Fitness and the "older" cyclist

humey53
humey53 Posts: 14
edited July 2013 in Training, fitness and health
I am a reasonably fit 60 year old who would like to enjoy cycling more but two things prevent me.

Firstly post ride I always suffer with headaches, despite drinking isotonic drinks and water during my rides, which are currently 25 to 30 miles, averaging a meagre 12mph.

Secondly, how do I improve my stamina? Last year i managed a 100km sportive, but these days 30 miles seems to be my limit.

I'd like to get my average speed up and able to do 50 miles without feeling completely goosed

Any advice?

Comments

  • BigFatBloke
    BigFatBloke Posts: 167
    What are you eating before the ride? Do you take on any carbs during the ride and what do you eat after the ride.

    How much are you drinking?

    Alcohol after a ride can cause headaches.
  • Ride hard
    Ride hard Posts: 389
    BigFatBloke wrote:
    What are you eating before the ride? Do you take on any carbs during the ride and what do you eat after the ride.

    How much are you drinking?

    Alcohol after a ride can cause headaches.

    As can "The Boss" with a look on her face that says "You said you were only going to be out for an hour"

    As BFB says, fueling is one of the most important things to do, so the pre-ride stuff is just as important as what you take on board during and after the ride. If you say you did a 100km sportive last year (without too much trouble I assume) then think about what you fluids and food you took on board then, and whether its any different to what you're doing now.

    In terms of upping your average speed, getting a cycling buddy or joining a local club might be the way forward as a good motivational tool to push you on a ride when you need it.
    Reporter: "What's your prediction for the fight?"
    Clubber Lang: "Prediction?"
    Reporter: "Yes. Prediction"
    Clubber Lang: "....Pain!!!"
  • zardoz
    zardoz Posts: 251
    Have you had your blood pressure checked recently? That can be the cause of headaches so might be worth a trip to the docs to get it checked out especially considering your age(I'm not far off 60 so not being ageist!). As far as building stamina its just doing more and building up slowly over time and having a bit of structure around your training. ie a plan. There is a book by Joe Friel which I've not read myself but seen it recommended, I think its called Cycling over 50 might be worth looking at for some training tips and advice.
    http://www.strava.com/athletes/1767978
  • blackhands
    blackhands Posts: 950
    For a 2 hour-ish ride at 12mph you shouldn't need to much extra food and sports drinks are not necessarily the answer. For a 45mile ride I usually take a sandwich and have a stop about halfway. I'm 70 BTW.

    Isotonic drinks are meant to keep you properly hydrated and do not contain carbs - in fact if they did they would not be iso-tonic.
  • ut_och_cykla
    ut_och_cykla Posts: 1,594
    If you feel you've lost a lot of fitness (and don't feel good when you do exercise - headahes etc) I would get checked out by a medical professional. You might be 'just' old (I'm 52!) or you might have an underlying medical condition that is holding you back - hormone problems - thyroid/diabetes or high blood pressure are two things that come to mind.
    Work up to the 50 miles over a few weeks, taking it easy on teh rides (try not to go too fast when you start. ) and when you've been checked out use 2-3 weekday evenings to ride shorter ditances faster. Good luck!

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