Beginner to road biking/want to start racing!

[Kimred]

I did my first TT on my Mt.bike a couple years ago and have been hooked ever since. If you can make it to Erie PA on Sept 18 your should try out the 12 1/2 mile TT. Go to Runhigh.com and look under events for info. I have raced every race in that area. I also highly recommend getting a Heart Rate Monitor. I cannot train without one. I saw a coach in Buffalo and he got me started on my winter training a couple months ago. I needed to work on my endurance. Had tons of leg strength my heart could not keep up with them. Now that I have faithfully been working on long endurance rides with HRM I have improved greatly. I also work on getting my RPM's to about 120 for a minute on 2 minutes off 4 x in a row. It's a great way to work the fast twitch muscles. Truly I could go on all night on training, But I do recommend getting The Lance Armstorng Performance Program by Lance and Chris Carmichael. It's a great way to get started!!

Good Luck and keep on having fun, I love to race because it gives me goals and keeps me motivated but at the same time all the training can take the fun out of just riding to JUST RIDE!

Kim

[abarensfeld7]

hi sarahk,
thanks for all the ny info! i made a big mistake, though. i think i overdid it a bit this summer because a couple days' break from training turned into a 3 weeks off, pretty much. I did some mountain biking and a few road rides but all in all i pretty much just took it easy. now i'm definitely not in race shape anymore. probably would huff and puff through the public race at the thater crit and it just wouldn't be pretty.
stupid move!

[BikeMomma]

hi sarahk,
thanks for all the ny info! i made a big mistake, though. i think i overdid it a bit this summer because a couple days' break from training turned into a 3 weeks off, pretty much. I did some mountain biking and a few road rides but all in all i pretty much just took it easy. now i'm definitely not in race shape anymore. probably would huff and puff through the public race at the thater crit and it just wouldn't be pretty.
stupid move!

That's the thing about racing....once you get that competitive spirit, it becomes addicting, and then it's verrry easy to overdo it, as it seems you found out. I preach baby steps and above all, patience. Your form will come, but never as fast as you want it to. The most important thing in training is to remember to just have fun - don't make it work, and don't make yourself think you have to (you want to, remember?). Do fun rides, not just training rides. Good for the psyche!!

[abarensfeld7]

thanks for the tips bikemomma.
i've been really mixing it up recently with my mountain bike, road bike, rock climbing, etc. recently instead of all road bike all the time. i think it's important for me to keep things varied. things might be different when collegiate racing season rolls around in the spring, but for now this seems to be doing the trick!

[BikeMomma]

thanks for the tips bikemomma.
i've been really mixing it up recently with my mountain bike, road bike, rock climbing, etc. recently instead of all road bike all the time. i think it's important for me to keep things varied. things might be different when collegiate racing season rolls around in the spring, but for now this seems to be doing the trick!

I admire you for being able to do all that! I've actually never been mountain biking...I can't believe I've never tried it. Guess I need to get a mountain bike first, tho'!! (Ooooh...that would be another bike to name!!) I tried rock climbing a loooong time ago, in beautiful Yosemite of all places (what a place to start, eh??), and loved it so much, I bought some expensive climbing shoes and have never used them!! I swear I will someday! Where do you go rock climbing? (sorry, this is a little off-topic)

[DirtDiva]

I'd love to get into climbing! Problem is finding someone with a little knowhow you trust enough to hold the other end of the rope.

[abarensfeld7]

I'd been rock climbing a handful of times but spread out over 6-7 years; I never remembered how to belay from one instance to the next. A few weeks ago I went climbing in the Adirondacks and decided it was something I'd like to remember how to do this time around...
Cornell (where I go to school) has a big, wonderful rock wall where you can boulder (climb at low heights off rope) all you want and climb with top rope if you get belay certified. They are open 7 days a week in the evenings so it's easy to get in there. If I'm alone I just boulder which I think is almost as fun as climbing upwards. They have lots of bouldering "problems" (difficult moves made up of only 5 or so holds) to work on which keeps things interesting. Kiwi, have you ever thought of trying this? No need for a partner.
Cheers!