1st 25 Mile ride, need to go FASTER!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm not racing or into super long distances or anything like that. I have no mileage goals. I just want to bike for fun. Which, for next year, I want to have fun doing a century at the end of the season.

But isn't wanting to ride a century a mileage goal?

Tip for beginner riders:
I am a slow rider. But one little trick I figured out a while back helped me raise my average speed in a simple way. After my first six months of riding, I thought I was working hard on all my rides. Then i realized that after every uphill I struggled up, I would coast down the other side and keep coasting a long time to rest my legs and enjoy the scenery. I would coast until I needed to start pedaling again. I changed that habit so that I would pedal whenever I could, even when going slightly downhill, where I used to coast. It wasn't a strain on my legs at all, but it kept me going faster overall.
I hadn't even realized I was doing so much coasting until I actually focused on it.

[Tuckervill]

But isn't wanting to ride a century a mileage goal?

Tip for beginner riders:
I am a slow rider. But one little trick I figured out a while back helped me raise my average speed in a simple way. After my first six months of riding, I thought I was working hard on all my rides. Then i realized that after every uphill I struggled up, I would coast down the other side and keep coasting a long time to rest my legs and enjoy the scenery. I would coast until I needed to start pedaling again. I changed that habit so that I would pedal whenever I could, even when going slightly downhill, where I used to coast. It wasn't a strain on my legs at all, but it kept me going faster overall.
I hadn't even realized I was doing so much coasting until I actually focused on it.

I think in context of this thread, I meant no 3000 mile years or whatever. I think if I sign up for a century, I will be motivated to ride enough to make me capable. But I'm not going to get all stressed about it.

I used to do that, too, Lisa...coast to get my heart rate back down I don't have to do that anymore (well, I may because I haven't ridden since October). I like coasting, though. It's FUN. I try not to if I want to have a speedy ride.

My philosophy of fitness is

• Never do anything in one session that will make me not want to do it again.
• Never get caught not having any fun.

Karen

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My philosophy of fitness is

• Never do anything in one session that will make me not want to do it again.
• Never get caught not having any fun.

Karen

Good philosophy! A lot like mine. Happily, I love to ride often, and almost always have fun doing it.

If someone likes to ride fast- that's good!
If someone likes to ride slow- that's good!
If someone likes to ride both fast and slow- that's good!


Sometimes a problem happens when people ride together and have differing pace. Fast riders get frustrated, slow riders get dropped out, etc.
I play oldtime music with lots of other people. My DH and I tend to enjoy playing at an easy speed (just like the way we ride bikes...and other things! =8-O ) Anyway....we have a private joke when we get unhappily stuck playing with people who zoom through playing a fiddle tune at 100mph....we say "well at least it's over with a lot quicker!"

[RoadRaven]

Just agreeing with everyone else here - time on the bike/ consistent riding is crucial to your improvement.
Pushing yourself hard (by trying to ride a known course faster, or drafting others who ride faster than you so your pace is lifted) is important to.

Something that I didn't see clearly said here though is do not try and do every ride fast. Do not treat every ride as an attempt at your personal best.

This will tire your body and leave you "over trained" which will actually have a detrimental effect on your overall fitness.

Rest days (no riding) and/or recovery rides/active recovery days (gentle riding where your heart rate is not lifted by much at all... flat courses, or hills ridden at a slow steady pace with minimal exertion) are just as crucial to improving fitness.

[aicabsolut]

Something that I didn't see clearly said here though is do not try and do every ride fast. Do not treat every ride as an attempt at your personal best.

This will tire your body and leave you "over trained" which will actually have a detrimental effect on your overall fitness.

Rest days (no riding) and/or recovery rides/active recovery days (gentle riding where your heart rate is not lifted by much at all... flat courses, or hills ridden at a slow steady pace with minimal exertion) are just as crucial to improving fitness.

^^^^ very good to remember.

Ride with people faster than you at least once a week and try to hang on. Sit in and draft when you need to rest. Skip taking pulls at first if that's ok with them, or spend a very short time at the front. The competitiveness really helps me push out of my comfort zone, much more so than trying to structure my own intervals. (Just don't pick people who are TOO fast, because then you'll be inclined to say F* it and quit, as you'll be OTB in mere moments.)

[Melalvai]

Sometimes a problem happens when people ride together and have differing pace. Fast riders get frustrated, slow riders get dropped out, etc.

That can be a disaster when it is spouses with different paces! The male ego in particular doesn't like his wife sprinting ahead...

[kelownagirl]

This female ego gets po'ed with the hubby sprints ahead too...