SO out of shape, but really trying

[ColleenT]

ok, the rain stopped. for two days, anyway. so i just went out and rode my bike. where i live we have Hills and valleys. And very few flat places. SO i'm either coasting down a hill, or killing myself to get up one. i am learning about how to use my gears to benefit me most. i rode a half mile, and then came back, so about a mile today. i took my time, not trying to win a race, just want to get fit without burning myself out. i know i have to take it slow, but i really enjoy getting out there. and if i have to walk the bike up the steep hill toward home, i don't mind too much, b/c it is burning fat. ( i hope).

How long does it usually take the newbie to gain momentum and get more stamina? i want to do more, but the other day when i felt as tho i would puke afterward, kinf od put me off to overdoing it. i have water, and i drink a little before i go.

[Bikingmomof3]

Colleen,
Listen to your body. A mile is awesome for just beginning, especially since it is hilly. If your goal is to become healthier, just keep riding and pace yourself. As you stated it is not a race. See if you can go a tad further each day or every other day. As soon as your body becomes accustom to the bike you will notice it will become easier and more enjoyable and you will find yourself going much farther than you ever imagined. Exercise can be fun.

[latelatebloomer]

Colleen, I started at about the same fitness level as you. If you can get out there 3x a week, I'm sure you'll notice a boost in your power within 2 weeks. Let your body take the time it needs to adjust to the new demands you're making on it, and give yourself LOTS of pats on the back.

Getting started is really the toughest part. Keep in touch!

[Evie]

My theory is that PA is really a giant bowl, no matter what the maps say.

I started riding about a month and a half ago. I could barely manage a mile, and anything more seemed like the Ultimate Evil. I had that pukey feeling, too. Now I can ride seven.

You really DO get a boost! It's amazing! The hills you hate won't even bother you in a little while.

[pooks]

You really DO get a boost! It's amazing! The hills you hate won't even bother you in a little while.

This is so true. My first ride (6/11) I had to stop three times to drink water on a two mile ride. And I wasn't contending with much in the way of hills -- just a couple of short hilly parts that were HARD but not long enough to stop me.

Now I can go ten miles or more, and it's my toosh that is stopping me, not my thighs. I'm just waiting for a new saddle, hoping to make a jump to longer distances!

You'll catch up at your own pace, which might mean you zoooom by some of us who have been riding a few weeks longer. It happens!

[esther231]

You're doing great!!! Hills are hard work. Doing a mile with hills is alot harder than riding a flat route. And to start riding again, knowing you are gonna start on hills, gives you some bragging rights.

Just alittle over a week ago, I was complaining about how long it was taking for me to get better. And then something happened, I don't know what. But it clicked and it's gotten easier and I'm going further than I dared hope when I wrote that post. I still haven't made my first goal but, at least, now I believe I will and I didn't believe it 10 days ago. Seemed impossible to me. So, I think getting better is small gains and then a jump. Small gains and then a jump. It took me about a month to get my first real jump. I hope yours comes sooner. But if it doesn't, you're in good company.

So, keep going. Cause I think you'll be very proud of yourself a week from now. And even more proud two weeks from now.

When I wrote my post, several people said - spin, spin, spin when you ride. Don't ride with alot of resistance in your pedals and that helped me a ton. Now, I down shift as soon as I feel my legs getting tight from an incline or hill. I spin and I work alot less and I go further and faster. Makes no sense but it's true.

Also, it helped to eat alittle right before I went. I didn't add in extra food to my daily eating but I moved some food from dinner up to before I ride snack time. And that helped.

Glad you are here.

[Kalidurga]

Here are some tips for while you're learning to handle hills (from the weekly RoadBikeRider e-newsletter, no author named):

"Use this 6-point checklist to improve your climbing technique:

---Relax your shoulders. It's common to tense torso muscles under the strain of climbing. But when you pull your shoulders to your ears and hunch your back, breathing is restricted and energy is wasted. It's also hard to maintain a straight line when riding with rigid shoulders.

---Flex your elbows. Keeping elbows bent helps reduce tenseness, and this lessens upper-body rigor mortis. Of course, you need to pull on the handlebar to be in synch with leg thrusts, but you can do it without locked elbows and rigid arms. This is another key to holding a smooth, straight line.

---Lighten your grip. Squeezing the bar isn't necessary but it can happen during the stress of climbing. Sit up and rest your hands wide on the bar top, even drumming your fingers to ensure an easy grip. Just be sure to keep at least one thumb wrapped under the bar to prevent both hands from being jarred loose by an unexpected bump. Before standing, move your hands to the brake lever hoods. Your weight on them makes a tight grip unnecessary.

---Stay seated for greater efficiency. If your gearing is correct, you should be able to remain in the saddle for all but the steepest sections. That's good because for most riders, standing causes a heart rate increase of about 5 bpm. On long climbs, however, it's helpful to splurge a little energy and stand occasionally for a few seconds even if the grade doesn't demand it. Doing so relieves saddle pressure and stretches the legs and lower back, increasing comfort.

---Shift up when standing up. Going from seated to standing causes cadence to drop. This in turn reduces speed -- unless you shift to the next higher gear (smaller rear cog) on the pedal stroke before you leave the saddle. Conversely, shift to the next larger cog just as you sit back down. The lower gear will help you increase cadence to keep your speed.

---Be smooth. Make every move easily and economically. Don't fight the bike or your body. Think "fluid." This is particularly important in the transitions from sitting to standing and back -- even more so when riding in a group where jerky movements endanger other riders."


I may cuss my way up challenging hills, but I still want to get out there and ride 'em just for the satisfaction of making it over the top. Don't let the pukey feeling stop you (unless you actually do puke, of course ).

[pooks]

Thanks, Kali!

[ColleenT]

Thanks to everyone! this forum has been very helpful and supportive. i love it here. i keep trying and hoping i'll feel at ease soon. When i was a kid i rode that 10 speed bike all over. it was so easy to me then. Why is it so difficult to start out now? i hate that i let myself get SO out of shape..yet i had no idea how much i really WAS out of shape. This has been humbling, but i am hoping to get better, enough to really ride around here and enjoy myself. I am already talking to a neigghbor about her getting a bike and joining me. ( her idea) i would love to have a friend ride along. as long as she doesn't hold me back..J/K.. i'll be the one holding her back..

[ColleenT]

the rain stopped today, so after i rode my horse at 8 am, i came home and still in my riding tights( horseback riding tights) i went out on the bike for a quick ride before my inlaws come today. i think i am getting better. it is a nice feeling. even tho i have not been out due to the rain, i did get on my trainer for a few the other day. i feel as tho i really don't know what i should be doing on the trainer, so i just rode a while. i am still riding the same place, but i am learning to become more efficient with my gears. ( altho i have my days where i wish the bike was a one speed. ) i really want to keep this up, so Winter will be my biggest challenge. i might get two of my neighbors involved. i'm trying..

[RoadRaven]

Colleen - way to go
Well done...

You have the motivation, and that is most of the battle.

You sum it up beautifully "it is a nice feeling."

Thats what its about.

As for the trainer... dont worry too much about the "what" at the moment... put some music or a TV show on and just hop on. Make your goal a time - ten minutes, or 15, or 20, then 30...

Later, when you have built up your cycling base a little you can start thinking about the "what" on a trainer and make it specific.

Just getting on an indoor bike is a mission for some, so try and make it enjoyable - make sure you can peel a layer off as you warm up - make sure the room isn't too hot (I know you are heading into winter, but even in winter I have been known to get a fan out to blow on me while I am on the trainer. Make sure you have some water nearby.

Don't set too much resistence initially, you are aiming for time, not exhausting your legs - their is a place for 'intense' workouts... but again, thats the "what" and that can come later.

Just enjoy, and keep telling us your goals, and when you have met them. Let us be your "cheer-leaders".

Goals you think about telling us might seem small to you sometimes... but remember, we have ALL been there at some point - we have all had to start somewhere, and we will rejoice with you.

Cycling is awesome, take it softly softly to begin with, enjoy it... and before you know it you will be achieving things on the bike that will surprise yourself.

[ColleenT]

thank you. at age 38, i have come to really appreciate all the little things. and life is Good!

[kelownagirl]

I love it when I see another new rider just starting out! I was in your place just 5 months ago. I live in a steep, hilly area and just could not ride anywhere from home so I threw my bike in the car, rode down to the flats and rode there. If there is any place that is flatter that you can drive to for the first month or so, I highly recommend it. I found that I was able to build up my strength and stamina so that after two months, I could start trying the hills. I agree with one poster who said if you can ride 3 times a week, you'll see results fairly quickly. It is absolutely amazing. If you can, go over to bikejournal.com and start logging your mile(s) now. You'll be surprised how quickly you start to increase those stats! And hey, in 5 months, you'll even have leg muscles!!!

[SunnyHazel]

I see a hill and start worrying. Do you find that there are hills where you never knew there were hills? I've walked some trails for a long time never noticing the incline, only to start out on the bike and have to start shifting gear. My husband keeps telling me there aren't any hills on his favorite bike path, but I know better! Just because it doesn't go straight up, doesn't mean it doesn't incline. Any incline is a hill to me at this point!

How did the trunk rack work out? You may have already said, but I missed it.

[Kano]

oh yeah -- there are lots of invisible hills here too! I think it's almost easier to climb "real" hills than the invisible ones!

Karen in Boise