How do you train

[Cassandra_Cain]

DDH - please hang in there. I think the old saying of patience is a virtue comes to mind.

About the terrain where you live - hills 24/7 - believe me there is a big silver lining to this. I just got back into riding about 6 weeks ago after a 6+ year absence. Where I live we have lots of mountains and hills. So while at times you may feel slow here's the caveat. I have made it a point to absolutely love hill climbing and do it every ride - in those 6 weeks guess what?

I am easily stronger than I was after 6 months of riding way back when I used to live in florida. The hill climbing may make you feel slow but it will build your ability faster IMO, than just cruising the flats.

I find much of what makes climbing doable is all in your head - pace yourself, relax, enjoy the scenery, think of all the calories you are burning. You'll get there

About cadence - I like what Roadraven said. You don't need to be cranking 100 rpm to be effective. Every body is built differently and yours will have unique needs. It may be you perform better at a lower cadence - which is perfectly fine. Granted you don't want to be pushing an enormous gear at say 35 rpm.

If you are serious about turning the pedals faster than try spinning in an easy gear. Even better, do so on a downhill and get your cadence way way up while trying to not bounce in your seat. Finally, if you have clipless pedals, do some short, easy stints with just one leg - that will improve your technique.

[DDH]

I have flat form pedals with toe clips. I am constantly having to move my foot around in the straps to try to keep the tingling down. I am looking into getting some biking shoes, but it just takes time to get everything you need to make things more comfortable.
We rode this morning and DH took off an left me again. Then he got behind me later and said I stop peddling to much. I don't keep my peddling up so that I can keep my speed up. I told him I don't know how to keep going and going, my legs get to tired and fatigued and I have to stop, even if it is only for 10 seconds I have to let them rest on occasion. I just cannot seem to keep that constant peddling up.
I have an appt this afternoon for my shoulder. I was getting so freaking irritable on my ride I was actually cursing and I don't curse. That shoulder is really bothering me. It bothers me at home too. The only time it doesn't bother me is while I am laying in the bed asleep. LOL
When I first wake up it doesn't hurt, but once I get up and have that arm hanging it starts again, so I definitly have to get this taken care of. It's not painful, just very, uh, achey, like dull ache that is making my whole arm fell numb and like achey dead weight. If that makes any sense.
Other than that though we had a great ride.

[FreshNewbie]

DDH sounds just like what I have in my left shoulder. Did you ever fall on that side? I know I did and sometimes i think that maybe that's why it hurts, but now that I think about it I fell on both sides I find helpfull to massage it, in my case the pain goes from my left side of my neck down the shoulder. Also, I tried to put a patch there once and believe it or not it did relieve the pain. Good luck wiht everything, you know you can do it! Sometimes it just takes time and patience!!!

[midgetcycler]

DDH -- I also had tingling when I was in the "cage" type of pedal. I read somewhere that you should try to keep your heel down if you have this problem. I tried it, and it worked for me.

I just switched over to clipless pedals. If the reason you are putting this off is financial (which believe me, I can relate!), then try ebay for used stuff. I have seen some really good deals. If you are patient, you might be able to pick up a good pair of used pedals for $20. Mine were $30 including shipping. I also found some shoes that were only $.99 plus shipping!! When you find shoes, though, look for some that are 1/2 to 1 size bigger than your normal shoes. You will be more comfortable.

[annagrace]

Dear DH not to alarm you or anything, but are you sure it has nothing to do with your heart, I'm a nurse who specializes in cardiac. Any family history of heart disease in your family like mother,father, brothers or sisters with heart problems. Not to borrow trouble, but sometimes we overlook the obvious. Good luck. I was having left shoulder pain and back pain also and my problem was I was gripping to hard and not relaxing my arms during riding and now that I can let loose and relax while riding it's wonderful.

[RoadRaven]

Wow, DDH... only hills?

I'm kind've similar - to get to anything flat I have to drop 300metres. But then I have loads of flats.

Your partner is right, hills will make you strong - but you need flats too because you develop different skills - like keeping that cadence and pedalling motion smooth over longer distances. When I dont feel like any hills and am starting from home, I do reps of the false flat that starts at my gate. Its one kilometre long, and I just go back and forwards on thats. I can practice fast cadence, or grinding big gears. I can practice sprints and do intervals.

Do you have anything like that you can use - just a small stretch of mostly flat you can do reps on?

[DDH]

Okay, went to the doc. Sometimes, (no offense) I think they are usuless. She just said put some ice on it and gave me a prescription for naproxen.
I guess she wasn't to worried about it.

Annagrace, yes we have heart diesease in our family, but I don't think that is what it is. Of course I am not a doctor either, but just the way the muscle on top of my shoulder feels so tense makes me believe that is not it.

Fresh, I have never fallen that I can remember on my shoulder to injure it. I have fallen on my butt plenty of times. LOL My hips kill me sometimes.

Roadraven, I have hills all around me out here in the country. It is flatter in town, but I would have to ride to get there. Shoot the first hill I hit is the road leading out from where I live. It's down on the way out but it is a messed up dirt and gravel road that needs work, so I have to slow it way down and then it is always the last thing I have to tackle when I get home.
The 10 miles or so I ride regularly is hill, after hill, after hill, and then a little flatter area but it is even small grades up and down. The kind that aren't really noticable unless you are fiding them and realize why you are slowing down so much. LOL

midgetcycler, I have avoided the clipless peddles mainly because I am a little intimitdated and afraid of them. Ecspecially after hearing everyone say how they have fallen at least once. So, I haven't gotten up the courage to go to them yet. I will try putting my heal down, but that seems like it would make it hard to peddle.

[Dogmama]

Putting your heel down enables you to use your more powerful hamstring and glute (butt) muscles.

Sounds like you got the 15-minute HMO miracle doc there. I know how frustrating it can be. A good doc is really hard to find.

[DDH]

HMO is what I have. You have to go in half a dozen times with the same thing I think before you can get them to actually take an interest.

I will have to start riding with my heel down if that helps glut muscles. Need all the help I can get there.
I know it will probably feel akward though. LOL