Same distance, same time, different methods?

Manc33

Can anyone tell me what the difference would be between all these methods? All involve doing the same distance over the same time. Is there any "best" way to do it out of all these methods?

5 miles every day.
10 miles every other day.
20 miles once every 4 days.
40 miles once every 8 days.

If you did any of the above for 8 days you would always have done 40 miles in 8 days.

The problem is, one of the above is probably "the best" one and I don't know which.

At the moment I am doing 10 miles every other day and when I get fit enough I will double it to 10 miles every day NOT 20 miles every 2 days. I know people do say cycle "little and often" probably ruling out stuff like 40 miles every 8 days. I know having an 8 day break will set me back, even if I am doing 40 miles all the same, in that time.

I know its not a lot but its a lot more than I was doing, yes I am this lethargic. :roll:

YeehaaMcgee

I've always been led to believe that doing a little, but regularly would be best, so from that, the 5 miles every day would seem to offer the best way to improve riding fitness.
So, until someone who knows what they're talking about says any different, I'll vote for that!

mcnultycop

There is probably some complicated set of formulae to work this out, but I reckon 10 miles every other day is the best option. 5 miles a day wouldn't give you much benefit - it just isn't far enough, but 4 or 8 days in-between rides means you wouldn't be doing enough. I'd just try lengthening the rides you do every other day. When you get fitter 10 miles will seem like nothing.

The Northern Monkey

I would also go with 10 miles every other day.

Or, 5 miles Tuesday and Thursday, then 40 miles every Saturday (for example).

You need rest days, otherwise your body doesnt have time to recover.

YeehaaMcgee

I don't think you'll need rest days for 5 or 10 mile rides, really, at any fitness level.

Manc33

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

I don't think you'll need rest days for 5 or 10 mile rides, really, at any fitness level.

You've never been as unfit as me then.

I smoked for 20 years and only quit about 9 months ago.

I must admit these days I can stand up on my bike and get up a hill (not "hills", just "one hill" if I am lucky lol) without being fully out of breath at the top. You know what its like when you're grinding up a hill sat down and you have about 25% of it left... well I have only just started being able to stand up and "kick" at all.

I also think 5 miles a day seems like too little, even though 10 miles every other day averages out to the same, I am sure it must burn more fat doing 10 miles every other day.

Like the above post says there will be a formula to it.

I saw a chart the other day of tyre pressure (I think for Marathon Plus) and it said rolling resistance is lowest at something like 60 PSI. :O These tyres go up to 115 PSI by the way. It would be good to have some chart that shows a line of fitness where the Y axis is distance and the X axis is time.

YeehaaMcgee

The rest day is more for overworked muscles, and though I freely admit I may be wrong, as this is based on a hunch, I still don't think you "need" a rest day after such a relatively short ride, at any fitness. You're not working the muscles hard enough to necessitate it.

don't worry too much about the fitness, it will come in time, if you stick to it.

Manc33

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

The rest day is more for overworked muscles, and though I freely admit I may be wrong, as this is based on a hunch, I still don't think you "need" a rest day after such a relatively short ride, at any fitness. You're not working the muscles hard enough to necessitate it.

don't worry too much about the fitness, it will come in time, if you stick to it.

Sorry yes it was never because of my muscles aching, was always because I just didn't feel like I could do it.

People can't imagine being that unfit around here I guess. :P

YeehaaMcgee

Well, I can remember being that unfit.

Stu Coops

Try doing 10 milers every other day because as others have said 5 miles just ain't enough on a bike to see any real improvement, I know you say your really unfit but just take it nice and steady so your breathing hard enough to just hold conversation if you were out with another rider.

Try and find a route which is reasonablly flat then after a couple of weeks start adding in a climb or so then as the weeks continue add in a couple more hills and once your comfortable with this training carry on with this regime but add in two 20 milers instead of the 10's then after a couple of months of this start getting out say a Sunday for a distance of say 35-40 miles nice and steady.

This will need tweaking to your specific goals but these basics will get you where you want to be also once you are fit enough to challenge yourself some more there a loads of training plans online which you can follow or cherry pick from a few and use that to suit you.

njee20

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

The rest day is more for overworked muscles, and though I freely admit I may be wrong, as this is based on a hunch, I still don't think you "need" a rest day after such a relatively short ride, at any fitness. You're not working the muscles hard enough to necessitate it.

Agreed!

I'd say 10 miles every other day, and try to increase that gradually.

I saw a chart the other day of tyre pressure (I think for Marathon Plus) and it said rolling resistance is lowest at something like 60 PSI. :O These tyres go up to 115 PSI by the way. It would be good to have some chart that shows a line of fitness where the Y axis is distance and the X axis is time.

If it was that simple though then everyone would just train that optimum amount, and no more. At risk of over simplifying more is better at this level.

Distance isn't a great metric either - as you get fitter you'll go faster and that distance will take less time. So you can be doing the same route but not going for as long. Better to do an hour every other day or whatever.

bladeone

Interesting reading I agree on 5 mile been too short but if some one is just starting you gotta start somewhere and you'll soon add miles to that.

If your cycling to stay in shape takes 20 minutes to get start burning fat (my main goal so I can have beer and pizzas) I try to get 10 to 15 miles 3 times a week and if time allow get a longer one in 25 plus and sometimes 50 plus If I have plenty time.

And I think mixing routes up is a good idea

After all any mileage is better than none and at least your out having fun.

cbkernow

as the supermarket says, every little helps......

For the past 3 weeks I've been cycling to work, only a 1.5 mile ride in the morning and 1.5-2.5 on the way home and I already feel so much better, a few longer weekend runs as well are making a big difference. Long way from not being a fat bloke but cardio wise I'm seeing the difference already.

kajjal

I just do ten miles two or three times a week and get up early to do 30 miles or so both days at the weekend. Best advice is just listen to your body and slowly build up the distance / intensity. A good nights sleep and rest days are important to let you body rebuild and increase in fitness. Your ten miles every other day is fine.

kajjal

cbkernow wrote:

as the supermarket says, every little helps......

For the past 3 weeks I've been cycling to work, only a 1.5 mile ride in the morning and 1.5-2.5 on the way home and I already feel so much better, a few longer weekend runs as well are making a big difference. Long way from not being a fat bloke but cardio wise I'm seeing the difference already.

You will be amazed the difference as you get fitter. The first few months my weight was constant then over the next few weeks I lost a stone in weight.

WindyG

Why not mix it up a bit 1 week 5 miles every day, next week 10miles every other day, 3rd week the 20 miles option and then rotate them around and just increase as you get fitter.