Pikato Update

[pikato]

Hi all! Just wanted to pop in & say I'm still riding the Saturday morning group ride, but am becoming discouraged. I know it's only been a little less than a month of group riding, but the group ride is still leaving me in the dust. Tom(LBS owner) stays back with me and continues on which is nice, but I'm becoming entirely discouraged!

When out on these rides, he tells me that I really need to go to the Wednesday night rides because there are riders more at my speed (average about 14.4-14.8 mph), the problem with that is Wednesday nights are my grad school class.

So, quite frankly, my training for the September 30"Conquer the Coast" ride is not going so well, simply cause when I ride by myself, I don't really get as good of a workout, nor do I feel comfortable zooming down the interstate all by my lonely.

Any advice??

[Fredwina]

Are they any other groups/clubs that you could ride with and will match your pace and schedule? I would ask around.

[melissam]

Pikato --

Don't give up! Here are a couple of ideas:

1. Have you checked in the South Central section of this forum to see if there's anyone in your area who could ride with you at your pace?

2. As Fredwina suggested, look for other clubs in your area and see if they have a leisurely ride.

3. If you want to push yourself while riding alone, get a heart rate monitor and a book like Sally Edwards/Sally Reed's The Heart Rate Monitor Book for Outdoor and Indoor Cyclists: A Heart Zone Training Program They have workouts for both indoor/outdoor cycling that are based on your heart rate. Some of the rides will really push you! Whew!

4. Keep posting your progress here at TE -- we're pulling for you!

Happy cycling!

-- Melissa

[pikato]

See, in Corpus Christi there is just one group of about 30-50 riders who ride on Wednesdays & Saturdays.

Tom wanted me to go to Wednesday night rides to get to know a group of 5 chicks who go about my speed, in hopes that they'd call me up when they did daily rides. The issue is that I can't go on Wednesdays to meet them, and they don't really 'invite' people they don't know to their smaller rides.

As for the hear rate monitor, I do think that is a great idea & since my b-day is in July, I'm hoping someone gives me one (specifically the Nike Imara Monitor/Watch)

[tprevost]

Pikato,

I would HIGHLY recommend just going to the LBS dude and asking him to put you in touch with one/some of the ladies from Wednesday night. My LBS guy knows that if any new cyclists come into his shop, he is to ask them if they are looking for riding buddies!

I have had to go out and proactively find people to ride with... in fact, as soon as I saw two new people on this forum who lived near me, I PM'd them and asked them to ride (this doesn't count the people who live further from me who I've bugged as well!). Be pro-active and I bet you'll find a few people. In fact, on my ride Monday, a woman actually pulled over and waved me down to ask if I'd be interested in riding w/her (its Karma, see???).

Keep trying, I'll bet you'll start adding ride buddies to your phone book really soon!

Tracy

[caligurl]

i'm gonna give you the other side of it.... there are NO clubs near me... the closest is a hoighy toighty racer wanna be club... NO WAY can i keep up with them.... plus they are at least an hour drive away...

soooooo.... what do i do? i go out and ride by myself! so you can try that to!

[pikato]

soooooo.... what do i do? i go out and ride by myself! so you can try that to!

Oh, definitely, that's what I've been doing. It's just that there are 3 'good' 20+ mile paths in Corpus--LBS gave me maps--and they are all high automobile traffic areas that make me feel uncomfortable riding by myself. I've been doing a mini-trail on my own, but it's only about 7 miles round trip, so continually making a circle to accumulate mileage is becoming awfully boring

I called this dude I worked with a few years ago, and he mentioned that his town-Kingsville-does early slower Saturday morning rides, so I might go check them out. They're about 30 minutes from me, so I'd have to get up extra early, but it may be worth it in the end.

And I looked at my grad school agenda & next week is a 'research day' meaning we are supposed to be working on our papers, either at home or at the college library. I'm gonna go ahead & go for that evening ride, so hopefully I can meet up with some ladies.

Will keep y'all updated.

[Geonz]

Yea, go meet 'em - and suggest that they could come with you on Saturdays!

[wannaduacentury]

There's 2 groups I could ride with too, but I'm always at work when these lovely rides take place so I ride by my lonesome too. Hang in there.

[gringa loca]

Pikato,


I'm a new rider too, and we periodically go to Sinton, so I would LOVE to ride with you when we are down there.

We live in Round Rock, so if you are ever this way, I would love to ride as well.

Shelly

[Aggie_Ama]

Glad you are going to be able to ride one Wednesday. Stick to the Conquer the Coast training- DH And I plan to be there!

[Delta7]

When I started riding in January, I was pulling up the rear for a good 5 weeks ! I realized waiting for Saturday would not be enough to keep up with a group of women who were experienced and only getting stronger every week, mainly 'cause they all seemed to work at the gym

Anyway, I added a couple of spin classes during the week with about 30 minutes of weights and started walking at lunch. I also made sure to get enough sleep the night before the ride and to eat a good meal.

By the end of the training, I was at the back of the middle pack! Made me happy. I also managed to get a new bike in the meantime, I think training with the hybrid in the beginning helped (my LBS guy said it was 50 lbs!). I think he exaggerates, the old bike was heavy (but it was cute...)

Keep pedaling, it gets better.