nkfrench 

Sorry cod.peace, can't see your graph...

Same topic here after 1 year of cycling - so I hope I'm not hijacking your thread.

I had my big "teachable moment" and made a Jan 2007 New Year's resolution to fix my lifestyle and get back in shape. I started swimming regularly, ate a healthy diet, lost about 100 pounds from there to Mar 2008. I got into decent cardiovascular shape. Then I had a setback with a major brain surgery and a bout on steroids to reduce cerebral edema. The steroids gave me a huge appetite, vigorous exercise was absolutely not allowed, and I needed to focus on getting healthy rather than on poundage. Jun 2008 I started riding the bike and built up from bike rides measured in blocks to 20 mile rides by end of summer.

In Nov 2008 I bought a new bike that was more fun to ride, lighter, and fit me perfectly. At the time my lifetime longest ride was 25 miles; or 35 miles r/t on a commute.

By Jan 2009 I had built up to some 50 mile rides with rolling hills, some short but steep 11% grade hills, averaged mid 13mph to low 14. I gained about 10 more pounds in the process, lots of leg muscle but also increased my % bodyfat by a few percent.

Fast forward to now (Sep 2009). I've increased my average monthly mileage and get 300-400 miles/month. My parttime commute 1-hour route has rolling hills with some 10% short climbs and I ride hard. I do group rides 1-2 times a week. I swim once a week to try to keep my upper body strength, but I've lost some.

My resting heartrate is now down to the low 40's. B/P is good, 110/70 on last check. I've lost 20 pounds in the past couple of months to my pre-surgery weight and my body fat is coming down. I have to ride pretty hard to keep up on our group rides, so a lot of it is quite intense exercise. While the others are chatting, I am working too hard to talk. My heartrate monitor shows much of my riding to be 160bpm or above (I am guessing my max is 182; I am 53 years old). Riding at the higher heartrates is easier on me than it used to be, so I am able to redline on hills yet keep riding over the top and recover on the downhills (ie, no CPR stops at the top).

My diet is just focusing on simple fruits, vegs; modest portions of lean meat (mostly fish, chicken); non-fat dairy (milk, yogurt); cut back on processed foods, sugar, white bread in favor of whole-grain; lower fat. Probably 1500-2000 kcals per day if I am riding, less if it's a rest day.

What's bugging me about all this ? My average speed was marginally faster 9 months ago, the first times I tried the 50 mile routes I still benchmark my progress on today. Labor Day I cratered on a group 42 mile ride and struggled to finish (almost a DNF), beat up by the heat, humidity and hills and the low calories leading up to the ride. This is pretty much the same group I've ridden with most of the year. Most of them are improving their speeds while riding half as much as I do. I am commuting barely around 12mph; barely average 13mph on longer rides where we don't have to slow or stop for traffic.

* How long does it typically take to "plateau out" after starting on the bike?
* Am I actually riding better but just getting beat up by the summer heat/humidity?
* Do the Mr Tuffys and heavier tubes/tires make that much difference ? (I have a great, light racing bike) Since I commute on the bike, I want to avoid flats on the way to work especially in the dark.
* I'll ask the neurologist if the anti-seizure meds I was put on in January are related. My regular blood tests shows good numbers and I am not anemic.
* How badly does the process of 2lb/week weight loss affect speed?
* Will I ever get any faster ? I have 55-65 pounds to go. I lost my Clyde standings but I am still an Athena. I am hoping once the extra body fat is gone my heat tolerance and hill climbing will improve dramatically.