Reality check

[Kawasicki]

So I rode the 2015 Letape du Tour after training hard for 6 weeks. Then I started doing informal group bike rides from my town. One of the riders suggested I try riding with the triathlon club, which I did this evening.

Well that was an education.

I'm not fit and I'm not strong.

My head and my heart nearly exploded simultaneously about 15 times in 2.5 hours. What is the most interesting this for me was the age of the fastest guys. They were both well into their fifties.

We averaged 31 km/h for 2.5 hours in humid 30 degree heat including 1000m of climbing. That included the group having to wait for me on about 5 occasions, all during climbs, and I was the lightest there by a long way.

I need to train more and better.

Edited by Kawasicki on Tuesday 11th August 22:07

[mcelliott]

Actually, you're being a bit hard on yourself - I think that's a pretty decent effort you've put in with that amount of climbing. Also the beauty with cycling is the older you get, the stronger you can be. The pure speed may drop off but the power and endurance can stay and in many cases can increase with age. I recently came back from a trip training on the hills around Toulon, and I consider myself a fairly good climber. However, a couple of times I got my arse handed to me by guys that were at least 6 or 7 years older than I am. I consoled myself with the fact that they were probably ex-pros...

[upsidedownmark]

<grin> Welcome to my world. 'problem' with any club is that there will always be people who are a lot faster/more obsessive about training than you, especially in Tri.

Don't let it bother you, and in a year or so you'll be the one turning out the hurt; personally I've been at it about 4 years and at 40 I'm still getting (a lot) faster year on year. Mainly 'cos I came from a low starting point, but I'll take it

[Steve vRS]

Just how I felt after doing a few TTs and crit races this year!

Steve

[RGambo]

Yes, these old blokes can be pretty bloody quick. I remember when I first started TTing, I'd been putting in some good rides for a year or so and a few clubs guys suggested I had a go at a club 10. What an eye opener!! I rocked up with my shiny(borrowed) TT bike and blasted off, turned in with what I thought was a good time of 22.52. I was beaten by a few, obviously, one of the guys was in his mid 50's the other was in his late 60's!!
It actually made me want to cycle more if anything. I've competed in various sports through out my life, rugby, squash, tennis and you just reached a point where your body was hurting all the time and especially with rugby, bits broke! But cycling is pretty good on the body, and by the looks of it, you have a very long time frame for competitiveness if you are prepared to work at it.