Getting started

[trekchic]

I finally found someone who understands my predicament! I have lost 40# on this diet and I don't want to go back! I'd still like to drop about 5# to get to that 130# mark (I am 5'5" medium build.....that's a good weight, right?). I am more concerned with maintaining the 8/10 I am in........not the weight, though.

I did eat some wheat bread today! Thought I would choke on it! But, all is well. I am planning on grilled chicken, baked potato and salad for dinner.........riding tomorrow and need the energy.

As far as the day of and during the ride, what do you eat? I don't want to consume so much sugar. I am thinking the fig bars would be the best for me; can I have the fruited kind instead of fig? I am one of those people who need a lot of something to make it effective. Do you watch carbs while riding and before or just eat til satisfied?

Lots of questions, I know!
Kim in TN

[emily_in_nc]

Hi Kim,

First off, congratulations on your weight loss! That's a lot of weight to take off, and you deserve a lot of credit as it is not an easy thing to do no matter how you do it! And, given that, I totally understand and relate to your not wanting to gain it back. I felt/feel the exact same way. I have already gotten rid of all my old pants so I can't afford to! ;-) I didn't have as much to lose, but it was still a big accomplishment, and I plan to keep it off.

Your goal weight sounds very reasonable for your height, and there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to drop five more lbs. with cycling and eating sensibly.

I do understand your thoughts re. sugar. It is hard to eat high carb but lower sugar during rides, especially. One suggestion would be a whole grain bagel with peanut butter. The peanut butter provides protein and fat that seems to give me more "staying power" than straight carbs. Fig bars, as you mention, are lower in sugar than some other things you can get. At health-food stores, you can even find whole wheat fig (and other) bars to avoid the white flour, if you prefer.

Before and during riding I do not worry about carbs. Yes, after being disciplined for so long, I of course thing "gee, I'm eating a lot of carbs", but fortunately I have been doing this long enough to realize that it's not going to hurt me - I am burning (or going to burn) it all off. :-) I also must admit to going for quite a few simple carbs immediately before, during, and after riding. For instance, before weekend rides I'll have a big ole stack of pancakes with fruit and syrup! During a ride I'll have cookies or a Payday bar (or both, if it's a long ride), and after the ride, I'll have a full meal and ice cream! But then the next day, if I am not riding, I'll have eggs for breakfast and keep carbs lower/moderate that day (salads, chicken, veggies, and the like).

Sometimes I'll weigh more on Monday morning (after a couple longer weekend rides) than I did on Friday, and if so, I usually attribute it to some water weight gain from the carbs. Usually a couple of days of watching carbs (but not cutting them out completely) enables me to lose that pesky lb. or two. Overall, though, my weight has not fluctuated more than 2 lbs. this entire summer. If it ever goes up more than 2 lbs, I would cut back more, but so far I have not needed to.

Also, as for beverages during rides, I generally stick with water for rides of less than an hour, but I always have a snack before the ride (often a "Balance" or "Zone" bar, which is a more equal balance of carbs, fat, and protein) so I don't run out of fuel. For rides of 90+ minutes, I start with water (one bottle), then switch over to Cytomax or Gatoraid. Once again, it hasn't caused me any problems. I do feel a bit guilty for consuming such a large amount of sugar compared to when I was stricter about carbs, but it has been working for me so far. As I said, I'll have to start cutting back more come fall, when I can't ride after work any more.

Just for your comparision, I generally ride 25 miles after work Tuesdays and Thursdays and do a Wed. women's ride of 17 miles. On weekends I tend to ride about 45-65 miles one day and 30+ miles the other day. I ride pretty intensely in an area of rolling hills (central NC), and average around 16-17 mph. The longer and harder you ride, the more carbs you burn and can eat!

I hope this helps!
Emily

[Veronica]

Hey congratulations Kim on losing the weight.

A good weight is the one you can maintain without being too weird and neurotic, feel good about yourself at and allows you do what you like to do. Don't let it be a number on a scale or even a size.

I struggled with that too. I wanted to weigh a certain number because it was a good number. But I'd lose a lot of muscle to get there probably. I need those muscles to power the tandem home after a century with more climb than advertised.


Veronica

[trekchic]

You guys ROCK!!!!!!!!!! (I am 37 and I talk like my teenaged daughters! (15 & 13))

OK........I am ready to look at carbs in a new light now! I had often thought about eating pancakes (I love peanut butter on pancakes!) before riding. How many hours prior to riding do you eat something like that? I did go to the store and look at the fig bars and stuff today. I can eat the fruit kind (I love the strawberry and raspberry ones) during the ride and get the same amount of carbs as the fig ones. I bought some of the sobee bars today to try.........they're ok........not great, but ok. I think I have been off of sugar and chocolate for so long the thought of eating a lot of it makes me sick! I need something that isn't nearly as rich and sweet. The payday bar might be ok, but I think I would puke that back up! Weak stomach........it kills me!

I plan on racing and training for racing. The schedule Emily in NC laid out works for me. I will probably follow that one. I had thought to train with guys mostly, just figuring if I can learn to keep up with them, I can race girls more evenly. Does that make sense? I have always competed with guys........softball is my other sport and I love playing co-ed more than with girls. I am supposed to meet with a race team in the next week or so and get on a training schedule with their trainer. Should I approach it as a female or male racer?

While we're on the subject, what is a median speed to shoot for when racing? I think most of them are around 50 miles around here and kind of hilly. Most guys do it under or right around 2 hours. What about girls?

When I start out, in the first 500 miles, what speed and cadence am I trying to build up to on a 45-60 minute ride?

Kim in TN (anyone around Nashville/Murfreesboro/Cookeville?)

[ridin a giant]

HI ksbell

try the Power Bar Pria for a sweet fix that is also good for you. I find that it really helps me when I just want something not too sweet and don't want to go near chocolate. I also use the when biking, etc.

H/e, I keep in mind what I eat thru the day and balance my "treats" .... certainly has helped me.

Hope my tip helps someone.

http://www.powerbar.com

[emily_in_nc]

Hi Kim,

I generally eat pancakes about 45 minutes before hitting the road. I have a very strong stomach and don't seem to have problems with anything I eat on the road.

Payday bars are great (for me, anyway) because they don't melt, are cheaper than Powerbars and similar bars, and have some protein, fat, and salt in them too, all of which help me on a long ride - but everyone is different. Straight low-fat carbs just seem to get burned too fast for me and I'm hungry again in an hour.

I don't race so can't offer any replies to those questions. I do think riding with men whenever you can really helps with increasing speed, though. My husband averages 18-20+ mph, and riding with him and/or him and his buddies is a BIG workout for me. I push, push, push while he is cruising!

Of course, when you start out, you'll just have to do whatever speed you can do and try to increase that over time with training. Don't do too much too soon or it is easy to get injured. I had an ITB (ileo-tibial band in the leg) injury in early May on a Century ride and had to go very easy for a month after that. I think I had increased my mileage too fast without enough of a base.

As for speed, my average speed has increased from around 14.5 mph in the fall to 16.5-17+ now. A lot of gals are faster than me, but I am 42, so I blame age! I don't think I could take the pressure of racing, but I wish you much good luck and fun with it!

Emily

[hibiscus09]

I just started riding about 2.5 months ago and I have trouble getting over 14.5 pace because there are so many 4-way stops in our neighborhood. I always ride around here to stay out of traffic. Occasionally, I'll go to Ft. Jackson if I have someone to ride with -- I don't like to go alone. I haven't joined a cycling club so I don't know any riders besides my sister. I guess I should join one. I'm always worried I won't be able to go as fast as they do.

On another subject, a Payday sounds good to me! I love those and haven't had one in years!

[emily_in_nc]

hibiscus,

We buy the multi-packs of Payday bars at the grocery store to save $. I also loved them as a kid and hadn't had them in years, so it's fun to eat them again (and not feel guilty!)

As for speed, you are so right that it is VERY hard to go fast in subdivisions and areas with more traffic/lights/stop signs. Most of my riding is done in our very rural area with no traffic or lights, just the occasional stop sign. Most roads you can go on for miles without ever having to stop, so that makes a big difference.

Terrain also makes a huge difference in speed, for me. I can do my after work "speed loop" (which only has a couple hills) at 16.8-17.4 mph, but I did a VERY hilly (and partially in-town) club ride this past weekend and, despite pushing hard, only managed 15.4 - and that was my fastest ever on that particular route. The headwind didn't help either; that's another factor that makes a big difference in speeds.

Emily

[trekchic]

I have added a protien shake in the morning, after a workout and at night to my diet. It has all the amino acids, l-glutamic acid and stuff that the training books say I need. I am also taking a multi-vitamin ever day now. I feel better and stronger. I am still walking or running every day...........I pulled something at the top of my left thigh last night and tried to walk thru it today......should have let it rest! I am in agony right now! I will stay off of it for a couple of days and resume walking/running until my bike comes in.

I am concerned about keeping up and staying on the bike for an extended period of time. I don't want to get discouraged and quit training for racing just because I don't start out "fast" and ready!

How can I stay motivated even though I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel? Do any of you train with a group or coach? Do any of you keep a journal? And is it beneficial?

I am going thru some emotionally baaaaaaaaaaaad times right now. I need to be on that bike. It is calling me right now! Running is great therapy.......but I think cycling is going to be the best therapy of all. I am in grief counceling with a minister's wife and that is helping me cope with the most gut wrenching loss I have ever been thru! (not a death, but it feels like it!) Anyone else in that predicament? I need a support group right now!

OK.............enough of that..............I am grateful for all of your advice and input concerning my questions. I have volunteered to help with the "Hot 100" this weekend in Murfreesboro, TN. It is a premier event in the south. I think being there will help me understand the sport more and make some contacts that will boost me up and get me going!

Ya'll are great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[emily_in_nc]

Kim,

Your protein shake sounds great! I use whey protein powder mixed in with my morning cereal and also mix it with juice after a ride - or else I use Endurox, which has a 4:1 carbs to protein ratio that is recommended by a lot of knowledgable cycling types.

Motivation....here are the top 10 that spring to mind:

1. Belonging to a bike club and doing group rides on weekends. I find this a lot more fun that just riding around our area over and over. It's fun to talk to different riders and go different places, plus it pushes me to try to keep up with some of the faster riders and continuously improve. The friendships I have made through the club keep me motivated. I also enjoy riding with women for a change, since I usually ride with my husband. I have had some great conversations on the bike that make the miles fly by!

2. Setting a mileage goal for the year and keeping a log on the computer so I can see how I am doing vis-a-vis that goal. My goal for this year is 4000 miles, which is way more than I have ever done before. I will hit 2500 miles this week, so barring injury, I think I can do it!

3. Setting average speed goals so I push myself to go faster over time. For this one, I like using the same route a couple times a week (but not every time I ride - see #4 and 5 below!) so I can compare apples to apples as much as possible and really see improvement over time.

4. Riding to interesting places so the ride has a goal. Often this is a restaurant, ice cream parlor, or the like (bike to eat!), but could also be a nice park or historic site, or whatever charms you!

5. Varying your routes to prevent boredom, even if that means sometimes driving to start somewhere other than home.

6. Events! Single day or multi-day events with a large group - organized metrics, centuries, bike tours (we did Bike Virginia this year and had a blast!), and bike vacations of all sorts. You'll really find yourself energized by being around so many others who share your interest in cycling.

7. Reading about cycling, through these forums, roadbikerider.com (great free weekly newsletter!!), usenet newsgroups (rec.bicycles.misc), and books - whether about bicycle training or tour narratives. Amazon has zillions!

8. Mental tricks: "If I ride tonight I get ice cream for dessert! " Stuff like that always tends to get me off my butt....

9. Having a schedule for riding so I feel more compelled to ride and not slack off. It really helps if you have a regular riding partner too. Some days you'll be the motivated one and some days he or she will be, but usually one of you will be, so you'll ride.

10. With all that said....taking time off when you need it to do other things, rest and recoup, do something different. I find that I come back from these sorts of breaks raring to ride again!

I hope your bike come soon. I know what you are going through (sorta) as my husband and I are currently waiting for a tandem! It seems like the day will never come. You're doing the right thing by running and staying active, and volunteering at the ride is a fabulous idea. That will totally motivate you!

Hang in there!!
Emily