How to Start Training?

[Pedal Wench]

li,

I do try some of the fun things to train. I have sections on my solo ride that I pretend are group sprints. Just easy flat sections, and I go all out to the red mailbox. Another section that I try to beat a traffic light. Another section that I pretend I'm breaking away from a pack and go as fast as I can to the stop sign. I've never realized that they were intervals. They're just really fun sections. Is there a section on your ride that you like to go fast, and where you actually can go fast? Use them to your advantage.

[spazzdog]

Hey li... why cry? A lot of us would be very happy to be performing as well as you are. And realistically, performance highs happen... that old genetics and phsiology thing.

I guess, I just don't get "the need to keep up" when I ride. I'm either with folks or not... I'm not going to drive myself crazy (or beat myself up) because I can't hang with the fast puppies.

Good luck to you grrl! I hope, above all else, you're able to have fun.

spazz

[li10up]

This is probably lame to a lot of you but I actually went out solo with a specific plan and actually stuck to it. I was supposed to ride early on Sunday but my friends both bailed on me (they had good reasons). By that afternoon the weather was just beautiful so I HAD to ride. I decided to do this one section of hills that I've been putting off trying on my new bike. I decided I'd ride up them, turn around, and do it again. Well, about 10 minutes into my warm up I started having second thoughts. But after I was warmed up and started feeling good I decided to do it. Now I don't know how long this set of hills are (I'll have to check) but the total elevation is 233 feet (according to Goggle Earth). I don't know if that's much to most of you but around here those are some pretty good hills. They kind of go up, flatten out a bit and then go up, again, repeat. Anyhow, the first time up it took me 12:17. The second time it was 11:51. Now the numbers at this point don't mean all that much to me....just the fact that I went out with a training goal in mind and stuck to it. That was the first time I was able to do that. That in itself was rewarding. Maybe next time I'll do some road sign intervals. Hopefully I'll be able to keep at this. Thanks for listening!!!

[mountainchick]

Good for you! Sounds like you had fun out there too which is important! Keep up the good work.

[jobob]

This is probably lame to a lot of you

Good grief, not in the least. We all had to start somewhere ! even maillotpois, I suppose

The key is to start and stick with it. But even more important, like mountainchick said, is to keep it fun. Don't let it become a chore.

Best of luck - I hope you look back at your post a year from now and feel really happy with how you progressed.

[RoadRaven]

Way to go, li!!

You hill-repping monster you!

Training/planning to train is easy huh?
Don't worry about the stats... you decided to do hill reps and you did! I find that a big mental effort cause hills are such a challenge...

I collect little more for my journal than my time on the bike and number of reps when doing hill reps, after all, doing the reps/knowing you have done the reps is the important thing.

Fantastic.