Finally a reason to feel pleased with myself

Kieran_Burns

I've been catching the train into work for the last 4 weeks and cycling home the 14 and bit miles.

Partly to save money but mainly to get fit, and as cycling is the only form exercise I enjoy; it seemed a good idea.

I've given myself arbitrary targets to see if I am improving my level of fitness and the first was to be able to cycle home in less than an hour. I did this fairly soon, so I then stepped up to less than 50 minutes.

I've been consistently getting sub 1 hour but not really any faster but last night I couldn't cycle home due to mahoosive thunderstorm that hit Derby at just after 5 (we had rain like you wouldn't believe and HUGE hailstones)

This morning, the train was cancelled and I decided I may as well cycle in (not go home and get the car!)

So I set off and have a really great ride - bit cool, easy run in... topped out at just over 30 on the long downhill into Derby and when I got to work I realised I had done the trip in JUST under 50 mins! Seeing as when I started doing the run in (when I *did* the run in) it took me up to 1:15 I can't help but be REALLY pleased.

It's good achieving milestones and while I don't *feel* any fitter (and still have the gut ) people are commenting on my weight loss and I know I must be better - I'm 1-2 gears higher than when I started cycling and I know I am quicker now... still can't match the shaven legged pro- types though

Littigator

Good work KB, you'll be sub 40 mins, lycra clad, paunchless, attracting all sorts of attention from the opposite sex and scalping everything in sight before you know it.

Well at least the first three anyway

Kieran_Burns

My *ultimate* aim is to be sub 45 mins on the run in and the run home.

I figure for a 14 and a bit mile run this is a good solid figure to aim for. I'm 42 now and while I do have a history of riding (my calves and thighs testify to that) my basic fitness is letting me down.

If I can get to the point where my 48/11 top chain is letting me down then I'll KNOW I'm fit

At the moment I'm topping out on my 7th of 9 nine gears on the cassette. (cruise easily in 5th and am now using 6th more often. I started in 4th and that is now my uphill only gear)

El Gordo

Kieran_Burns wrote:

I've been consistently getting sub 1 hour but not really any faster but last night I couldn't cycle home due to mahoosive thunderstorm that hit Derby at just after 5 (we had rain like you wouldn't believe and HUGE hailstones)

That was indeed some crazy rain. By happy coincidence I had to leave work early yesterday so was safely in my lounge at 17:15 when the heavens opened - any other day I'd have been halfway home and at risk of drowning. Mind you, on the occasions I've been caught out in rain like that I've kind of enjoyed it in a can't-get-any-wetter sort of way.

Kieran_Burns

El Gordo wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

I've been consistently getting sub 1 hour but not really any faster but last night I couldn't cycle home due to mahoosive thunderstorm that hit Derby at just after 5 (we had rain like you wouldn't believe and HUGE hailstones)

That was indeed some crazy rain. By happy coincidence I had to leave work early yesterday so was safely in my lounge at 17:15 when the heavens opened - any other day I'd have been halfway home and at risk of drowning. Mind you, on the occasions I've been caught out in rain like that I've kind of enjoyed it in a can't-get-any-wetter sort of way.

Well - I'd only just started the 14 mile commute back home (still in the Pride Park area) and was sopping wet within seconds.

Under those circumstances discretion was definitely the better part of valour!

downfader

I used to be REALLY unfit. I'm talking about walking from one room to another would give me palps and make me breathless. I'd not been cycling for about 4 years at that point and in the end it was a mixture of busses not turning up (and my getting several b*ll***ings from the boss), health issues and the feeling that I just wanted to ride again.

I used to make it into work in 45 minutes as a kid, on a knackered old Scorpion mountain bike. When I restarted (I think iirc I gave up because my mother gave my bike to my uncle accused me of not using it etc) I got a marin fairfax. Took me about an hour unfit, but now I can do it in around 20-25 minutes.

Well it is only 6 miles