trying to start all over again

[Yelsel]

Hey, I can really empathize. I had a multi-year sick in bed layoff, and I started out just using the stairs and walking for 15-30 minutes at a time. A couple months later, I started biking to work - only 4 miles, and I took the bus+bike there or back as often as I biked both ways. Then I started riding a bit more for weekend rides, and a little bit of light, close bike errands.

Another setback with a really bad tibia stress fracture in January (running on the treadmill too fast too soon, my muscles and tendons were back up to par after a year, but not my bones), and when I was eventually allowed to ride again in mid-May, I could only increase mileage by 10% a week. It goes really slowly at first! Plus I needed to divide my time between commute (now 8 miles each way) and weekend rides. At the moment I commute 3 days a week, do grocery errands, have one day on the trainer, and am increasing gradually on the long weekend ride. Only being allowed a couple miles increase per week total (and having to split it between different goals) made it much easier to work up to about 45-50 miles on the weekend (which is what I'm at now for my long ride). I look at the ride books to find rides of the right length, and then add the mileage there and back if I'm biking to the start. Being forced to add slowly made it really exciting every time I got to increase the long ride by a couple miles, so I haven't hit a barrier yet.

[Red Rock]

Trying to start all over agian...that is how I feel right now. I have read what everyone hear has said, I think I just need to apply it.

I have gone on a few rides since the weather here has cooled off. When I have, I have done serious hard rides. Meaning going realtivly fast for me, so I have a high heart rate. Then it takes a while for the heart rate to come down. I'm 40 yrs old which is something that I have to keep reminding myself of. I am not 18-20 when my body was superflexible and could do everything. I do not have other health issues either. So I should be ok.

I must admit that I really did not do anything over June, July, August, and I guess September too. So my cardio system is not in good shape right now. I miss my bike. I need to go ride but I do not want to over do it either. Then of course it really makes me mad when I see people in lycra on good bikes blowing through stoplights. Then I either read or hear how people are being injured by cycling.

I do not know if all of this is in my head and I just have to block it all. The other thing I have to work on is finding other exercise I can do when the temps reach over 100 during the summer. My summer is like winter to the rest of the world. Fall, Winter, and Spring are riding times around here. I should be outthere.

Any suggestions on how to get back ouththere in a safe manner?

Thank you for listening. I hope I have not rambled to much.

Red Rock

[Crankin]

Can you swim in the summer? Take spin classes or get a trainer? Hike/walk very early in the AM? Weight lifting?
These are all of the things I did when I lived in a 100 degree climate.

[e.e.cummings]

I was in a funk for a while. I had my son, immediately lost the weight because of nursing, but then gained when the nursing stopped. I thought I was going to have another, a number of false starts, until I accepted it was not going to happen (I figured, why put a lot of effort into losing weight and getting tight abs if I am going to get pregnant again?) Then I had an operation that put me out of commission exercise-wise. Afterwards, I bought a bike and started to do decent rides, but I needed more. I finally signed up with a local gym - they have a four month program called 'transform' - they measure, weigh you, follow your stats, you are followed by a trainer and nutritionist during that time, then continue on your own after four months. I have a ciricuit training program and I do the spinning classes, which are fantastic workouts - I rarely get that intensity on the roads (hard when you have a child with you most of the times). The people there are great and gunning for each other. I am starting to see results and I doubt if I would have had the motivation if I was not being coaxed along by the staff and the great people at the gym. Give it a thought - a year ago, I would have never thought I would gone to a gym, just hated them, but now I see results. Good luck, we are all behind you!

[Red Rock]

Thank you for your replies.

Since I posted, I have tried to make an effort to go outside and at least DO something, either hiking or cycling. So today, I went for a two hour hike. It has been so long since I took a hike! I could not believe my legs when I got back to the house. I immediately found the foam roller and rolled out my "butt", along my IT band, and the quads.

I think I still got some good exercise without pushing the envelope to much. I think I am underestimating my abilities to some degree. I have not gained a whole lot of weight, something like 10-15 pounds? With strict eating and watching my exercise it should come off fairly easily. I just have to watchout for the chocolate food group Mixing things up a bit might help my mental state too.

I think the next step is to remember to take it slowly on the bike next time. I am not in a race, I am out to have fun and enjoy the riding. SPEED is NOT a factor! Perhaps I should plaster this on my handlebars to remind me.

Small steps...Thank you for your help.

Red Rock