Quote Originally Posted by esther231
I read many posts about going 50 miles, 100 miles, more. Mind boggling to me, the truth.

For those who were ever in my boat - starting again in their mid 50s - how long did it take? Why is it taking me so long? Am I being impatient? My thought was if I did this slowly, I'd have less of a chance of hurting myself. And I wanted to keep it fun. I'm just surprised that I still have to work to get through 10 miles. And I do. My breathing is okay but my muscles are tired after 10 miles. Is this normal? Should I be pushing harder? Or just keep adding a mile a week on my daily loop till I get to where I want to go?
Esther, As per usual, you are getting some awesome advice from the crew here. Boatloads of experience and great tips. I just wanted to chime in with my $0.02.

First....you are doing awesome. Mind-boggling distances that others are doing is great motivation, but don't use that as a yardstick to measure your own progress. Keep your perspective: you want to have fun. I don't think anyone here would be riding it it wasn't fun. Don't be so hard on yourself. You've been riding for only a month.

It's normal to feel sore after a work out. Don't forget to stretch before and after a ride - that means your quads, hamstrings, calves, as well as your lower and upper back. Stretching is very important and all to often blown off (I'm super guilty of it myself). Don't forget to eat - eat for fuel before the ride and for recovery afterwards. There are some great tips sprinkled thoughout these forums that you could read. And remember, Advil is not a crime, in fact, it's my best friend after many rides, and I'm "only" 38.

And I think someone else mentioned this: be careful of pushing those big gears. "Spin, spin, spin, pedal, pedal, pedal" a friend of mine used to tell me. Pedal smoothly at a comfortable cadence. And pedal circles - not up and down. Think of it like you are scraping dog poo off the bottom of your shoe. The most efficient stroke is from 3-9, if you imagine your crank as a clock, with 12 being crank arm straight up, and 6 being straight down.

Keep up the good work!