Slow Down And Go Longer Or.....

ShaggyRS6

Morning all,

So I have been on my road bike now for about 3 months. I'm no Cav that's for sure, but with the cycling and eating right I am achieving my own goals.

1. Loosing about about 2lbs of weight a week. (Currently 16st 12)
2. BP is comming down
3. Colesterol falling
4. Have more energy

Now, for a tubby soand so I am completing a 16 mile loop in 53-55 mins averaging between 16 - 16.7 MPH, which I dont think is too bad to be honest.

I do push all the way though which brings me on to my next question. Should I be pushing that hard or should I be doing another 10 miles or so on my long rides but slow the pace down?

This is my current routine:

Weekdays (Weather permitting) 6.5 miles in 22 mins
Weekends (Weather permitting) 16.6 Miles 53 - 55 mins

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

danowat

Just keep doing what you want, and enjoy it for now, you can worry about stats and speeds in the future.

briantrumpet

danowat wrote:

Just keep doing what you want, and enjoy it for now, you can worry about stats and speeds in the future.

... and mix it up - longer rides, shorter rides, push it hard when you feel like it, pootle along futher at other times. Get your body used to different things - and it all helps make it interesting. It's not an either/or question. Eat sensibly, get out on the bike as often as you can, and enjoy it.

springtide9

As above.

You'll find that just dropping your average speed from say 16mph to 14mph will allow you do double or even triple your distances - if you wanted.

But it's about enjoying the time on the bike as well as whether you have the time for a long ride or not. If you have the time, finding new routes on the back roads is very enjoyable. It's also good to disconnect yourself from your 'average speed' on occasions to concentrate on the enjoyment of journey.
I can think of nothing more enjoyable, than a moderate paced long ride in the sunshine, especially if you get out early and enjoy the first of the morning.

Off on holiday tomorrow for 2 weeks in the glorious Sunshine in Cyprus, it's just a shame that I'm taking the family rather than my bike! [that was a joke btw]

ShaggyRS6

I must admit I do have trouble not trying to go full pelt all the time. I will give it a go tomorrow.

carl_p

Agree with all that's been said before. Your routine seems to be working in terms of achieving your goals.

I would start to increase the distance of your weekend rides gradually - plan some routes and aim for gentle to mid pace. You've lovely countryside in your area, so get out there and enjoy before the dreaded winter kicks in.

Well done with your weight loss/fitness 8)

keef66

I find that I often head out intending to do a moderate pace / distance, but all that does is get me properly warmed up so I then feel I can push harder and harder.

I have to be really disciplined to go slower but further.

robklancs

Every time I go out on my own I end up time trialing for no reason. It takes discipline to go at a moderate pace, sadly I have none.

griffsters

Do both, which i think is the gist of what most are saying. Keeps things interesting!

Most importantly do what brings a smile to your face, I can honestly say that at some point on all my rides a spontaneous grin appears on my mush Yes, I'm new to this as well.

Good luck with the weight loss.

ShaggyRS6

I actually do want to go further, so I will have to force mysself to slow up. I dont have a cimputer mounted on the bike just an Android app so its difficult to guage my average speed until i get home.

I do grin as well. I swear a lot too, just on difficult climbs, but at the top I smile.

I now define dissapointment as climbing a hill and realising you have no more gears left. that's true dissapointment

CambsNewbie

I try and do both on the same ride.. Have recovery periods and then phases where I really push it until legs and lungs are burning.

However did slightly misjudge it this morning and made the last 5 miles agony!

Is it wrong that I enjoyed this even more?!?!

keef66

Not at all. I've started riding with a tailwind away from home so I'll be forced to work hard when I turn round to get back home.

MancMissile

If you want to loose more weight then go for longer distance at a slower pace. The perfect fat burning HR is around 60-70% of your max HR i believe.

briantrumpet

I too am not very good at solo recovery rides. But then my riding is really for pleasure, and my 'training' is very unscientific. Even though I do set myself speed-distance targets, it's just for personal motivation, rather than a desire to race.

One thing I do if I want to change the routine is to go for a ride with someone else. Chances are they'll be either slower or faster than you. If they're faster, you can do your best to hang onto their back wheel for all long as you can - if they are understanding, they'll try to pull you at a demanding pace, but will ask if you want a rest if you're struggling. If they are slower than you, you can do a mixture of pulling them along, and then little bits of sprinting ("I'm just going to hammer it up to the top of this hill, and I'll wait for you at the top"), so you are really doing interval training.

Either way, you'll be getting in some useful, fun, and friendly training.

gilesjuk

Do some cross training. Consider doing some hiking or hilly walks plus some jogging.

The fittest people I know are all into triathlons and the like. Doing one activity alone isn't always enough.

Also, the best thing for my fitness was cycle commuting. I was doing 24 miles a day three times a week. While not always possible depending on job and distance, you can actually save time combining exercise and commuting into one activity.

ShaggyRS6

Unfortuanately I have Plantar Fasciitis so running is not an option. clycling is helping with it, but I cant run.

Would love to commute, but they wont let me take my bike on the train during rush.

COnsidered saving for a bike to bring into work to ride around Hyde Park at lunch time

briantrumpet

gilesjuk wrote:

The fittest people I know are all into triathlons and the like. Doing one activity alone isn't always enough.

Also, the best thing for my fitness was cycle commuting. I was doing 24 miles a day three times a week. While not always possible depending on job and distance, you can actually save time combining exercise and commuting into one activity.

Erm, triathlon cyclists aren't necessarily known for their cycling prowess - yes, they may be fit, but cycling needs very specific training (which for most people is best done on a bike). I can go faster on a bike than a cycling friend of mine who is hyper fit (he was in the running to do olympic training for canoeing while at school, and still does loads of sport at uni) and less than half my age. But I ride a bike much more than him.

I'd absolutely agree about the commuting. For me it's 2500 miles a year of training, which saves me about £1000 p.a., and is quicker than driving to work.

springtide9

briantrumpet wrote:

Erm, triathlon cyclists aren't necessarily known for their cycling prowess - yes, they may be fit, but cycling needs very specific training (which for most people is best done on a bike). I can go faster on a bike than a cycling friend of mine who is hyper fit (he was in the running to do olympic training for canoeing while at school, and still does loads of sport at uni) and less than half my age. But I ride a bike much more than him.

What complete nonsense LOL .... Never heard such rubbish in all my life... That's made my week

I think being fit for canoeing (where you don't actually use your legs apart from balance) is slightly different to running and swimming - where both use your legs!
A have a friend who's a keen triathlete... who admits most of his training is swimming and running, is still very fast on a bike.

merak

@brian and @spring, individual cases don't prove general rules, but I tend to be with Brian on this one. I don't think, of course, that all triathletes are poor cyclists - many triathletes are very good TTers, but some are absolutely appalling. But, the only real training for cycling is cycling, which means that as a very genetically modest athlete I can ride a bike faster and longer than many people who have better aerobic engines than I have, and who are fitter than me in every other aerobic activity. And that's because I've been riding for a bike lots of miles for decades and they haven't. But they kick my butt in running, rowing, whatever else. Running might give a good base aerobic fitness for cycling but that won't translate to real speed and distance without getting some decent miles in.

ShaggyRS6

This has turned into a really good informative thread for me

Hals1967

The main thing is however you choose to ride and train, just enjoy it.

springtide9

merak wrote:

@brian and @spring, individual cases don't prove general rules, but I tend to be with Brian on this one. I don't think, of course, that all triathletes are poor cyclists - many triathletes are very good TTers, but some are absolutely appalling. But, the only real training for cycling is cycling, which means that as a very genetically modest athlete I can ride a bike faster and longer than many people who have better aerobic engines than I have, and who are fitter than me in every other aerobic activity. And that's because I've been riding for a bike lots of miles for decades and they haven't. But they kick my butt in running, rowing, whatever else. Running might give a good base aerobic fitness for cycling but that won't translate to real speed and distance without getting some decent miles in.

Well I agree to disagree. You also have to remember when you talk about types of training... some triathletes are long distance and others are sprint distances.

And it works both ways. I do very little running, if any at all. But my fitness from cycling helps me a lot with the running, apart from the impact/knees obviously.

Exercise is all about training your muscles to produce energy over time. It's not rocket science, and obviously concentrating on a specific sport does mean the exercise is more focused, but seeing a statement like 'triathletes are poor cyclists' - really is laughable.

So according to the post, are all of these triathletes are 'poor cyclists' ???
http://results.ultimate.dk/events/2011/ ... ameset.php

LOL, LOL, LOL

merak

Ok, let's agree to disagree. I note that professional cyclists ride their bikes for training and train in no other way. You won't find a single professional roadie who runs for cross training.

Nevertheless, I agree that the statement "triathletes are poor cyclists" is far too broad and wrong; and I expect that all rteally good triathletes do substantial miles on the bike, including the guys in the rersult list you linked to. Nevertheless my experience is that cyclists who put the miles in can ride further and faster than many (not all!) who are younger and aerobically better than they are in other sports.

griffsters

Hmmm..I think I read Brian's post differently. I dont believe he specifically said triathletes are poor cyclists, just that they weren't known for their cycling prowess. In the context of his post I know what he is saying.

It doesnt mean triathletes are poor cyclists per se, clearly that is far from the truth. However compared to an athlete who trains specifically for cycling they wont shine.. trickle that down to the ordinary MAMIL on the street, one decides to do running the other cycling. Given that both have similar CV fitness each will do better than the other at their chosen discipline.

IMO, of course

alistaird

springtide9 wrote:

You'll find that just dropping your average speed from say 16mph to 14mph will allow you do double or even triple your distances

So would this mean if I'm doing about 40 miles @ 17mph on my own, then I should be able to do 63 miles (100kms) at about 15mph without too much difficulty? I'm training for a 100km Sportive at the moment...

Thanks,

Dan Ingram

I did a 60mile sportive recently and the longest ride I did before it was 40miles with just me and a friend. I found the 60mile ride easier tbh. The excitement of day and being able to ride in groups helps massively. I managed to average 15.5mph over the 60 miles which was an improvement on my average speed over 40 miles

ShaggyRS6

Right....

So i took all your advice and went for my first ever long ride. The idea was to go slower and further.

So i thought I was going slower, it certainly felt like it, but when I got back home and uploaded the data (I used a watch today to clarify too) I did the 27 miles in 1 hour 40

Average speed 16.1MPH

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/j68O3xPon9g

Not sure if I should be pleased or disappointed

nmcgann

AlistairD wrote:

springtide9 wrote:

You'll find that just dropping your average speed from say 16mph to 14mph will allow you do double or even triple your distances

So would this mean if I'm doing about 40 miles @ 17mph on my own, then I should be able to do 63 miles (100kms) at about 15mph without too much difficulty? I'm training for a 100km Sportive at the moment...

Thanks,

Very probably. Speed isn't a good measure as there are so many variables to consider, but dropping 2 mph over similar terrain is quite a big reduction in effort.

alistaird

nmcgann wrote:

AlistairD wrote:

springtide9 wrote:

You'll find that just dropping your average speed from say 16mph to 14mph will allow you do double or even triple your distances

So would this mean if I'm doing about 40 miles @ 17mph on my own, then I should be able to do 63 miles (100kms) at about 15mph without too much difficulty? I'm training for a 100km Sportive at the moment...

Thanks,

Very probably. Speed isn't a good measure as there are so many variables to consider, but dropping 2 mph over similar terrain is quite a big reduction in effort.

Thanks....

johnboy183

i too find it difficult not to go fast. usually i pedal as fast conditions dictate and quite often i end up in nearly granny ring when the road takes a slight upward turn! then the speed will build up again once it levels out. of course come the last 5 miles of the ride i am going way slower than i started and feel tired. perhaps i can go get some discipline somewhere
but best of all like others have said, its good being out on bike