Getting better
BobScarle
Posts: 282
I know this has been done a few times before, but here is my take on things.
Over the past couple of months I have been trying to loose some weight. I have cut back on my food intake and increased the amount of exercise, mostly on the trainer. The result is that I have lost over a stone in weight. I have felt a lot better on my normal Saturday morning rides with the group, not that I ever really had a problem, but the rides now feel a little easier.
Tonight, it has eventually stopped raining, I had an opportunity to get out for a couple of hours. I had in mind a 30 mile route, few climbs but nothing too difficult.
The ride was good and these are the points I noted. It is worth saying at this point that I didn't feel I was making any more effort than usual.
I noticed that in places where I usually struggle to maintain 14mph that I was struggling to maintain 16mph.
I noticed that on one hill I used to struggle to keep above 10mph today I was struggling to keep above 12mph
I noticed that on some of the rises (I won't call them hills) I didn't change from the big ring to the small ring.
I noticed that once I had climbed a hill I was accelerating quicker instead of just trying to recover.
I use the word "struggle" on a few occasions, quite deliberately. I still had to work hard and I think that this is my point. All of the training and all the weight I have lost does not make riding easier, I am still working hard. But the effort translates into a faster ride.
So, Hills don't get easier, you just get faster.
Just my thoughts on tonights ride.
Over the past couple of months I have been trying to loose some weight. I have cut back on my food intake and increased the amount of exercise, mostly on the trainer. The result is that I have lost over a stone in weight. I have felt a lot better on my normal Saturday morning rides with the group, not that I ever really had a problem, but the rides now feel a little easier.
Tonight, it has eventually stopped raining, I had an opportunity to get out for a couple of hours. I had in mind a 30 mile route, few climbs but nothing too difficult.
The ride was good and these are the points I noted. It is worth saying at this point that I didn't feel I was making any more effort than usual.
I noticed that in places where I usually struggle to maintain 14mph that I was struggling to maintain 16mph.
I noticed that on one hill I used to struggle to keep above 10mph today I was struggling to keep above 12mph
I noticed that on some of the rises (I won't call them hills) I didn't change from the big ring to the small ring.
I noticed that once I had climbed a hill I was accelerating quicker instead of just trying to recover.
I use the word "struggle" on a few occasions, quite deliberately. I still had to work hard and I think that this is my point. All of the training and all the weight I have lost does not make riding easier, I am still working hard. But the effort translates into a faster ride.
So, Hills don't get easier, you just get faster.
Just my thoughts on tonights ride.
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Comments
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That's pretty much my experience too, I have lost 21 lbs, and I have noticed that I can get up hills quicker and in a bigger ring, but it still seems like a lot of effort. The other thing I have noticed is that I am not so knackered when I get back from a ride. That and I don't like such a fat twunt in Lycra now I have lost weight, I actually look like a cyclist, sometimes.Trek Madone 3.5
Whyte Coniston
1970 Dawes Kingpin0 -
If you ride in the rain you'll get better even quicker.0
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The basic mantra of the cyclist is "it never gets easier you just get quicker"Yellow is the new Black.0
