beginning training

[mtnbikenmama]

I started riding 2 years ago and 30# heavier. I was having a tough time getting in shape after the last baby (who is now 7 So I took up MTB riding. At first it was more like a hike a bike, but over time I have gained strength, endurance, and obviously lost a lot of weight. So keep it up, & keep it fun!

donna

[CorsairMac]

Congrats on your ride! Everybody either starts out slow - or pays the price. First time I ran, I thought that first block was gonna Kill me - now I run 5 days a week, 3 miles a day and bike commute to work. Just don't get discouraged and don't set your goals so high you get disappointed! As the great Lance Armstrong says.....it's not how fast or how far you ride....it's how often!

[LBTC]

Excellent ride, ladiebug!! You rock!! We all started there at some point. There's one mountain bike trail we all ride where I live, and it's a twisty climb through the trees. I'm pretty sure the first time I rode it I stopped 6 times before the 2nd switchback. It probably took an hour to get to the top of that climb....

Now I've timed it at somewhere around 12 minutes and I don't need to stop at all. It's such an amazing feeling! I actually can ride it faster than some of the guys I ride with. yahoo

My one piece of advice....(the other girls have covered some great ideas too)...at least some of the time, ride with somebody who is better at it than you are. Of course, make sure it's someone who won't just take off on you, then wait, then take off again as soon as you get there....if you can ride with somebody better, you'll learn a LOT in a short time, and you'll challenge yourself often. I hope you can find that someone! (I try to be that someone now, on my non-training rides. I alwasy have fun on the bike!)

Keep riding, girl!!

Namaste,
~T~

[SnappyPix]

Well done Ladiebug, that's fantastic - you must be feeling v.pleased with yourself, and rightly so! Give it a little time and you'll soon be pedalling up that hill. Congratulations!

[SadieKate]

Big congratulations! Doesn't it feel great to accomplish something? When I was in my early 20s I had 4 knee operations and did not have the best rehab but finally met the man of my dreams who got me on a bike. The 1st ride was like yours and I burst into tears. I was so happy! I was used to be very active but the knee operations ended my sports (volleyball, tennis and backpacking) so I was thrilled to find something I could do. The rest is history and a nice collection of fine velocipides.

[Surlygirl]

Good job ladiebug. With winter here in New England I pretty much start over every spring. I live on top of a hill and my goal last year was to be able to ride up the hill for home without having to stop and walk part of it. It took awhile but by the end of the season I could make it up everytime. Good luck and don't give up.

[psychavoc]

My house is a 30 minute walk from work and pretty much all uphill. I had trouble even walking that without being left breathless at the end when I first started walking hom. But now i'm planning on riding that someday. At the moment, I'm in the progress of gathering enough bits and pieces to build up my hardtail as a light-ish xc bike that I will be able to ride to and from work with. I stole all the bits off my HT frame last year to put onto my Santa Cruz Heckler, which is too heavy to push uphills, and I wouldn't want to leave that chained up around town aswell, as SC's aren't very common down here in NZ.

Sooo.. once the HT is built back up (i've got some Skarebs coming in the mail.. next stop: wheels..), then i'll have some horrible hillclimbing stories for you.