Women's opinion please!!

[VeloMel]

This is my second year road cycling. The season just started and I hadn't been out since Oct. Of last year. My fiancee had me go on a 30 mile ride with him my 3rd day out, it took us 2 hours. I'd say I "bonked" twards the end. Is he trying to kill me? I just don't know if that is going to "hurt" me going all out like that so early in the season.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I just started riding after a whole winter off and I'm not in great shape now because of it.
So far I've done.... 10 miles and 16 miles. By mid season I can do 50 mile rides or more with no great problem, but it takes a month or two to work my way up to that comfortably.

If I feel a ride is too long for me for whatever reason, I just say so and I do a shorter one.

[MartianDestiny]

Completely depends on how experienced of a cyclist you are, where you were at the end of last season, what you did over the winter, and how "hard" the 30 miles are.

I stopped riding at the beginning of October (maybe even before then) last year (school, new dog, weather, etc). Did nothing (except attempt to train a dog) as far as exercise all winter. Got on my bike last month and just went. Yea, it hurt. Yea, I got dropped (by racers who had trained all winter...). But, yes, I finished 30 miles without falling over, bonking, or dying. Two weeks (give or take) of solid riding and gym time and I'm getting just about back where I was last year, at least as far as endurance.

But at the end of last season I was capable of doing unplanned centuries with a day's notice, hanging with the "intermediate" group (16-18mph average) for 65 miles, and 30 miles at 15 mph was an extremely "easy" "recovery" day or a mid-week, before work jaunt. If 30 miles was difficult for you before it certainly won't be any easier now, but if it was a wimpy little "get out and spin" ride then it should be no problem. In the middle, well I wouldn't say it's the end of the world so long as you are physically capable of doing it. Just listen to your body, more than muscle soreness or prolonged muscle soreness=back off and then start back slower. Won't ruin your season, if that's what you are worried about.

But you HAVE to hydrate and eat. Otherwise it doesn't matter how in shape you are, you will bonk, and then you will get road rash, and then you'll get a trip to the ER for IV fluids....NO FUN.

[Biciclista]

remember not to depend on your ride partner for stuff like nutrition and water.
Always carry food with you, like a candy bar or an energy bar, and water too.
Velo, we can't tell where you're from so we can't figure if you didn't eat enough or if it was so hot that you were suffering from dehydration issues. So tell us more.

[OakLeaf]

I can't go two hours of hard riding without eating. Used to be able to, can't any more. Took me a while to figure it out. An hour and a half is about my limit.

Whether it would "hurt" you... what do you mean by hurt? What are your training goals for the season? What you do after a long, hard effort is super-important in your recovery. (1) Eat - 300-500 calories of mostly carbs within the first 15 minutes, plus a few grams of protein, and replace any fluids and electrolytes you didn't replace during the effort. (2) Static stretching. (3) Ice any injuries, some people "like" an ice bath regardless, 10 minutes or so. (4) Compression sleeves or stockings.

If you've got a whole lot of delayed-onset muscle soreness, then take a few days of gentle activity to circulate the lymphatic fluid and bring blood circulation to the damaged muscles, gentle enough to not cause any more breakdown until you're ready for some more hard effort (but not excessively hard, next time).

[azfiddle]

I've been reading Nancy Clark's books on sports nutrition and nutrition for cyclists. Fuel for the ride comes from glycogen, and the amount of stored glycogen you have available in muscles, liver and blood is less than 2000 calories (that may be too high if you weigh less than 150). I don't have the exact numbers, but it was something like 1300 calories worth of glycogen in the muscles and 350 in the liver. After that, you've depleted your energy source.

For me, 2 hours of riding uses about 1200 calories, and I am down to 113 pounds, so I probably have less glycogen available. If I do rides less than 1 1/2 hours, I don't need a snack. Now I know why I really need to start eating if I ride more than 25-30 miles, because I have used up all the available energy. Hope that's helpful

[VeloMel]

I was a very strong rider last year. I cycled up the kancamagus last year, I feel lightyears away from that now. I only ever ride with men, mostly my fiance. I drink 2 times as much water as he does, and I feel like I need to eat a lot more than he does too. It's hard for me to tell if he's a freak of nature or I'm too needy. I do want to enter hill climb challenges this year, and I want to get back to the shape I was in last year. I guess I just need to do some research on training and nutrition for long rides.

[Veronica]

It's not that you're too needy, it's that your body needs are different.


Veronica

[MartianDestiny]

It's not that you're too needy, it's that your body needs are different.


Veronica

Quoted for truth.

Eat and drink in the amounts that YOUR body is telling you to. I can down an entire powerbar and a bottle of HEED in a 30 mile ride, especially if I'm exerting myself (note I didn't use a speed to represent that).

[Crankin]

I'm the same way. It takes me a long time to ramp up for the season and I do fairly strenuous stuff in the winter. I always drink tons more and need to eat more than most people. I am good with just water for 15-20 miles, but only if I am well fed and hydrated before. Over 20 miles, I need energy in my drink, as well as solid food, in little bits as I go. Heat affects me greatly.

[nscrbug]

Heck...am I the only one who thinks that 30 miles in 2 hours is pretty dang good??? Yesterday, I rode 42 miles with my cycling partner...and it took us 2 hrs and 40 some minutes. Maybe I just suck that bad...

[Veronica]

A lot depends on the terrain. It takes me around two hours to go 12 miles when I'm climbing the local mountain.

Veronica

[redrhodie]

Yesterday, I rode 42 miles with my cycling partner...and it took us 2 hrs and 40 some minutes. Maybe I just suck that bad...

Absolutely not! There's no sucking there! Those are respectable times, windy or not, and I'm guessing from its nickname Chitown is windy.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Heck...am I the only one who thinks that 30 miles in 2 hours is pretty dang good??? Yesterday, I rode 42 miles with my cycling partner...and it took us 2 hrs and 40 some minutes. Maybe I just suck that bad...

No, you are not the only one. My average is usually around 10mph. Way slower than just about any of you!

[Trekhawk]

It's not that you're too needy, it's that your body needs are different.


Veronica

I agree with V. I can not find the link but I remember someone posting an article about the fuel requirements of men and women during exercise. I think the gist was that men can exercise for longer using stored fuel but this is not the same for women. Also it mentioned that carbo loading in days before an event worked for men but not women.