Give me a kick.....
Discussion
I decided to get a bike. I'm 48 and a bit overweight and a bit unfit.
So I bought this:
and went out for a cycle. It was over 30 years since I last got on a bike.
20 minutes and <4 miles later, I was dead. Pass me the O2, call me an ambulance.
Slightly unfit! Ah!
Since then (two months ago) the bike has sat, unused, looking at me. I keep finding reasons not to go out on it.
It is hilly around here, so it is uphill from the get go. But who am I kidding?
I am an useless unfit bloke nearing 50. It is not helped by the fact I have friends and work collogues of similar age (or older, oh the shame) all of whom go out for hours and many many miles and are still standing at the end of it.
Tell me something to get me back on to my bike. Tell me I am not alone and that some others here were also as useless as I am.
Please tell me it will get better.....
Thanks.
So I bought this:
and went out for a cycle. It was over 30 years since I last got on a bike.
20 minutes and <4 miles later, I was dead. Pass me the O2, call me an ambulance.
Slightly unfit! Ah!
Since then (two months ago) the bike has sat, unused, looking at me. I keep finding reasons not to go out on it.
It is hilly around here, so it is uphill from the get go. But who am I kidding?
I am an useless unfit bloke nearing 50. It is not helped by the fact I have friends and work collogues of similar age (or older, oh the shame) all of whom go out for hours and many many miles and are still standing at the end of it.
Tell me something to get me back on to my bike. Tell me I am not alone and that some others here were also as useless as I am.
Please tell me it will get better.....
Thanks.
Edited by JumboBeef on Sunday 20th October 15:23
k upJust take it easy to begin with and build from there. Probably not the best weather at the moment to give you the incentive to get out, but Autumn has been up to the last week, great this year. The sensible approach is not to loose interest in the beginning. The enjoyment will come soon after. Ask your fit mates about taking you out on a ride. They can hold your pace and with someone to talk too, the miles will roll easier. Oh and a small bit of MTFU helps as well !!
Bike looks fine to me. Might have to get a CX some day.
Even a couple of miles can feel hard work when you haven't cycled for years. The only way it'll get easier is by persisting. If you just did three miles, but did that a few times a week, you'd improve. Don't be put off.
Aim to gradually increase you distance, but nothing too radical until you hit 20 miles. Be realistic, as the weather is not great for the next few months, plus the days are shorter.
Even a couple of miles can feel hard work when you haven't cycled for years. The only way it'll get easier is by persisting. If you just did three miles, but did that a few times a week, you'd improve. Don't be put off.
Aim to gradually increase you distance, but nothing too radical until you hit 20 miles. Be realistic, as the weather is not great for the next few months, plus the days are shorter.
First up you are not alone. I have trouble getting time where I can get out (read inclination) as I'm comng back to it I'm a bit of a fair weather biker. I don't mind the cold as such, but hate geting wet.
2ndly, put all the posts on here of 70 odd milers etc to the back of your mind. The people on here have been riding for much longer than we have.
3rdly set yourself a manageable target. Mine was 10% of my cars mileage (which I'm failing at due to work commitments, and clocking 250+ miles a week).
Build up your levels slowly, nothing worse to put you off than to jump straight back into 20+ miles when you can't phyisially do it. Be content with say 3 - 5 and work on getting quicker and just enjoying being out. My best ride to day was on a misty morning at 7:30 am and I just enjoyed being out.
See if you can link up with anyone on here or a local group. Local organised clubs usually have a unfit fat git / smoker sessions.
My strava track is below, so you can see what I do, its just not populated with as many rides as I'd like.
http://www.strava.com/athletes/simon_dragon
2ndly, put all the posts on here of 70 odd milers etc to the back of your mind. The people on here have been riding for much longer than we have.
3rdly set yourself a manageable target. Mine was 10% of my cars mileage (which I'm failing at due to work commitments, and clocking 250+ miles a week).
Build up your levels slowly, nothing worse to put you off than to jump straight back into 20+ miles when you can't phyisially do it. Be content with say 3 - 5 and work on getting quicker and just enjoying being out. My best ride to day was on a misty morning at 7:30 am and I just enjoyed being out.
See if you can link up with anyone on here or a local group. Local organised clubs usually have a unfit fat git / smoker sessions.
My strava track is below, so you can see what I do, its just not populated with as many rides as I'd like.
http://www.strava.com/athletes/simon_dragon
Bike looks lovely, Im a big fan of crossers
It will hurt to start with as you have found out
I looked in the mirror 7y ago and didnt like what I saw
Some pals were into bikes so it seemed the obvious thing to do
We had a regular weekly ride for 90 mins which was a good social
After 6 months I noticed I was a bit quicker so joined another slightly faster group midweek for a further 90 mins
In the time between then and now I might have become a bit addicted
As you ride more you get faster, Id agree it doesnt get easier LOL, as your fitness improves and the weight falls off
This is a brave time of the year to start as the mud, filth and cold are on the way but get some decent kit and find someone to chase, preferably someone just a bit quicker youd like to teach a lesson!
7y ago I weighed 89kg and couldnt walk 3 flights of stairs without stopping
Now Im 72kg and last year did a timed ride of 174km over 4 Alps recording a 'Gold' time in my age classification
Best of luck
Keep going
I stuck to flat routes for the first 1000 miles/ couple months, purposely so I didn't get disheartened (I knew I wouldn't get up anything really). After that, went out hill hunting, the longer and steeper the better. It's all about the hills and descending fast is your reward.
Go for a ride fasted, before you eat either breakfast or dinner, to avoid overeating.
Start gradually and always come home with the wind behind you. Persevere.
Go for a ride fasted, before you eat either breakfast or dinner, to avoid overeating.
Start gradually and always come home with the wind behind you. Persevere.
Step 1 - get strava. It'll work on your phone/ garmin.
Step 2 - commit to a plan. No matter what it is, decide on something you imagine you can do, but it will be tough. This can be either time per week, distance, speed, whatever it doesn't matter. Make this commitment to yourself. If you respond well to "manning up", then tell all and sundry re. your goal and share it on faceberk if you wish.
Step 3 - Go out and ride. It will be hard a at first, but go out every other day for a week. Even if it rains. Load the rides on Strava - and wow, you're getting faster! The next week, if you accidentally skip 2 days you'll start to feel "should have gone out on the bike".
Step 4 - Achieve the goal,. gloat and celebrate with a pint. Set a new goal that is again worth aiming for 2-4 weeks down the line.
After a year, the goals you set will seem utterly daft - my first goal was to ride 10 miles 3 times a week, and I had my sights on this _mental_ idea I could cycle 42 miles in a sportive 3 months away. 1 year and a month later, I did 146 miles in 1 sitting, just for fun. It does help that I'm 1.5 stone lighter, and generally happier as a result =)
PS - if you can, try to find a ride buddy so that you're meeting up on Sat morning. If you ake up and can't be bothered, you go anyway so you don't let him / her down =)
Step 2 - commit to a plan. No matter what it is, decide on something you imagine you can do, but it will be tough. This can be either time per week, distance, speed, whatever it doesn't matter. Make this commitment to yourself. If you respond well to "manning up", then tell all and sundry re. your goal and share it on faceberk if you wish.
Step 3 - Go out and ride. It will be hard a at first, but go out every other day for a week. Even if it rains. Load the rides on Strava - and wow, you're getting faster! The next week, if you accidentally skip 2 days you'll start to feel "should have gone out on the bike".
Step 4 - Achieve the goal,. gloat and celebrate with a pint. Set a new goal that is again worth aiming for 2-4 weeks down the line.
After a year, the goals you set will seem utterly daft - my first goal was to ride 10 miles 3 times a week, and I had my sights on this _mental_ idea I could cycle 42 miles in a sportive 3 months away. 1 year and a month later, I did 146 miles in 1 sitting, just for fun. It does help that I'm 1.5 stone lighter, and generally happier as a result =)
PS - if you can, try to find a ride buddy so that you're meeting up on Sat morning. If you ake up and can't be bothered, you go anyway so you don't let him / her down =)
Some Gump said:
PS - if you can, try to find a ride buddy so that you're meeting up on Sat morning. If you wake up and can't be bothered, you go anyway so you don't let him / her down =)
This, somebody slightly faster if possible. Chasing a faster rider improved my fitness no end. That and Strava, seeing personal best trophies can be a great motivator.7 months ago I started off doing a mile to tesco and stopping to rest my aching legs and have a fag and a red bull and a rest before heading back.
5 1/2 months ago my first 11 1/2 mile ride to my girlfriends house took 2 1/2 hours including breaks. (I did it in 37 minutes the other day (admittedly on a nice road bike vs a BSO MTB on knobblies))
4 months I challenged myself to do ten miles a day average over the month. I did it (just) and that was a month of mainly suffering. I did feel a big fitness boost from it though.
2 months ago I joined a regular offroading group - great fun and a great bunch who regularly run me into the ground....
A little over a month ago I did my first sportive, 71 miles all in. Didn't think I could do it (although with hindsight 71 road miles on a road bike was easier than half that distance offrosding!)
I currently do a 40 mile club road ride on a Sunday, 30 ish offroad on a weeknight and I'm loving it. My collection has slowly grown to 3 bikes, I'm loving it and mildly obsessed.
I quit smoking nearly a week ago as it was the easiest speed boost I could think of (and a week later its already helping me keep up better).
Some of the biggest helping hands I've found were:
1 - Road riding has helped my offroading, better cadence definitely, while offrosding bass done wonders for my road riding, better bike handling all round for a start, plus it feels like excellent interval training.
2 - group rides have helped immensely. Learning from other people even if its only watching what and how people do things. I'm faster and I can go further in a group than alone. I've got people to follow when I'm shattered, people to chase when I've still got some power in my legs. Always people faster and more experienced to learn from and try to catch.
3 - Metrics. Record everything, then you can turn around in a month and realise how much faster, lighter, stronger, fitter and all around awesome you feel when comparing to things a month or a couple of months back.
Fitness comes on faster than you think, keep at it and you can do it :-). All you have to do is remember that so long as you did something today, it will make you that little bit fitter for tomorrow :-)
5 1/2 months ago my first 11 1/2 mile ride to my girlfriends house took 2 1/2 hours including breaks. (I did it in 37 minutes the other day (admittedly on a nice road bike vs a BSO MTB on knobblies))
4 months I challenged myself to do ten miles a day average over the month. I did it (just) and that was a month of mainly suffering. I did feel a big fitness boost from it though.
2 months ago I joined a regular offroading group - great fun and a great bunch who regularly run me into the ground....
A little over a month ago I did my first sportive, 71 miles all in. Didn't think I could do it (although with hindsight 71 road miles on a road bike was easier than half that distance offrosding!)
I currently do a 40 mile club road ride on a Sunday, 30 ish offroad on a weeknight and I'm loving it. My collection has slowly grown to 3 bikes, I'm loving it and mildly obsessed.
I quit smoking nearly a week ago as it was the easiest speed boost I could think of (and a week later its already helping me keep up better).
Some of the biggest helping hands I've found were:
1 - Road riding has helped my offroading, better cadence definitely, while offrosding bass done wonders for my road riding, better bike handling all round for a start, plus it feels like excellent interval training.
2 - group rides have helped immensely. Learning from other people even if its only watching what and how people do things. I'm faster and I can go further in a group than alone. I've got people to follow when I'm shattered, people to chase when I've still got some power in my legs. Always people faster and more experienced to learn from and try to catch.
3 - Metrics. Record everything, then you can turn around in a month and realise how much faster, lighter, stronger, fitter and all around awesome you feel when comparing to things a month or a couple of months back.
Fitness comes on faster than you think, keep at it and you can do it :-). All you have to do is remember that so long as you did something today, it will make you that little bit fitter for tomorrow :-)
Yes I know this feeling, think it was 4 years and 2 months ago that I rode from Surbiton to Teddington which is around 3 miles and I was tired, legs burning etc. A few kg later and maybe 12 months of persistence I was able to ride 200 miles a week. Then race and win, etc etc. Keep going, nobody knows where their limit is till they try
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