Advice Please, am I trying to do to much?
monkeycowboy
Posts: 186
Hi,
Im signed up to do the Action 100 Bristol to London on August bank holiday. I completed it in 2004, 114 miles in 6hours 32mins, but I was commuting to work and back every day (10miles) and doing some big rides on the weekends, I started this routine in March. So had plenty of time.
This year however, Ive been busy with moving house, new job etc etc and hadn't started training until last week. I hadn't ridden a bike properly since 2004 until last week, which I mangaged to do 230miles in! This consisted of a mix of riding to work, riding home (now 22.5 miles one way), catching a train some of the way home (reduces the 22.5 to 10miles) and one day i managed the round trip of 45 miles. It takes me just under 1.5 hours to do the 22.5 miles which I dont think is to bad considering its from North Bristol to Clevedon over the Avonmouth bridge and up some nasty hills. Saturday gone I rode to Cullompton in Devon (71 miles) in 5.5 hours, so I think Im going to be okay, but am concerned that I may be over doing the miles? I took Sunday and Monday off from cycling this week, and rode the 45 mile round trip today.
Should I continue doing 45 miles a day from now until the bank holiday? I feel I should do some long rides on the weekend, but need to get some rest aswell? Im committed to riding at least partially to work as this is my only method of transport mixed with the train. So my minimum per work week is 50 miles.
Am I over doing it? Any suggestions would be welcome.
TIA
Im signed up to do the Action 100 Bristol to London on August bank holiday. I completed it in 2004, 114 miles in 6hours 32mins, but I was commuting to work and back every day (10miles) and doing some big rides on the weekends, I started this routine in March. So had plenty of time.
This year however, Ive been busy with moving house, new job etc etc and hadn't started training until last week. I hadn't ridden a bike properly since 2004 until last week, which I mangaged to do 230miles in! This consisted of a mix of riding to work, riding home (now 22.5 miles one way), catching a train some of the way home (reduces the 22.5 to 10miles) and one day i managed the round trip of 45 miles. It takes me just under 1.5 hours to do the 22.5 miles which I dont think is to bad considering its from North Bristol to Clevedon over the Avonmouth bridge and up some nasty hills. Saturday gone I rode to Cullompton in Devon (71 miles) in 5.5 hours, so I think Im going to be okay, but am concerned that I may be over doing the miles? I took Sunday and Monday off from cycling this week, and rode the 45 mile round trip today.
Should I continue doing 45 miles a day from now until the bank holiday? I feel I should do some long rides on the weekend, but need to get some rest aswell? Im committed to riding at least partially to work as this is my only method of transport mixed with the train. So my minimum per work week is 50 miles.
Am I over doing it? Any suggestions would be welcome.
TIA
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Comments
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Seems like a big jump from almost nothing to rather a lot. Fewer longer rides might be better but you have transport problems. Doing this mileage day in day out may well lead to problems- colds, sore joints? My strategy would be to test longer distances at the weekend so that I know mentally that I can get round, use one or two commutes to work up some speed and rest the other 2 - 3 days as much as possible. Don't forget to eat plenty of carbs and protein and get plenty of sleep too & good luck0
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As long as you take our time I don't see why you wouldn't be ok. It would be a different matter if you were doing high intensity tempo training.0
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Relax.
If you can do 71 miles to Devon (hilly I presume) on your own, you can do 110 miles to London (relatively flat) in a group.
100 miles during the week, plus one long ride (40-50 miles) at the weekend, should be plenty. 230 miles a week sounds like too much, you run the risk of injury given your starting point.
And remember not to overdo it the 7 days before the ride. No more than 100 miles.0 -
I'd suggest continuing to do the long ride on the weekend at an easy pace.
On the commute do the minimum distance you can at a recovery pace with the emphasis on keeping supple and loose; except for two sessions, say, Tuesday and Thursday where you do the 22 miles home. Make these sessions say a brisk one on the Tuesday and then on the Thursday ride easy on the flat but hit the hills as hard as you can. So the weekday rides are either very, very easy, or hard.
Over the last 7 days to the big ride do the minimum distance in the week at recovery pace but make one or two rides home short and a bit hard.
Bin0
