Quote Originally Posted by Veronica View Post
There is no easy answer. You have to make it work for you. We could all tell you what our training routines are, but ultimately, you have to make yourself get there. Change come from within.
V.
Isn't that one of the main purposes of this forum? To help others learn from our experiences? Telling me that I basically need to figure it out for myself isn't really all that helpful...even though I believe you were trying to be helpful.

Why are you training? What are you training for? I find that a concrete goal is the first step to beginning a training plan. You say you just don't want to be the slowest rider in your group - that may not be specific, achievable, etc. enough to be a real goal. How about finding a ride you want to do - a century or metric - and use that as your inspiration. Or if it really is just "be faster", how about a goal of doing a usual ride in a specific time - and then work on that?
I didn't realize how difficult this question was. Why isn't wanting to be able to keep up on group rides a specific enough goal? When I ride on my own I don't have others to help push me. So my rides are slower than when I ride with others. I'm hoping to learn a way of riding by myself that is productive without seeming a chore. Isn't there a way to introduce recreational riders to training without getting into all the technical aspects of it?