Building up distance - timeframe?

Supercell

I was wondering what kind of distances people here covered starting out?
I'm starting off as a totally unfit couch potato and utterly totally hit the wall at about 25km - I mean if there is the slightest incline in the road at that point, I'm having to walk the bike.

I live Annamoe and go cycling around the area which is fairly hilly but still I'm not going up the big ones like Wicklow Gap or Sally Gap (yet). I saw some dude today going up the road through Devils Glen on his rothar and I was in total awe, there is NO_WAY_IN_HELL i'd make it up that road unless I was walking the bike.

The 25k takes me about 75min and I'm utterly destroyed at the end of it, I can barely make it up the stairs for an hour or so !

I've only really started cycle training in the last week (yes I kept making excuses) but am going out every day now. My ultimate goal is to vconmplete the Wicklow 200 next year.

Any encouragement, suggestions or advice welcome!

LDB

That's a good goal and toatlly doable if you put the effort in.
It sounds like you need to build up a bit of a base. Get out everyday for 5 - 10k and then start to do longer ones on the w/end... addiing a few extra k each week. if you are feeling v.tired one of the days just do a little less or take a break.

I'm sure there will be lots of good advice here from other posters

best of luck!

stuf

other people will be able to give you more detailed advice but in the beginning and in general you really shouldn't be doing it every day as your body needs time to recover.

Also make sure you're hydrating enough - I'm a 20-stoner and I would be drinking 750-1000ml of isotonic on a two hour spin plus similar amounts split between before and after as well as water. If you're out for more that an hour then eat - you'll be amazed at the difference it makes to your energy levels. My fave of the moment is dried apricots and pecans or homemade flapjacks. Other people have mentioned fig rolls and other dried fruits as an alternative to energy bars or gels etc.

I built up from around 20km to 40km over about 3 weeks and now I do 60km in about 2:40 and I feel a hell of a lot better than when I did my first 40km with no food

Diarmuid

I think the rule of thumb is to add 10-15% per week. So if week 1 you do 70k, next week do around 80km etc... As with most things it's best to train consistently and not try to make up "missed" miles at the weekend.

Billy Whizz

Diarmuid wrote: »

I think the rule of thumb is to add 10-15% per week. So if week 1 you do 70k, next week do around 80km etc... As with most things it's best to train consistently and not try to make up "missed" miles at the weekend.

I'd like to suggest adding 10-15% in time spent riding rather than distance, as distance ultimately depends on wind, terrain etc.

Supercell

Thanks guys, stuf, I was half thinking that the sudden drop in energy might be lack of food as the tummy does start to rumble near the end of the ride. I better get baking so

I'm really encouraged that you went from 20-60km in three weeks i would have thought a 60km ride was months away personally, but you've given me hope!

Tackleberry

I'm sure you'll get loadsa good advice here, but fair play for getting into it, I've a similar goal of the W200 next year too.

All I'll say is baby steps to the W200! Don't worry if there's some dudes whizzin past you, you'll begin to develop your own strengths over time and you'll eventually be able to beat these guys in areas that suit you ie climbing, sprinting, rolling, etc etc.

Key thing is to just be patient and enjoy the sport, build up your endurance each week / month, conserve your energy to get you through each spin, eat and drink light and often, use light gears but keep the pedals spinning around 80-100rpm, start with easy routes and once you feel very comfortable add on a few more miles, then a few more, then hills, then mountains etc, I always reckon that if you can do a 100k's without huge drama then you are what I'd consider as "bike fit", so maybe that can be your first target a few months down the line, then you can build it up in the new year so you'll be well able for the W200.

Another thing is motivation, try meet up with a club or mates for spins and it'll be so much easier, I'd also suggest planning for a few other sportif events whenever they're on, as they're very good for motivation and a good barometer of how you're fixed for the W200, there seems to be one every month and they're good craic.

blorg

Make sure to hydrate but if you are looking to lose weight I would not go crazy on the food- best to cycle at a relatively relaxed pace so that your body can fuel it from fat. Would not be a bad idea to get a heart rate monitor and keep an eye on that, generally in the 65-79% max HR range you can get most of your energy from your fat stores.

A positive side effect of this of course is if you are going at a lower intensity you can go on for longer and don't have to take so much time off for recovery.

I think a lot of people with a few too many pounds tend to eat like skinny people on the bike with the result that they never lose any of it.

Of course this may be utterly irrelevant to you if you are skinny but just a bit unfit to start with, in which case eating on the bike is very important.

unionman

The first roadie I ever spoke to about what I should be doing to build up distance suggested something very practical 'do the time, not the distance' on each spin.

It made a lot of sense. What LBD said about building up a base there is helpful, and 'doing the time' every time you go out should help you to do that.

I was an enthusiastic commuter, on a modest weekly tally of of 50-60km per week. I would do the odd solo spin on the fixie around the city, striking out to Dun Laoire or just looping the city via the quays. I was never that confident about heading out of the city or up the mountains by myself. Was always afraid of getting lost or just running out of puff in the middle of nowhere!!

I've done a few boards spins now and that has really helped. There is nothing like being out with a group (my first spin was 83km up to Sally Gap - unthinkable on my own). The banter alone fuels a lot more distance than you would do by yourself, and the variety of new and experienced riders means you always pick up some useful bits and pieces of information about climbing, descending (still a big one for me!), diet, or just good old bling talk!

All I'm saying is that the distances you're aiming for are really achievable (I offer that in the spirit of 'If I can do it, anyone can';)). But start by building up that base, resting, and at the weekend add on that little bit extra distance/time to what you did the previous week.

Oh, and do a boards spin, they're great.:D

See you on the W200 next year (also my target).

stuf

btw - the 20km to 60km was over about 2 months and that was only with weekend spins and commuting during the week

@blorg - the energy intake from eating fruit and nuts or flapjacks is probably about 200-400 cals compared with 2000+ cals for a 2+ hours spin at 65-70% max heart rate so it's not hugely significant in the greater scheme of things. What would be of more concern is thinking you "deserve" a huge feed post spin.

Also, trying to correlate exercise with weight loss can lead to quite unhealthy psychology. Best to be happy with a balanced diet and a good exercise programme and let nature take its course and don't try to get too het up about the links between the two.

EDIT - just looked at blorg's post again and I would echo the advice on the heart rate monitor. Time at around 70% heart rate is the best indication of good, safe exercise. Also do a good cool down programme - for me I just stroll around the block stopping to do calf, quad and ham stretches every so often - should keep moving however slowly until the heart is back close to near rest levels.

DirkVoodoo

I think Unionman's experiences are pretty universal. Cycling in a group is great for the positive mentality, whereas cycling alone is first and foremost a little boring at times, but its easy to stop and turn around once any doubts creep in. I nearly didnt make it up a climb on sunday except for this older lad i was chattin to kept spurring me on, really motivated me.

Try one of the saturday spins, even only for 30-40km and I guarantee the added bonus of riding in a group will make the task seem much easier (plus you can draft which is an added bonus!)

blorg

Very few people will burn anywhere near 1,000 calories per hour - certainly not at a moderate effort. Half that would be more optimistic and even that may be too much. (There is a quite good cycling specific calculator here.)

I agree that diet is more important than excercise for weight loss, but if you are overweight and want to become a better cyclist, weight loss is the number 1 thing that I would target (especially if hills are involved!) And that does mean diet and being careful with what you eat, including on the bike. A single flapjack can have over 500 calories!

For up to 2 hours I don't think you should be eating at all.

hunnymonster

blorg wrote: »

Very few people will burn anywhere near 1,000 calories per hour - certainly not at a moderate effort. Half that would be more optimistic and even that may be too much. (There is a quite good cycling specific calculator here.)

I agree that diet is more important than excercise for weight loss, but if you are overweight and want to become a better cyclist, weight loss is the number 1 thing that I would target (especially if hills are involved!) And that does mean diet and being careful with what you eat, including on the bike. A single flapjack can have over 500 calories!

For up to 2 hours I don't think you should be eating at all.

+1, about 500 kcal / hour sounds more reasonable for an aerobic workout. Up to 90 minutes I wouldn't eat at all. Greater than this I would aim to take on 250 calories an hour (400 in races) as you cannot process more than this. Think about it logically, you're asking your legs to do a lot of work, where you you think your blood is going to be stomach or legs? if you're drinking an energy drink you will get most of this from taking on the correct amount of fluid but I find the sweetness a bit sickly after a while souse water and "real" food. After a long hard cycle you will to need to replace the glycogen you've used up in order to recover properly. After less intense exercise, you'll have used less glycogen. You do deserve that meal afterwards but not a 2000 calorie take-away, something healthy.

Supercell

Thanks again everyone.
Blorg, thats interesting what you say about the heart rate, I have one of those monitors so thats certainly a goer. As I do have more than a few pounds to loose I think I'll try not to eat "like a skinny person" on the bike!

I think I'll try to build up the time as I certainly noticed that even different road surfaces seem to make a large difference to the effort required to pedal along them.

Maybe in a couple of months i'll be up to boards spin standard!

stuf

Blorg - I've seen pictures of you and I reckon I'm about 2 of you so - it makes a difference I promise

blorg

stuf wrote: »

Blorg - I've seen pictures of you and I reckon I'm about 2 of you so - it makes a difference I promise

I used to be nearly 2 of me myself, I know it makes a difference! Lost the weight through diet and doing a very large amount of cycling at a relatively moderate pace. Never once ate on the bike in those days Probably the best advice is to bring the food so you have it in case but only eat it if you feel you really have to. And as everyone has said, build up the mileage gradually but consistently.

kincsem

Do you have a road bike (a racer)? If you do you should have the tyres pumped to 100 pounds pressure, and the bike will roll along more easily. You would need to use a track pump (about €25) to get that pressure. Don't use a petrol station air line as it would probably blow the tyre.

It is a bit hilly around Annamoe, but going towards Laragh isn't too bad. My suggestion is do a short out and back route of about an hour about three times a week (when you feel like it). You will feel better on the return trip. Try to enjoy it, and don't push yourself too much.

I started in 2005 after a 37 year gap :eek:. My first trip was from Stillorgan to the top of the Sugarloaf and back. Not a good idea. Some sarcastic kid shouted "C'mon Boardman" as I struggled home at about 10 kph. This summer I did the Wicklow 200 with just ten training spins (on one spin I got two punctures and came back in a taxi ).

Don't try to build mileage. Just enjoy a few spins each week.

drogdub

on the advise thing can I get a bit on what I have been doing. I have started cycling in the last three months or so to get fit. Unfortunatly With long distance commuting I can really only cycle once a week and with the summer we have that has been limited to around seven cycles in that time. I have worked up from 20k to 40k. My aim is to get up to 50k as a base distance. I have not used cadence or heart rate measures yet. I want to get to my target first so I can do it and then I will start using these measure to improve my training. My rides tend to start with climbing (which I enjoy), and finish it with mainly descending. Am I on the right track? Is there anything I am doing that is completely wrong?

Supercell one thing I found very benificial is reading. The people on this board know what they're talking about and also magazines its a great way of picking up advise on all things from diet to training and learning more about bikes and equipment

Freddy687

Drogdub, if you are starting with a hill climb be sure you have done 20-30 mins of cycling first to make sure you are warmed up. Would be easy to pick up an injury if your muscles are cold going into a climb.
That said you dont sound like you are doing anyting wrong, just try and get out as much as possible. A turbo trainer is a good buy especially over the winter.