Just curious...miles per year?

[tjodit]

Well, I don't know if I'll ever be able to put up miles like you ladies, or should I say cycling machines, but at least I already have half the miles I had for the whole of last year! I've decided to give up one of my racquetball days for cycling also. Keep up the good work everyone!

[SadieKate]

I really want to offer encouragement to everyone who is concerned about how her yearly mileage compares to others. Remember that it isn’t the number of miles a year you ride but that the miles you ride are satisfying and help you attain your goals. I’ll offer an example. Over the last 7 days, I rode 141 miles. Sounds wimpy by some of the posts above, right? But those were all mountain bike miles at 5,000 ft or higher altitude. I would have to have ridden about 300 road miles over the same 7 days to come close to the same effort level. In other words, my mile is not the same as your mile or anyone else’s mile unless you were there with me under the same conditions.

The miles I rode prior to these 7 days were what I needed to ride to accomplish my goal of having a sufficient fitness level to ride a very hilly metric at the end of March and to enjoy my mountain bike trip. I rode the mountain bike trip at a leisurely and fun pace but used the hills as training for a double metric I hope to ride at the beginning of May. This all builds to another mountain bike trip at the end of May and a flat century in June. Pardon me, but I really couldn’t give a rat’s patootie about the total mileage for the year. Yeah, it is a fun number to see building but the really important numbers are the ones you need to hit organized rides, general fitness goals, conquering that hill, lessening the puke factor, whatever. Focus on the intermediate goals and ride your ride. You’ll remember those accomplishments more fondly and have better stories in your old age.

[maillotpois]

I really want to offer encouragement to everyone who is concerned about how her yearly mileage compares to other. Remember that it isn’t the number of miles a year you ride but that the miles you ride are satisfying and help you attain your goals. I’ll offer an example. Over the last 7 days, I rode 141 miles. Sounds wimpy by some of the posts above, right? But those were all mountain bike miles at 5,000 ft or higher altitude. I would have to have ridden about 300 road miles over the same 7 days to come close to the same effort level. In other words, my mile is not the same as your mile or anyone else’s mile unless you were there with me under the same conditions.

The miles I rode prior to these 7 days were what I needed to ride to accomplish my goal of having a sufficient fitness level to ride a very hilly metric at the end of March and to enjoy my mountain bike trip. I rode the mountain bike trip at a leisurely and fun pace but used the hills as training for a double metric I hope to ride at the beginning of May. This all builds to another mountain bike trip at the end of May and a flat century in June. Pardon me, but I really couldn’t give a rat’s patootie about the total mileage for the year. Yeah, it is a fun number to see building but the really important numbers are the ones you need to hit organized rides, general fitness goals, conquering that hill, lessening the puke factor, whatever. Focus on the intermediate goals and ride your ride. You’ll remember those accomplishments more fondly and have better stories in your old age.

Here here! This is SO true. Anyone's 10 miles are not the same as anyone else's. There are so many variables. Wind, hills, elevation, bike and equipment, tire pressure, what sort of day you had, what you ate the day before, etc. ad infiniutm. I've done doubles that were "easier" than some 70 miles rides I've done. Ride your ride, compete with yourself if you want. But make it fun.

However, I have to disagree with SK about the whole "lessening the puke factor" thing. How else are we to lose weight and improve speed on hills?

[SadieKate]

OK, I'll tell you what my real training motto is then: "Lessen the pain." Such a positive message, huh? I didn't want to say it because everybody deals with pain differently. I learned a lot about myself when I started riding 10 mile TT's last year. It takes a whole different sort of pain management technique. It's all about how long you can maintain your pain at just below puke level with no motivation other than the clock. Those 10 miles of racing can be excruciatingly harder than much longer rides.

Those excruciating 10 miles made me a faster rider but I just never thought of actually pushing it above puke level for even more speed. Have to think about the logic of that one. . . .

[KnottedYet]

Less pain, more gain!

I've *got* to get a bike computer, mainly so I know how fast I'm going. And if I wanna do the same # miles per year as $ I paid for the bike, hey I'll have it easy! Probably already have 1/4 of my 380 done!

I'm more the instant gratification sort. "How fast am I going now? How fast... now? And NOW? Ooooh, how fast right....now...?" Inquiring minds want to know!

[maillotpois]

Sorry, SK but your (very well-thought out) expanded discussion of your motto has now started the complete dialogue from The Princess Bride where Westley threatens to duel Humperdink "To the pain" running through my head:

Westley:To the pain means the first thing you will lose will be your feet below the ankles. Then your hands at the wrists. Next your nose.
Prince Humperdinck: And then my tongue I suppose, I killed you too quickly the last time. A mistake I don't mean to duplicate tonight.
Westley: I wasn't finished. The next thing you will lose will be your left eye followed by your right.
Prince Humperdinck: And then my ears, I understand let's get on with it.
Westley: WRONG. Your ears you keep and I'll tell you why. So that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, "Dear God! What is that thing," will echo in your perfect ears. That is what to the pain means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.
Prince Humperdinck: I think your bluffing.
Westley: It's possible, Pig, I might be bluffing. It's conceivable, you miserable, vomitous mass, that I'm only lying here because I lack the strength to stand. But, then again... perhaps I have the strength after all.

Clearly I am disturbed today!

Anyway, the whole 10 miles of pain sounds great. A nice limited window of excruciating suffering.

[SadieKate]

Ah, a new motto for training. "You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles."

Or my own: "You gots to be prepared for the ROUS's in your path."

[Veronica]

That's inconceivable!

[SadieKate]

Anyway, the whole 10 miles of pain sounds great. A nice limited window of excruciating suffering.

"As you wish."

The time trials are every other Wednesday night in Davis and they're talking about doing a series in West Sac on the other Weds. You can stop off on your way home one day. Just think how good it will feel to get back in the car.

Everyone needs a Fezzik in their life.

[maillotpois]

"As you wish."

The time trials are every other Wednesday night in Davis and they're talking about doing a series in West Sac on the other Weds. You can stop off on your way home one day. Just think how good it will feel to get back in the car.

Everyone needs a Fezzik in their life.

Mid-June might work for this. Em will be at camp, and I have a lot more flexibility. Also, I don't have anything in Sac on a Wednesday before then. Sounds like fun.

No more rhymes now, I mean it.
Anybody want a peanut?

[tjodit]

I really want to offer encouragement to everyone who is concerned about how her yearly mileage compares to others. Remember that it isn’t the number of miles a year you ride but that the miles you ride are satisfying and help you attain your goals.

I totally agree with your advice and appreciate the encouragement. However, the reason I (and probably other newbies) am curious about this is not to compare myself to someone else but to see if I am progressing at a "normal" rate. What I mean is it would be comforting to know that all you biking machines started out only being able to ride 15 to 20 miles at a time and at a speed less than 15 mph. I've started keeping a bike journal and can now see that I've gone from an average speed of about 12 miles an hour to 14.x an hour. Yesterday's ride broke the 15 mph avg. barrier! I've gone from being able to comfortably ride 12-18 miles to being comfortable at 20-25 miles. I know these aren't hugh strides but I am making progress. I think we newbies want to hear that everyone started out like this. That we're normal and not just worthless couch potatoes with no hopes of ever riding a century! At least I'm hoping ya'll didn't just jump on a bike one day and were able to crank out all those miles. Sometimes I wonder if the truely new folks are reluctant to write about their miles and speed...I know I am ...you ladies are intimidating...and I mean that in a good way...I'm very impressed with what ya'll can do. And I hope one day I can say I accomplished some of the things you ladies have.

[Veronica]

When I first started riding, I walked up many hills. I was so excited the first time I rode our big hill (Rte 9 in Saratoga for you CA ladies) w/o walking. And I did it with loaded panniers!

We quit riding for many years, got fat and lazy. I lost a bunch of weight and then started riding again. For me riding is about having fun. Yeah, I'm kind of goal driven this year. But if I weren't still enjoying the time on the bike, I wouldn't train like I am. Life is too short to spend it doing things that aren't enjoyable.

I'm considering a triathalon, but I hate to run...

V.

[DirtDiva]

I'm considering a triathalon, but I hate to run...

Haha. Me too.

And, on topic (for once)...
I have absolutely no idea. I'm not entirely sure I want to know, having read how far some people here go. Well, actually, of course I want to know, but I don't have a computer and the thought of taking a guesstimate does hold the same appeal to my pedantic little self.

[SadieKate]

That we're normal and not just worthless couch potatoes with no hopes of ever riding a century!

That would be bon-bon eating coach potatoes.

I'm glad that you're focused on the intermediate goals which will get you to the goal of a century. How the miles add up is just icing on the cake.

Since everyone's riding conditions are different average speed isn't an indication of whether you can ride a century either, so that's an even bigger pitfall for comparisons. I've done rides where 12 mph was very satisfying and others where 20 mph was a disappointment. Just measure your improvement against your own results on the same route, with the same bike and similar weather.

Another thing to think about is muscle memory. After years and years of cycling, your legs will maintain good form even when tired while newbie legs may lapse into mashing; this muscle memory will lessen the effects of fatigue on performance. So, be patient with yourself as this is an experience thing and not a fitness thing.

BTW, after 4 knees ops when I was 20-21 years old, I think I rode 5 miles and burst into tears with the amazement that my legs would bend that far again. I would have been thrilled with a 12 mile ride. I think I still remember that 5 mile ride as one of the highlights of my cycling life. I think you're doing fabulously and wish I had kept records like you so I could see what changed for me in the first couple years. It would be good inspiration for those days when I think bon-bon eating would be a better activity.

[tjodit]

That would be bon-bon eating coach potatoes.

I'm glad that you're focused on the intermediate goals which will get you to the goal of a century. How the miles add up is just icing on the cake.

BTW, after 4 knees ops when I was 20-21 years old, I think I rode 5 miles and burst into tears with the amazement that my legs would bend that far again. I would have been thrilled with a 12 mile ride. I think I still remember that 5 mile ride as one of the highlights of my cycling life. I think you're doing fabulously and wish I had kept records like you so I could see what changed for me in the first couple years. It would be good inspiration for those days when I think bon-bon eating would be a better activity.

Bon-bon eating couch potato...THAT made me laugh! You've gone through a lot and look where you are now! An inspiration to those of us just starting out.

miffy'sFuji, thank you. I know you'll make it up that hill. You'll have to let us know when you slay that final dragon!

Veronica, I totally agree...it's about having fun. That's why I don't do treadmills, stair climbers, etc. They're just not fun for me. I like to get my exercise by playing. When I was a kid I lived on a bike. It is so much fun to go out and ride.

On my ride after work yesterday I could swear I saw looks on some of the drivers faces as they passed by me that said how they wished they could be out riding a bike instead of rushing to whatever it was they were rushing too. Kind of a look of envy...do you know what I mean. Have ya'll noticed that look on the faces of people?