"over 40"...show of hands?

[Irulan]

Originally posted by jobob
Hi Gretchen!

Uh... training routine? What's that?

- Jo.

uh, yah. BTDT with the note book at all. I ride a lot in the summer, do some walking when I'm not riding. In the winter I ski as much as possible, spin a couple of times a weeks, lift a couple of times a week. Try to eat good stuff most of the time.

that's about it.

Irulan

[gretchen]

I'm becoming posessed by the bike thing..not sure why or what's going on, but prob. the personal challenge is the motivator. i'm spending way too much time surfing the web for bike info. My husband must be wondering who i am and who stole his wife!

I feel like if i don't seriously train now, come July, i'll be facing horrible days of "what was i thinking"! (the BIKE-AID ride).
I can't wait to get this pinched nerve (bulging disk...fun fun) fixed so i can push a little more.

I always thought i was in pretty good shape and all...walking my doggies (two of the world's best yellow labs...3 yr. old today! Happy Birthday to you...oh sorry...) for a 3 mile walk reliously every morning...sometimes cross country skiing with them, swimming a couple of times a week adn in the summer, riding every moment i can possibly fit in. Mostly just trails but pretty decent distances (20-70 miles). Then...I was reading about training in the "Dead Zone" or "No-mans land". That was ME! I would excercise just enough to be comfy...not really pushing myself to the next level. Not getting that heart rate up adn keeping it there (i'm ordering a heart monitor today...Polar M61) What a difference it has made to "get serious"! I just hope i can handle this summer ride. As i rmember from my many visits to sunny CA, the land is not exactly Illinois flats!!!!!!!!!!

Jobob - your training rides each week sound soooo perfect, thanks for the idea! I can't wait for the snow to melt!

I asked in another posting what kind of bike i ride now if i want to train on the awesome trails that go for miles and miles and miles right out my back door. Will I ruin my new road bike? I just don't want to wreck it adn don't want a car to wreck me!
I'm off to check out tht website jobob mentioned.
"obsessed" (that should be my new name!)

[snapdragen]

Hi there! I checked out the Bike-Aid site - you're gonna do some hills girl! You're training now, so that's good, and I believe you mentioned spin classes? Those really helped me last year with hills, keep it up. Do you have to have surgery for your back? Have they given you any recuperation time? My dad had disc problems, he was lucky, a week in traction, and religious about exercise has kept it in check.

Do you still have your hybrid bike? You could ride the trails you mentioned on the hybrid, and ride your new bike on the street. That's actually a trick some of the AIDS riders used, they trained on heavier bikes, then switched to their lighter road bikes about a month before the ride. You could also get some "bomb proof" tires for your road bike - I like Panaracer Pasela TG. Bike Nashbar carries them (Item #PA-PSLTGK). In fact, I'd recommend them for your big ride too. I used them on the AIDS ride, and had NO flats.

You'll need to get used to riding in traffic - your trip will be on streets and highways. Do you have a local bike club? That might be a good place to start, go out on group rides and get used to riding with traffic. It's not as scary as it sounds!

Any other hints for her California Girls? I'm tired and starting to ramble.....

[gretchen]

Snapdragon..you were a plethera of info...THANKS!
Back Surgery: It's prob. more my choice...it's just a constant twinge....after working out it gets worse, and only in my right hip and leg. My left leg is saying "what's the big deal...get over it right leg, i'm feeling no pain". The recovery time is quick. The neurosurgeon just goes in (microsurgery), shaves the bone that the nerve is being pressed up against and and relieves the pressure. Wa La. It's an outpatient thing. He said i can resume training right away (!).
I am feeling so much stronger training but have this annoying pain that keeps my left side thinking that it's overworked...NOT!

Spin class is going great. The first one i took 4 weeks ago was tough and yesterday I almost stayed for the second class. I'm loving it as i get stronger adn stronger.

I wrote down the tire info. Thanks!!!!

and as for hills. I HATE HILLS. Guess i better get over that, huh?
My game plan is to add a "hills" day to my routine when the weather gets nice. Our house is sorounded by hills and i'll just make a course of hills around our neighborhood. (My neighbors will think i've totally lost it).
Joining a local bike club is also on my "List-O-Things-To-Do".

Time to take the doggies for their walk!
Thanks again! : ))))

[emily_in_nc]

I'm 42 and have been riding off and on since age 27 or so. Got much more serious about it last year and rode my first four full centuries (other than one stoking a tandem about a decade ago). I plan to ride til I'm in my 70s - or longer! Seriously, the average age in our bike club is 40s! All the "young'uns" these days seem to be into mountain biking and leave the road biking for us oldsters!

Emily

[steph40]

Have been biking off and on since I was 5. Bought my new bike June 9 2001 and had a horseback riding accident a week later...moved twice in the next 2 years and am NOW just NOW getting back into it.

Lots of dangerous traffice here in Ft. Lauderdale. Anyone know of good times/places to bike here? My bike club is very suburban....I'm closer to downtown and the beach. Don't like the idea of driving to the suburbs just to ride in THEIR traffice as opposed to my own!

[mtnbikenmama]

I'm 45, started mtn biking 2 years ago, I was an avid hiker prior until the hip started bothering me too much, took up the bike and haven't turned back. Now I'm a happy cycling fanatic.

donna

[Debbie Long]

Hey there. Do to my husbands mid life transition we are biking across the country. I just started training a little over 3 weeks ago and doing better than I ever expected. Of course this is a full time event for me right now and I am following the plan laid out for me, eating the right foods, etc. I am surprised at how well my body is responding and I am sure you will do great. I hope this will be something I will c ontinue for a long time. It's beautiful out there and when you get bored, just sing some silly songs.

[makbike]

46 1/2 and feeling great! Like others I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. I can honestly say I'm passionate about my riding and it has been a blessing. I ride with a woman who is 75 year young and I can only hope I'm as active (she typically rides 50 - 80 miles/day) as she is when I hit 75. She is an outstanding role model!

[OakLeaf]

48 - how'd this thread get revived?

[beccaB]

just turned 47, which makes me the same age as Obama, but older than Chris Chelios.

[tulip]

Those who didn't qualify when this thread first appeared might well be in their mid-40s by now!

Yes, I'm 40 and happier and healthier than ever.

[shootingstar]

48 - how'd this thread get revived?

We must have poor memory --seems like this age topic comes up under different 'guises.

49. Got back to cycling regularily when I was nearly 32 and bought my own bike then.

Cycling is like my security/fitness security blanket...and it's also my "car"..haven't lived a home with a car..uh, since I was 21.

[NadiaMac]

Over 40 here as well. Started riding regularly two years ago after a 55 pound weight loss and serious foot surgery. I am now in the best shape of my life

[shootingstar]

This is the over 50 thread:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=7782

methinks there's someone on TE who is over 60..where are you??

Hey, great photo Zen.