gear to go for a ride after work, but I don't feel like it. I am going to have to force myself. All I really want to do is take a nap.

Yet I am planning a ride on Saturday, possibly a metric. Part of my brain is business-as-usual and part of it has no motivation.

Emily, I hope DH's shoulder is better soon. It does sound inconvenient to have to drive short distances.

40s and rain, most of the day, but the rain stopped, so what could I do? Yup, pulled on the leggings, cap under the helmet, lobster mitts, the whole cold weather riding thing and worked my MTB trails for an hour. Walked back into the house with ruddy cheeks and a smile. The woods are avery different place, now that the leaves have fallen and the green undergrowth, gone.

NY, I feel guilty because I am at least 500 miles behind for mileage where I usually am at this point in the year. It sounds silly, but I started out really ahead, since I rode through the winter (no snow and warmer). But, this kind of confirms what I have thought. If I lived in a place where I could ride all year long, I think it would burn me out. I started doing more hiking, and I am a firm believer in cross training, but I started feeling lazy about riding in June, instead of August or September! I do love the fall, so I forsee some good riding ahead, until the snow flies. We have our hiking trip up to Acadia the 21st-24th, so after that, I hope I have at least 6-8 more weeks. I always look forward to the x country ski season, as it's so short here. The prediction is for a snowy and long winter, and I am looking forward to it.
We also didn't do any cycling trips this year, except our 4 days in the Berkshires, and even there, we had to shorten one day, because of the extreme heat. If all goes well, we will be doing a trip in northern Spain next summer.

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Originally Posted by Crankin

NY, I feel guilty because I am at least 500 miles behind for mileage where I usually am at this point in the year. It sounds silly, but I started out really ahead, since I rode through the winter (no snow and warmer). But, this kind of confirms what I have thought. If I lived in a place where I could ride all year long, I think it would burn me out. I started doing more hiking, and I am a firm believer in cross training, but I started feeling lazy about riding in June, instead of August or September! I do love the fall, so I forsee some good riding ahead, until the snow flies. We have our hiking trip up to Acadia the 21st-24th, so after that, I hope I have at least 6-8 more weeks. I always look forward to the x country ski season, as it's so short here. The prediction is for a snowy and long winter, and I am looking forward to it.
We also didn't do any cycling trips this year, except our 4 days in the Berkshires, and even there, we had to shorten one day, because of the extreme heat. If all goes well, we will be doing a trip in northern Spain next summer.

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I agree about not wanting to ride year-round. I think my problem for the past six months was that I worked hard in the early spring to be ready for a challenging metric in early May, and I ended up feeling burned out instead of enjoying rides during the summer that I usually look forward to.

I did enjoy my ride tonight after work, though. A little over 18 miles, skipping the steeper hills because my legs were burning from the start. Strange that after such a hot summer I still feel like it was just a week or so, not 5 months, since the last time I had to wear tights and toe covers.

Glad to hear that you got out, NY, but especially that you enjoyed it. In the end, that's what counts. I have a tendency to push myself, sometimes to the point of asking myself what the heck I am doing. Looking back, though, the memories that stick with me the most, are the moments of bicycling bliss and contentment I found and, more often than not, those were on the easy and pleasant rides, not the crash and burn epic adventure rides. Oh, I need those, too, and they do give me a sense of accomplishment and are great for confidence builders, but it's the less ambitious day to day rides I enjoy the most. Anyway, good for you.

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Originally Posted by ny biker

I think my problem for the past six months was that I worked hard in the early spring to be ready for a challenging metric in early May, and I ended up feeling burned out instead of enjoying rides during the summer that I usually look forward to.

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I can see and enjoy the satisfaction of designing and implementing a training timetable/plan for a hard organized ride….and of course it’s a different type of riding than just going out to enjoy moving through a day on a bike. The next time you create a training plan perhaps things like stretching out the timeframe, preparing lots of strategies to help with motivation, designing it specifically for your strength/condition and the measurable success you need for the ride....can help in making it more enjoyable and not getting a ‘burn-out’ feeling. Training with someone/others can also bring an invaluable feeling of support too.….and for me, training intervals can help in getting rid of some of life’s frustrations :)

nothing better than just enjoying your riding now....and hoping you have more before winter :)

I avoid "training plans," like the plague. However, if I have a trip coming up, I do prepare by riding more, longer, hills, etc. I've always said I let the hills i ride prepare me for whatever. If it feels like work, it kills it for me. I tend to push through any riding challenge that presents itself, and then pay for it later. It's a head game.
After 35 years of endurance activities, sometimes I just wish I could be a lazy American who doesn't care... but, I am not, so onward.

Thanks ladies.

I didn't really have a training plan other than "ride often, ride hills, work up to 60 miles by the last weekend in April." But even that apparently was too much, possibly due to the weather and having to force myself to do longer rides on cold overcast early spring days. And I think I might have a sort of annual "circadian rhythm" when it comes to cycling -- I'm happier putting in the hard efforts during some parts of the year but not at other times. In past years I've felt plenty of pressure and anxiety while training for hard rides in August or September, but I was still able to keep riding into November before it stopped feeling like fun. I think I'm just better suited to a more relaxed, gradual buildup of miles in the spring. So, lesson learned, I will not plan to take on anything too ambitious next spring.

And speaking of ambitious, despite my inactivity over the past few weeks I'm looking at a 60+ mile club ride tomorrow. But I'll be with friends in one of my favorite places to ride, and the weather should be cool but sunny. I do expect my legs to be hurting long before the end, but no mental pressure to push too hard. As it should be!

And that, pretty much sums up my attitude.
60 miles by the end of April, no. Maybe by the end of May, more realistically, June. I did a couple of 50 milers in May this year, then I flamed out.

I worked up to 900 plus miles a month for June and July doing road work, but then got the mountain bike bug and my miles tally went downhill, fast (pun intended :)). Would love to find a way to translate mountain bike trail miles into equivalent road bike miles, but just not doable. If there's one thing I learned this summer, it's that the only thing the two kinds of biking have in common is that they both use bicycles. Very different kind of physical workout. Oh, well, love both kinds of riding and will enjoy both for what they are and not worry about it, even if it means my road mile count goes way down. Don't see too many more 900 mile months in my future.

Gorgeous fall day, today. Was about 30 this morning when I got up, though :eek:. Decided to do a shorter ride today, a tomorrow is going to be warmer, so we did 19 miles of our "flat" ride, into Bedford and back. As we were approaching the center of town, we could see a very long and unusual traffic back up ahead on Main St, so we quickly rerouted ourselves around that. DH then remembered it was swap and drop off day at the municipal building, so one of the roads, which leads to parking, was closed at one end. Nothing unusual, on the ride. I was dressed on the edge of too warm, but at least I didn't have a base layer on, as DH did. I had my lighter weight tights on; those were a mistake, but I survived. Glad I went, but glad I didn't do more.

NY..sounds like you did have a training plan of sorts.:) I started getting into plans in college when I started doing long brevets. I've accumulated enough knowledge about putting one together and my strengths and weaknesses that it’s much easier to do now. I only do them in detail now for a much longer ride (200+) or a long hard multiple climbing one like the Death Ride last year. I guess I just like the structure and motivation they can give me. I'm sure the mileage of the ride i plan for will also change as i get older....but it will probably still be about the structure/motivation.

Hard but beautiful ride into the santa monica mountains today….made even better being with alex. Temps were mild and in the 60’s to low 70’s which is usual for this time of year. We had a slight headwind going out of santa monica but little wind in the mountains and not much of a tail wind by the time we were back down to the pacific coast highway and then bike paths going home. Coming home it was good to feel the cooler ocean air after the climbing too. Some good climbs, beautiful views and wonderful feelings of togetherness. The SM’s have more motorcycles on the weekend and we do roads that help to lessen that and especially auto traffic. Met a couple of good friends half way into the ride and we stopped together for a nutrition and stretching/relaxing break. It was good to see them and share the combination of our olive/sundried tomato rice cakes, homemade energy bars and dried fruit with each other while sitting on grass under the shade of a color turning big oak…..one of those unexpected feelings of connection and conversation that makes a day better. We took separate roads leaving as they came into the SM’s from their home on the eastern side.
A few more climbs and a great descent past Pepperdine University and we were back on
PCH. We did stop at the Malibu Country Mart on the way home to sit, relax and drink some thai iced tea boba and eat some yummy dark chocolate covered apricots from K chocolatier….the blessing of calories burned on climbing.:)
76 good miles

Wind, Rain and the DH, my riding buddy, is nursing a silly injury so this weekend is reduced to walking the PUP. DH was test riding a bike he was doing some work on, went to hop the curb, which was taller than he thought, front tire hits the curb making for a hard stop. He launched off the saddle as the back tire left the ground and slammed into the top tube, right behind his private parts - ouch. Attempted to ride and the saddle pressure was a no go. Poor guy. IMO curb hopping is such a guy thing - ha. Of course if any of you are curb hoppers than I stand corrected :)

I did ride today, but a short ride. It's warm, windy, and cloudy. A nice ride, but DH is suffering with some sort of malaise, so we cut it short.
My right knee felt a bit jacked, and since my hiking trip is in 5 days, I did not disagree with ending the ride.

Odd weather for us continues. Rainy and cold a couple days, ago, so stayed inside and did a solid and very hard hour on the trainer. Yesterday, the sky cleared and the temp hit the upper 60s, so dug my shorts back out of the drawer, went with a sleeveless top and hit the road. Wanted to ride some gravel roads a 9 mile ride out on pavement, but not feeling especially up to the technical part on the gravel riding, so took my Trek Stashe with its big 29er plus 3" tires - no finesse gravel riding needed with this bike. Called it wrong, though, because the gravel roads were in about the best shape I've seen, yet. Could have done them on the 700x25 road bike. Way too easy on the Trek. Oh, well.

Riding on the pavement on the way home, got a little nutty and started making mad dashes on and off the pavement to the gravel and sand shoulders, looking for something that might be a challenge for the Trek. When I could find a suitable embankment, would ride up and and back down to the pavement on those, too. If someone had been watching, they'd probably have thought the girl had lost it. Well, maybe I have. Mountain biking and mountain bikes just bring that out in me.

26 miles, total, on a beautiful fall day. Life is good.

Upper Wisconsin river, yesterday, about four miles from my door on one of my bike loops.
http://i68.tinypic.com/16a4ke8.jpg