Just go for it

Vivienne23

Hey everyone started cycling in January doing ten or 15 k not so regularly for about 2 months :rolleyes: had great intentions starting out with the ring of Kerry in mind which never realised after an ankle injury and general laziness , about 2 weeks ago I heard about a local charity cycle that I would love to do on the first of sept it's 100k , have cycled about 90k in the last 2 weeks on mostly 10/15/18k cycles never anything bigger have a 32k route set out for myself for the morning but should I just go for a 50 or 60k and see how I get on ? I read newbie posts on here about starting out at 10k and the following week there mileage has really increased where as I seem to be staying at the same the whole time , just looking for some advice as to how you started getting in the real miles ,also I cycle alone which people tell me is much harder but the embarrassment of not being able to stay with the speed of someone else is holding me back from riding with friends my avg speed varies from 18-20kph any thoughts ?

Thanks for your help ,

Yours sincerely,
A newbie for a second time

Surinam

You need motivation. I'm not sure how useful any of us on here can be on that front. Start by asking yourself how badly you want to get fit, stronger and feel better about yourself.

I only got into cycling about 3-4 months ago and did my first 100k a week ago. However, this was after a slow build up of kms on my weekend spins i.e. 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and before the 100k the most I had done was 75k. You want to suddenly jump from 20 up to 100k and I think that *might* be a bit ambitious considering that it's only a few weeks away.

To cycle faster and for longer you just need to get more kms under your belt- it's really that straightforward. Force yourself to go for longer and longer spins. You'll soon find your stamina really picks up. Also your diet should be adapted around this - eat more protein, [obviously less junk food and sugars], and before a spin eat more carbohydrates (e.g. pasta) for energy on the cycle.

The hardest bit is motivating yourself. Personally, I find that planning a nice route on mapmyride before I head out is great for this (it really helps if you just enjoy cycling and seeing the countryside). Do you have a trip computer for the bike? On each cycle that you go on from now on try to beat your personal best by going further and upping the average speed - this can be a brilliant motivator and is a neat way to see the results of your hard work paying off.

Yes cycling on your own is way harder than in a group. But cycling solo will help you build up the strength to be able to keep up with a group in a sportive. Everyone has to start somewhere, don't know anyone who started out from day one in a cycling club ready to go!

I'm not sure how much else I can say - the bottom line is your motivation and just getting out there and cycling a lot more!


ps I would also say that in the first 5-15k of a cycle your body is just warming up and this can give the impression that you are tired when in fact your body is just about to settle into a rhythm. Try getting up to 30k on tomorrow's cycle and I think you'll find that the extra distance is much easier than you expected. Good luck!

Cee-Jay-Cee

I only started 2 months ago and i started off on 15k routes, then up to 20ks (which i still do twice during the week) and then at the weekends I do a 40k rute which can be increased to 60k if the weathers good. There really isnt a lot of difference fitness wise between 20 and 40k and if you can manage 40k then within a few weeks you'll be fit for 60k. I have no plans on any 100k spins but i think i'd be fit enough for it.

Like surinam said above, once you get warmed up and into your rythmn then it does get easier. I was out for a spin this morning, i was only 2km into it and on a hill and i thought i was going to have to turn and go home as i was feeling wrecked, but once i reached the top and was properly warmed up the next 43kms were easy.

Vivienne23

Thanks for your advise I must reread it again and again , gonna go for the thirty and see what happens I shud be ok as when I did the 18 kms I felt I cud have gone more it was getting late and my lights weren't great , that's the best news I have heard about warming up I often think to myself , how do you expect to be able to cycle distance when you feel tired only a bit down the road good to know I'm not the only one ,

I use strava on my iPhone to log my progress and only today I did the same route as the very first one I ever did , the difference 10 mins off the time and I would really only consider myself starting again

Here's to sportives in 2013
Cheers guys

bcmf

If you wanna build up distance map out a 'circuit' close to where you live and start out by doing say 2 laps (eg a 10km circuit) and building up.
The reason I say a circuit and close to home is that if you only have a certain amount of time (say after work) then its easier to say ' 3 laps' then sitting down thinking its not worth going out as I am stuck for time.Those evenings/mornings where you manage to fit in 2/3/4 laps of your circuit will make a bigger difference then you will believe.
When you have more time then plan a route.
Set a sportive as a target.
Dont wimp out. If it raining so what.You are not made of paper and you will dry out and the bike can be cleaned.
Enjoy it!

thesimpsons

I do 90% of my cycling on my own - built up to 30km few times a week from not being on bike for years and years. I did a charity 180km this summer over 2 days (90km each day). The most I had done before this was 60 km on one day and was absolutely terrified of having to get up on bike for the second day but found the pace easy enough and stops to make sure no one had fallen behind too much. there was great encouragement from everyone too once they realised this was my first cycle whereas some of the people would cycle 90km after tea. Plan out a few different routes of 30/40/50km so you won't get bored doing the same one all the time and have extensions planned so if you feeling good you can stay out for longer. Also, just get up and do it - so long as its not actually raining when I leave home, I go. I had a few miserable cycles over this summer (hailstones = irish summertime!!) so when it bucketed down on the wkend of the charity cycle, I didn't mind too much.

Vivienne23

Bit of an update for ye did 25.4km today went off planning to do more but met a friend out on the bike he took me for the hills , I was bo******ed and had to walk up a bit of it , not enough of granny gears really enjoyed it tho and those last 3/4 kms home I felt like I was on top of the world , what a feeling , so it wasn't as long as I had planned but who cares it was great,

Now for some well deserved pints

Surinam

Vivienne23 wrote: »

Bit of an update for ye did 25.4km today went off planning to do more but met a friend out on the bike he took me for the hills , I was bo******ed and had to walk up a bit of it , not enough of granny gears really enjoyed it tho and those last 3/4 kms home I felt like I was on top of the world , what a feeling , so it wasn't as long as I had planned but who cares it was great,

Now for some well deserved pints

Well done!!

thesimpsons

well done. anytime I go cycling with others they always take me up hills (or mountains as I refer to them !). always knackered going up, gasping for air but it is getting a bit easier and last time out, I didn't have to walk. keep at it - i'm aiming for the ROK next year