do you ride by time or miles?

[smilingcat]

On my trainer, strictly time :P total miles is nada zippo. I do play a game on my trainer to keep me entertained. I want to see how hot I can get my mags by the end of the workout. I keep track of the time in different "zone".

Out on the road, typical distance is anywhere from 25-45 miles. Don't keep a log of time nor miles. I usually go out with idea of how many intervals I want to do or how many hill climb sets I want to do... So not paying much attention to miles nor time.

What I used to do after HRM became available was to watch my HR and keeping it in the "zone" during the alloted time.

Rest day is bit different I try to log in about 10 easy flat miles. No exertion really.

I just don't like to be a slave to my cycling computer anymore. But just too curious so I'm still look at my HR and compare to what I'm feeling.

But if you are just starting, keep track of miles and times.

[DarcyInOregon]

I don’t think one can call another cyclist’s miles “junk” miles. There are too many variables with respect to weather conditions, physical condition of the cyclist, physical disabilities the cyclist might have that are not apparent to others, the condition of the cyclist’s bicycle and other factors. A person can judge their own miles, but not the miles of others.

For example, on Sunday I cycled a metric century. Maybe another cyclist cycled 120 miles up a mountain chain. A friend of mine cycled 3 miles. I know my miles were not “junk” miles. Pedaling 120 miles up a mountain chain can’t be junk miles. And as for my friend, she is only a few months out of chemotherapy for breast cancer, and her 3 miles is an incredible achievement and are most certainly not junk miles for her.

Darcy

[SadieKate]

There are many who focus on miles without thought to what the miles accomplish other than a total aggregate to be able to say "I rode more miles than you did." I know people who go out of their way to figure out the easiest way to ride more miles and then boast to the world how many miles they rode. Feel free to call those whatever you want. My term is junk miles.

Did you accomplish a century? Achieve a better TT time? Podium or win a race? Climb a hill for the first time without stopping? Ride farther than you have before? Commute to work as planned?

That is what is important to me. Not that I rode X miles for the year and definitely not more miles than someone else.

[Fredwina]

Actually , I'm in agreement with Darcy and SK - you can't compare your miles to another persons miles - too many variables , (body, bike, goals) and it's a trap that too many people get into - If i do the xxxK brevet , ill be ahead of Studette on bike journal. The number of hits on my journal there only increase right after I do a brevet. And that's one of the reasons I DNF'ed my last one - I just riding to get back to start, and not having a lot of fun (I usually send an invoice to folk who make me work and not have fun )

[SouthernBelle]

I started out this season with a specific, increasing schedule of days and mileage. I finally realized that I was taking the fun out of it for myself. I ride for 2 reasons, fun and fitness. I'll still hit one or 2 of my goals for the year. I'll still continue to improve.

That all came to mind with the term junk miles. That mileage was turning my rides into junk.

[DarcyInOregon]

I think a cyclist can only determine if their personal miles are junk miles or not. I will never categorize another cyclist, no matter if I am perceiving words or actions, because I lack the knowledge to know all of the variables.

However, I think cyclists who ride in packs and who are familiar with each other, that will result in a more intimate knowledge of each other's fitness levels, life conditions and other factors that contribute to a ride, and then one can secretly think thoughts about the other members of their packs.

For myself, I've never had a junk ride, thus I've never had junk miles. I've only had rides that were too short because of the weather conditions, or I've had rides that were too slow because of the riding conditions.

I can't set times for my riding goals like other cyclists because even though I might repeat a route, the weather and road conditions will alter considerably from day-to-day and week-to-week. Wind and rain are the big factors for me. But other things will happen with respect to road condition, like getting stuck behind a large piece of farm equipment that takes up both lanes and with machine parts poking out the sides into the shoulders of the road, and the size of the machine doesn't leave me any room to pass. Therefore I've found myself pedaling at 4 mph behind farm equipment for a mile or more. Those miles haven't been junk miles either, because I learned I can pedal real sloooooooooow if I have to do so.


Darcy

[Batbike]

I started out this season with a specific, increasing schedule of days and mileage. I finally realized that I was taking the fun out of it for myself. I ride for 2 reasons, fun and fitness. I'll still hit one or 2 of my goals for the year. I'll still continue to improve.

That all came to mind with the term junk miles. That mileage was turning my rides into junk.

I am with you ... having set a mileage goal and speed/cadence goal at beginning of year, only to discover that the numbers were taking the fun away. I literally would have days where I felt I "had to ride" and with that attitude, the rides became **junk mile** rides.

Weird part: I ride by time -- trying to ride XYZ amount of time and hope for XZY amount of miles (toward my goal). No fun ... doesn't help my fitness because my inner soul is not filled ... yep, to me that is junk!

New goals ... time is good; miles will come ... I will improve my self because myself will be physically, mentally, and spiritually improved!

[smilingcat]

Yes... the main reason I quit downhill (besides being too small physically) was that the fun factor had disappeared long before. Most kids would love to go ski. I reached a point where I would do anything to get out of it. First few years of racing camp was okay... Then it got serious.... then it wasn't fun anymore...

I quit then moved over to freestyle skiing. We did it because we were too stupid to realize that crashing result in major pain. It took several major crashes before I realized that the two were somehow inexplicably related.

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Same thing with cycling. Everyone has different goals. Some want to be on the podium and for others, just to be able to ride is a big accomplishement.

Darcy, I really have to applaud your friend for riding the three miles. She is really a tough person. If you had fun then it was a great.

Enjoy the ride for what it is. If the goal you set for yourself is making you unhappy then seriously re think about your goal. Or is your goal really to be riding 200miles a week no matter what or train 20 hours a week?

smilingcat

[IFjane]

New goals ... time is good; miles will come ... I will improve my self because myself will be physically, mentally, and spiritually improved!

Bat - you have summed it up perfectly right here. Riding should be fun. If fitness improves, great. If speed improves, great. But make it fun. I know I feel MUCH better when I can get out on the bike. I hope to get faster, but I don't really care. Hop on the saddle & ride your ride. That's what counts!