Newbie weekly achievement thread

[skywalkerbeth]

I am back from vacation and the official training has started. I am aiming for the Seagull Century, which is 5 months away. I did a few rides, about 10 miles each, before I left on vacation.

Sunday last week - 12 miles including some actual hills.
Wednesday - 14 miles, some inclines for miles but no real hills.
Saturday: 15 miles - some inclines for miles but no hills. You can feel the grade though.
Sunday (today) 15 miles - ditto, same ride.

So whaddya think - can I get ready in 5 months, when you consider I am starting at almost but not quite zero now?

I feel really good - more energized - and that's only with a little bit of riding!

[Tri Girl]

So whaddya think - can I get ready in 5 months, when you consider I am starting at almost but not quite zero now?

Most definitely!!! Do you have a training plan that you're following? If not- this is a pretty decent one that you can adjust to your specific needs.

http://www.maccfund.org/docs/trek100/riders/train.pdf

It starts at a long ride of 30 miles during the first week, but you can work up to that in a few weeks by making your long ride a little longer each week. Maybe do a 20 next weekend, a 25 the next weekend and a 30 the following. Upping by 5 miles a week on the long ride is doable. Most century training plans have the longest ride before the event to be 65 miles. I never feel comfortable with that. I usually do a 70 or 80 mile ride at least once before a century because, IMO, there is a big difference of how you feel at 65 miles and how you feel at 80. That might be just me, tho.

With it being 5 months out, you have PLENTY of time to work up to a 75 mile ride and do it slowly and progressively.

Good luck!!

[hedgeapple]

I went on my first real road ride yesterday -- 25 miles through country backroads near my house. I've done a few 15+ mile rides through town on the last few weekends, but they included stops at stores, etc. This ride was non-stop except for breaks to check the map. No issues except that my shoulder was killing me by the end! But I think that's a yoga injury, not a bike issue.

I'm on a 2011 Trek 7.3 FX, set up for commuting. Maybe if I keep up the weekend road rides, I'll be able to justify a real road bike soon ...

[chryss]

Last Thursday: 25 miles: 6 miles or so running errants over lunch, and then 19 miles with the slower of two women's riding groups of the local bike club. Flat to the airport and then around the airport practicing pace lines and drafting in a lot of wind (for Fairbanks).

Today: 23 miles, that is 21 on the hilly side of the road (Runkeeper says 1050 ft elevation gain, which is hilly for me!) plus 2 getting to the road and back slowly on gravel roads.

Newbie distances, but my thighs are feeling like jelly tonight.

[skywalkerbeth]

Most definitely!!! Do you have a training plan that you're following? If not- this is a pretty decent one that you can adjust to your specific needs.

http://www.maccfund.org/docs/trek100/riders/train.pdf

It starts at a long ride of 30 miles during the first week, but you can work up to that in a few weeks by making your long ride a little longer each week. Maybe do a 20 next weekend, a 25 the next weekend and a 30 the following. Upping by 5 miles a week on the long ride is doable. Most century training plans have the longest ride before the event to be 65 miles. I never feel comfortable with that. I usually do a 70 or 80 mile ride at least once before a century because, IMO, there is a big difference of how you feel at 65 miles and how you feel at 80. That might be just me, tho.

With it being 5 months out, you have PLENTY of time to work up to a 75 mile ride and do it slowly and progressively.

Good luck!!

Thanks Tri Girl! I think I already lost almost an inch in my butt, not kidding.

My legs (muscles) feel just fine. I do have some aches, though. My right ankle, inside, hurts a little (my riding companion on Wednesday told me I toe in on my right side, big time, for some reason). I don't have shoes with clipless pedals yet, just those "stirrups" you stick your sneaker into...

and my upper back between the shoulder blades, and a little in the lower back.

hmmmmm

[rubysoho]

Twelve miles today. The hills that were hard two weeks ago weren't nearly hard today. Yay! Hoping to bike to work this week now since it is just a twelve mile commute and I feel like I still have energy and could make the ride back home, though maybe a bit slower.

[MojoGrrl]

38+ miles on the tandem this weekend, half of it into the wind. Was planning to do a long solo ride yesterday as well, but we had rain and freak hailstorms scattered throughout the day, and I did not want to get stuck in that. Looks like I won't be doing a ride tomorrow for the same reason.

Also had another awesome run yesterday - running and riding get easier and easier the more I do of each!

[muddysmudge]

I love being on my bike, it's the best therapy in the world

Just over a year a go, I had major surgery. After 8 weeks of complete rest (sunning myself in the garden!) I decided enough was enough and dragged the bike out of the garage and gave it a wash.

That afternoon I cycled to my local park and had to have a rest on a bench when I got there. (I was enjoying the view!!) But boy, I was so pleased I'd cycled all that way and not stopped, a whole 1.5 miles.

Bit by bit, day by day, I cycled just a little bit further. A week later, I cycled all around the park once I got there, twice! A mile round, each time. A week after that, I cycled there, twice round, and then home again. A large glass of wine was my personal present that evening! And my thighs hurt like hell....but I didn't care, I was grinning from ear to ear!

A year on and I do a 26 mile round trip commute four days a week into London and back home on my (new) road bike. I go mountain biking at the weekends with 'the boys' on my full-sus mtb, and road biking with the girls as well. I go cycling with my kids, I go cycling with close friends. And I even (occasionally) like hills! With a good friend I've entered a 100 mile sportive in Brighton in September, the challenge is on!!

And yeah, sometimes my thighs still hurt like hell, but I just love it

The great thing about cycling is it really doesn't matter how far you go, it's always great fun. But if you keep at it, your fitness will improve very quickly, much more so I think than other sports.

As we sometimes say over here, "slowly, slowly, catchey monkey". In other words, bit by bit, keep the patience and you will win the game

Oh, and by the way, I'm the wrong side of 40, so if I can do it, anyone can

[hebe]

That's brilliant, Muddysmudge!

I took my Spesh out today for a little off-road riding whilst Small Girl was in nursery. It's been a while as I've been running errands on the other bike this year rather than riding for the fun of it. I had a great time, did 7.5miles which I'm quite pleased with as my normal off-road circuit is 5miles. My target is to get up to 10 off-road miles, which I think should be do-able especially as I explore more byways and bridleways.