How unfit am I?

johncp

I started riding semi-seriously last summer, more seriously this year, averaging about 400 miles a month since April, done usually as 2x30 and 1x40 per week. Yesterday I did the TransCambrian ride in mid-Wales, a fairly lumpy 85 miles in 6:45 - mainly solo - and after the first 40 miles or so I couldn't get my heart rate much above 135 (max is about 170) for more than a minute or so and my breathing seemed very heavy even when HR was lowish. The real question is whether this is a problem with overall endurance (although I did fairly even splits 2:30 first 53k, 2:30 next 48k, 1:44 final 39k) or should I be doing some harder shorter rides? I'm 50 years old, 5'10", slowly reducing weight from 13+ stone and as a 30 year old had a running VO2max of about 60, can anyone give me any encouragement that I can get to a reasonable standard?! (meaning approaching gold standard for a hard sportive) :oops:

pjm-84

after the first 40 miles or so I couldn't get my heart rate much above 135 (max is about 170) for more than a minute

How much do you eat when riding?

mididoctors

I have problems being and old f**t myself..

when not convalescing from an accident (like now)

I do intervals on the turbo midweek and a couple of 75 milers at the weekends..but i don't keep diaries of times or power or any of that sport tech stuff...

the simplest non technical method of riding faster IMHO is going out for rides with people faster than yourself... which for me isn't too difficult to find these days..

I sure there are numerous more precise modern time efficient methods for a guy like you and the expertise exists here to point you in the right direction..but failing that find a faster wheel and hang on for as long as you can..

lose a few pounds would help

13mph for 85 miles isn't fantastic but its not complete rubbish you can't build on

a couple of years you can get there.. bet yer

Boris
London

johncp

pjm-84 wrote:

after the first 40 miles or so I couldn't get my heart rate much above 135 (max is about 170) for more than a minute

How much do you eat when riding?

A fair bit - 4 bottles SIS Go, 2 bananas, cereal bar and about 5 gels

johncp

mididoctors wrote:

I have problems being and old f**t myself..

when not convalescing from an accident (like now)

I do intervals on the turbo midweek and a couple of 75 milers at the weekends..but i don't keep diaries of times or power or any of that sport tech stuff...

the simplest non technical method of riding faster IMHO is going out for rides with people faster than yourself... which for me isn't too difficult to find these days..

I sure there are numerous more precise modern time efficient methods for a guy like you and the expertise exists here to point you in the right direction..but failing that find a faster wheel and hang on for as long as you can..

lose a few pounds would help

13mph for 85 miles isn't fantastic but its not complete rubbish you can't build on

a couple of years you can get there.. bet yer

Boris
London

The weight is slowly reducing and following a wheel would have been nice but there weren't too many around let alone travelling (just a bit) quicker than me

Thanks for the encouragement - how's the new job going :?:

pjm-84

Not sure on the drink as I don't bother with it but I would say thats about 800 to 1000calories. 6hr - 45min riding = 1000 calories = 145 calories an hour plus drink. Maybe you're not eating enough?

If I ride a fast sportive (150km in around 5hr - 6hr for the hilly ones) then I will aim to eat every 10km . I generally alternate. One bar (eat natural bars), one gel. This combination equates to 415 calories. So hourly I'll consume between 530 calories and 715 calories. I have a big motor so this works for me. I may go to 15km between feeds if I start to feel a bit full.

A sure sign to me of the impending bonk is my heart rate dropping for perceived effort. If on the other hand my heart rate is high then I'm dehydrated. Height rate wise for a fast sportive I will average around 145bpm. Max is 199bpm.

GeorgeShaw

I'm a year ahead of you, Johncp (but a few more in age, 54). Last year I did the Trans Cambrian in 6:29 as my first sportive, and felt completely guttered. This year I took 6:19, but the conditions were much worse and I was a bit complacent with my training, not enough hills in the last couple of months. It would have been a lot faster if I hadn't got cramp on any longer uphill stretch in the second half, and I finished feeling relatively fresh.

The difference is another year in the legs, joining a club, and more focussed training. At our age in particular, it seems that there are no short cuts, just slow steady gains. Next year my target will be some tougher sportives (Dragon, ToBM) and to be in the top half of finishers.

... but failing that find a faster wheel and hang on for as long as you can ...

... but that doesn't make you any faster ...

I should know, I did the Vatternrundan in Sweden this year, 300km in 10:08, an unimaginably fast time for me, largely by wheelsucking on some very fast groups. It doesn't make me a fast rider , though.

Bronzie

Johncp wrote:

usually as 2x30 and 1x40 per week. Yesterday I did the TransCambrian ride in mid-Wales, a fairly lumpy 85 miles in 6:45

It's quite a jump from riding 40 miles to a lumpy 85. I'd suggest that you get comfortable with riding solo at least 80% of the distance of your targetted event over similar terrain (ie about 70 miles in this case).

Your endurance will take a while to build up, so gradually increase your one long ride each week by 5 miles for example.

Mettan

Johncp wrote:

Yesterday I did the TransCambrian ride in mid-Wales, a fairly lumpy 85 miles in 6:45

Re encouragement - That's a good ride, John - You did over 9000 ft of climbing and 87 miles in a decent time - I'd echo what Bronzie mentioned.

johncp

Thanks for all the replies and encouragement. Patience is not one of my virtues especially now I'm over the 50 hill and can only see performance getting worse! I have done a few 60-70 milers but I think not enough of them to really get my feeding sorted. Didn't help that there wasn't any food at the second stop in the TransCambrian :roll: but I've learned from the experience and will hopefully be a little better prepared for the Autumn Epic in 4 weeks

pjm-84

Patience is not one of my virtues especially now I'm over the 50 hill and can only see performance getting worse

Disagree. I recently rode with a gent who was 60 who put most of the other club riders into difficulty on the hills.

idaviesmoore

pjm-84 wrote:

Patience is not one of my virtues especially now I'm over the 50 hill and can only see performance getting worse

Disagree. I recently rode with a gent who was 60 who put most of the other club riders into difficulty on the hills.

A+ to this. A guy I know is mid 60's and won his age group in the Oswestry Triathlon. He says his best performance years were from 55 onwards. He saw bigger performance gains then ever before.
He put it down to less financial and family commitments.

Keep going fella

mididoctors

pjm-84 wrote:

Patience is not one of my virtues especially now I'm over the 50 hill and can only see performance getting worse

Disagree. I recently rode with a gent who was 60 who put most of the other club riders into difficulty on the hills.

I rode with someone over 60 in april who put me into difficulty on the hills