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Darkstrike · 11-05-2013 5:48pm #1

I don't suppose this one will be much interesting, I'm not normally one for blogging or the like, nor do I have strong goals, just an attempt to work on my health and fitness, as both are very low. Quite unlike my weight.

So 4 days ago I picked up a cheap alu hybrid. Should my health and endurance increase enough, I'm thinking I might pick up a straight road bike, unless I'm happy enough with the hybrid, which I suppose I could upgrade?

Here are my results so far.

Day 1 - 1.25 miles in 10 minutes(give or take).
Day 2 - 1.67 miles in 11 minutes 40 seconds.
Day 2 - 0.54 miles in 5 minutes. *
Day 3 - 1.79 miles in 12 minutes 33 seconds.
Day 4 - 2.11 miles in 12 minutes 29 seconds.

*My usual route ends on a short uphill, which wrecks me, this was a shortie beginning starting up rather than down, to see if it was any easier to get the hill out of the way at first(it wasn't). Dunno why I bothered, the hill doesn't go far up, so I couldn't have adjusted my route anyway.

My times could be a little better, I'd imagine, once the weather gets a tad better, live on a hill, and I've been fighting wind so far.

Further plans at the moment are to make it to 3 miles, once I've reached that it'll be to reach it consistently with less tiredness. Once comfortable there add more distance.

That's the story so far, well, that and bum pain, lots of bum pain...

Darkstrike · 11-05-2013 5:54pm

Could keep track as I pick up parts, accessories and stuff too, but so far that's not much to write home about either.

Fingerless gloves, a godsend in the wind.
Some LED lights, unnecessary so far, but it's good to know they're there for when I do need them.
A lock, also unnecessary at the moment, as I finish at home every day, and only travel countryside.
A zip up jersey, look like a blob in it, incentive to work, that!

Compression knee warmers, which tend to bunch round my knees and make everything harder.
Gel saddle cover, utterly useless, possibly because it's for a different style saddle and doesn't fit right. :pac:

Badly need a pair of padded shorts, badly.....

fed up sick and tired · 11-05-2013 10:58pm

I can only say, in relation to the short uphill at the end of the route...

I am in the same boat. When I started in Feb., I couldn't even get up the hill that my house is halfways up, on my first spin which was 20km. That was very depressing, humiliating even. I'm like that :-)

It's quite steep, according to veloroutes it's 23% gradient, even if it's only 200m.

After I calved on it, I just bit the bullet for a month or so - drove for half an hour each way to a good stretch of flat road and built up to 40km spins on the flat.

Then took it on again at the end of a 30km spin that was otherwise flat. I've just built it from there really.

Best of luck. It is as sure as the sunrise tomorrow that you will improve, probably exponentially.

Darkstrike · 11-05-2013 11:18pm

Yeah, I had to stop halfway up the first two days, which was highly embarrassing, and it's a much smaller one than the one you're tackling.

Forced myself up yesterday and today, though I was wrecked afterwards. I just long for the day I can hop on and spin for 30 or so km. Though to get that kind of distance I'd have to face much more hill.....

nilhg · 12-05-2013 9:37am

Darkstrike wrote: »

Yeah, I had to stop halfway up the first two days, which was highly embarrassing, and it's a much smaller one than the one you're tackling.

Forced myself up yesterday and today, though I was wrecked afterwards. I just long for the day I can hop on and spin for 30 or so km. Though to get that kind of distance I'd have to face much more hill.....

You've had the courage to start which is often the hardest part, in six weeks come back and read what you've written here and you won't believe how much you've improved.

Get those shorts though, having them will give you more comfort and also less excuse not to get out and ride, the first 4 weeks are the hardest, your body has to adjust to the extra exercise and it takes a while for things to settle down, keep at it and you won't know yourself.

Darkstrike · 12-05-2013 3:33pm

Cheers!

Just waiting for a chance to get to a shop that has the shorts, if I was a driver, I'd have them already.

I was going to skip today,and watch football all day, but that's a slippery slope and I figured even a few minutes was better than a few extra minutes on the couch.
Day 5 - 1.61 miles in 10 minutes 08 seconds.

thinks too much · 13-05-2013 10:38am

I started cycling in november and at the start thought I would never be able to do a big distance on the bike but now 7 months later I have no problem getting out and going 50 km..did the Tour of Sligo 100 km last week and will do all the An Post series and will do the 160 km when the Rebel Tour comes around..i found just setting your target distance a little higher each ride helped me improve as you want to beat this each time...so keep up the good work and you never know we might see you at some 100 km sportive some day

Darkstrike · 13-05-2013 7:04pm

Got a few pieces today, namely the padded shorts(hallelujah!), and a Selle San Remo saddle(unlike the ones I see online, this has no suspension).

Between the two of them, I'm vastly more comfortable, much, much better.

Overdid it a tad today, might have to cut back slightly, three miles was too much. I think I would have been fine, if the 1.5 outgoing wasn't fighting the wind all along. On the upside, the uphill bit seemed much easier when I wasn't in quite a bit of pain.

Day 6 - 3.03 miles in 17 minutes 35 seconds.

Darkstrike · 14-05-2013 3:59pm

Day 7 - 2.12 miles in 13 minutes 29 seconds.

Lost both distance and time, but on a route with more climbing.

Darkstrike · 20-05-2013 4:13pm

Well, this ended up as a pure disaster, decided I'd post updates once a week instead, had 'em all saved to my laptop. The laptop then got drenched in coffee. Bah.

Got a few new bits of gear though, water cage, bib shorts, windproof gloves, need to do something about glasses asap.

Darkstrike · 06-06-2013 12:46am

Still at it, but getting far too lax with record keeping. Need to get back on that. Averaging between 2 to 4.5 miles though.

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