age and distance

radiation man

im 53 and been cycling for over 7 yrs now but seem to be finding routes over 40 miles getting to tiring for me, i did a ride this sat 65miles, but after 37 miles i was getting tired, would i be better off doing less miles, as when you get tired you eat more to get you back, so can end up putting weight on, on the 65miles i used 2500 calories

meanredspider

If you're getting tired, it's because you aren't cycling enough (assuming you're healthy and you're eating on the bike). I'd suggest you should be doing some long slow rides to build up your endurance. I'm only a couple of years younger than you and I did a century ride in June with 6550m of climbing. I've only been cycling about as long as you too (after a long break). Try doing 60 miles at a very steady pace a few times.

radiation man

the most miles ive ever done is 106

kajjal

I find the big things that impact my performance are not eating enough of the right foods, dehydration, lack of real rest days and having a job that can be stressful at times. Did you find this happened gradually or suddenly ? Has anything changed ?

meanredspider

radiation man wrote:

the most miles ive ever done is 106

That's fine. Plenty of riders haven't done too much more than that. I don't think there's any substitute for miles in the saddle if you want to build endurance though. It really doesn't need to be fast

imposter2.0

radiation man wrote:

im 53 and been cycling for over 7 yrs now but seem to be finding routes over 40 miles getting to tiring for me, i did a ride this sat 65miles, but after 37 miles i was getting tired, would i be better off doing less miles, as when you get tired you eat more to get you back, so can end up putting weight on, on the 65miles i used 2500 calories

Endurance usually improves with age, within certain limits. If you were getting tired after 37, then either your pace was not sustainable (ie too high), or you have not done enough riding at those distances/durations - or both.

whoof

If you want to ride further but you are feeling tired after 37 miles, slow down.

hypster

radiation man wrote:

im 53 and been cycling for over 7 yrs now but seem to be finding routes over 40 miles getting to tiring for me, i did a ride this sat 65miles, but after 37 miles i was getting tired, would i be better off doing less miles, as when you get tired you eat more to get you back, so can end up putting weight on, on the 65miles i used 2500 calories

I'm a little confused with what you are saying. It sounds like from the last part of your query that you are more concerned about putting on weight than cycling any distance. What you need to understand about endurance cycling is that you will tend to burn more calories per hour than you can comfortably consume. It seems to me reading between the lines of what you have written that you are getting tired at 30 miles or so because you haven't eaten enough. You need to consume about 60g of carbohydrate per hour of exercise (which equates to 240 calories) to keep you fuelled over a longer distance. This can consist of energy drinks and/or solid food whichever is your preference and taste.

I am pushing 59 years old in October and have been cycling for over 25 years. I did the Marmotte (109 mountainous miles) in July and did a 76 mile sportive this weekend at a moving average of 18.1 mph. It's not age but training and preparation that counts. As others have said, increasing long, slow mileage is the key but you need to fuel for rides of over 2 hours otherwise you will run out of the most important stored fuel, carbohydrate.

marcusjb

Age is no barrier to distance - or so I am told (I am only 41). I regularly ride with people in their 50s, 60s and even 70s who are doing huge distances (we rode 800 miles in 4.5 days last week and that was at a pretty relaxed pace, but there were a good number of riders of your age and above).

Some older riders I ride with bemoan their lack of speed compared to their younger days - these are usually the ones who can still leave me for dust!

Further is easier than faster - and riding longer distances generally needs moderation in your pace. I can near destroy myself in 50 miles if I want to. Or I can ride at my endurance pace and be able to carry on for many more miles.

The more endurance riding you do, the better your body becomes at fuelling itself - but you can also help yourself by eating little and often as you go to avoid pigging out at the end. You must also ensure you have a good breakfast before heading out.

But please don't tell me age is a barrier to distance - I am looking forward to retirement and being able to get some proper miles in!

radiation man

how many hours a day did you ride to do the 800 miles

marcusjb

radiation man wrote:

how many hours a day did you ride to do the 800 miles

Don't know really, lots of waiting for ferries etc. as well. Probably 14-16 hours a day pedalling.

sub55

meanredspider wrote:

If you're getting tired, it's because you aren't cycling enough (assuming you're healthy and you're eating on the bike). I'd suggest you should be doing some long slow rides to build up your endurance. I'm only a couple of years younger than you and I did a century ride in June with 6550m of climbing. I've only been cycling about as long as you too (after a long break). Try doing 60 miles at a very steady pace a few times.

why the assumption that a long ride has to be slow

Southgate

radiation man wrote:

I'm 53 and been cycling for over 7 yrs now but seem to be finding routes over 40 miles getting to tiring for me

I very much doubt that in and of itself "age" is the cause of your tiredness.

It is far more likely to be caused by one or more of the following: stress, lack of sleep, alcohol, fags, poor training regime, excess weight, illness, poor nutrition on or off the bike etc etc.

What I would say is that the older you get the more you have to look after yourself to maintain the same level of fitness. At 53 this shouldn't be too difficult. I'm only three years younger and I can still knock out a sub 5 hour century and complete an Etape, and I hope to remain reasonably competitive for many years to come. What I find helps is to do a bit of cross training (swimming and weights works for me) to strengthen the core and maintain all over muscle mass. I've also pretty much cut out alcohol. Just my personal experience, but I hope this helps.