Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - So......how many of you have discovered the joys......

of pushing through the burn!:D


It seems that as soon as I get my legs at max muscle burn after warm up, and continue to push,



The burn goes away
I get a massive endorphin dump and catch a high like few ever experience....better than drugs (and I know this to be true!)
My legs open up, circulation wise
and lastly, it seems like I can then ride forever!




True confession time: Are you an endorphin junkie too?http://www.comicguide.net/images/smilies/rad2.gifhttp://www.comicguide.net/images/smilies/rennrad.gifhttp://www.comicguide.net/images/smilies/radler.gif

I am! Around here it's after the first couple hill's then I'm feeling it and I could ride all night. I ride now about 15-20 miles a night, which is more then half up hill, away from the lake. Last weekend I did the Kal Haven trail the whole 35 miles and back for the first time and it felt great.

Either that, or I love pain!

I get 1 through 3, but seem to miss 4. If I'm pushing hard, I only have about an hour in me before they just fall apart. Well except last sunday. I did the "leg torture" or "Roca Rollers" route, and while the first 10 miles were absolute pain, everything after that was a blast. I probably could have pulled off a century that day, even doing it on that route (3 "laps" would have done it..) after I pushed through the pain.

There's a hill that follows a long, fast stretch of MUP on my "long way home". I always am just SPENT after blasting down 3 miles of wonderful MUP, but somehow I push on that hill every time, and every time I just love it.

This cycling thing, it's like drugs!

Ben, it generally takes me 8-10 miles to just warm up the leg muscles and then I do the "Push to burn and beyond". Try that, just for grins and gigglers and see if you can hit that last stage that way!

It is when the legs feel like dead weight and my lungs are burning that I have problems. I think I could deal with the burn or the lungs, but both kill me. I also can't find a comfort to stand with the hand bars I am using right now. Need to put on drops.

It is when the legs feel like dead weight and my lungs are burning that I have problems. I think I could deal with the burn or the lungs, but both kill me. I also can't find a comfort to stand with the hand bars I am using right now. Need to put on drops.

All of this will come with time and better condition, Jumbo, I promise ya!;)

The burn goes away
I get a massive endorphin dump and catch a high like few ever experience....better than drugs (and I know this to be true!)
My legs open up, circulation wise
and lastly, it seems like I can then ride forever!

1-3: Yes, definitely.
4: Yes, but only if I don't stop longer than 5 or 10 minutes. If I let my legs cool down, I'm doomed.

True confession time: Are you an endorphin junkie too?

+infinity

Long climbs do it for me every time.

12,00ft of climbing, most of it in the first 74 miles of the 114. Does that count? 3 years ago, I did similar rides and felt the joy. This year I was just happy to make it! Plan on doing more big rides in 08 so I must start training. That's where the joy comes in!:D

I'm the orange guy! Next year, the guy in the yellow will be Ronjon!:p:p

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/ba6.jpg

1-3: Yes, definitely.
4: Yes, but only if I don't stop longer than 5 or 10 minutes. If I let my legs cool down, I'm doomed.

I take a 2 or 3 minute stop and drink break every 10 miles or so and that gives me a second wind.

12,00ft of climbing, most of it in the first 74 miles of the 114. Does that count? 3 years ago, I did similar rides and felt the joy. This year I was just happy to make it! Plan on doing more big rides in 08 so I must start training. That's where the joy comes in!:D

I'm the orange guy! Next year, the guy in the yellow will be Ronjon!:p:p

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/ba6.jpg


I'll be on the ride, but the picture will be of me faaaaar behind you.

I don't know about my "maximum burn", but after I have gone about 6 miles pushing it, I suddenly feel renewed and actually resent when I have to stop riding and go to work. I don't go as far as some of you folks. . . yet, but I'm working on it. Usually between 12 and 24 miles each weekday.

Hi my name is Paul and I am an endorphin addict.

No. Pain=Stop and rest for me.

I'll be on the ride, but the picture will be of me faaaaar behind you.


Dude, you underestimate yourself! I saw you climb up Lil GMR and you were flying. I've seen many of your comments of being a slow climber, I don't think so. Cage some of that climbing fury, pace yourself and you will be much faster overall at the end of the ride.

3 years ago when I did my best on the Bear, I didn't sprint at all, not once. I did a nice consistent effort throughout the entire ride. I had thin racer dudes flying by me at mile 10. Yeah they were fast. I was really surprised when I flew by them at mile 40-60. Many of them were suffering while I rode by them pushing my 220 lb bod up the mtn at a nice consistent pace.

It was a timed event listed for SERIOUS riders only. I was seriously shocked when I placed at 123 of the 400 riders. SO the guys that pass you at mile 20 look like fast climbers, but when is all said and done, who is the fast climber at the end of the ride?:D

Next year I plan to do even better than 3 years ago. I'd bet you can kick azz on the rides too with some strategy. You might get passed at 40 but might pass them back at 50. I actually feel stronger at the late climbing miles. I'd bet you can do the same as we are both big engine riders!:P

Dude, you underestimate yourself! I saw you climb up Lil GMR and you were flying. I've seen many of your comments of being a slow climber, I don't think so. Cage some of that climbing fury, pace yourself and you will be much faster overall at the end of the ride.

3 years ago when I did my best on the Bear, I didn't sprint at all, not once. I did a nice consistent effort throughout the entire ride. I had thin racer dudes flying by me at mile 10. Yeah they were fast. I was really surprised when I flew by them at mile 40-60. Many of them were suffering while I rode by them pushing my 220 lb bod up the mtn at a nice consistent pace.

It was a timed event listed for SERIOUS riders only. I was seriously shocked when I placed at 123 of the 400 riders. SO the guys that pass you at mile 20 look like fast climbers, but when is all said and done, who is the fast climber at the end of the ride?:D

Next year I plan to do even better than 3 years ago. I'd bet you can kick azz on the rides too with some strategy. You might get passed at 40 but might pass them back at 50. I actually feel stronger at the late climbing miles. I'd bet you can do the same as we are both big engine riders!:P


To be honest, that's why I've been doing these flat base rides. It's not only building endurance, but it's teaching me the benefit of an evenly paced ride. I'm knocking out 60-80 mile rides with moderate effort, never busting into the high heart rate zones, and finishing the rides with energy to spare, feeling great, rather than burnt out and occassionally bloodied :p

Now I just need to translate these steady efforts into the hills and I'll be good to go I think.

Thanks btw :)

To be honest, that's why I've been doing these flat base rides. It's not only building endurance, but it's teaching me the benefit of an evenly paced ride. I'm knocking out 60-80 mile rides with moderate effort, never busting into the high heart rate zones, and finishing the rides with energy to spare, feeling great, rather than burnt out and occassionally bloodied :p

Now I just need to translate these steady efforts into the hills and I'll be good to go I think.

Thanks btw :)

I met a really lean racer dude a few years back. Dude was in fabulous shape. He explained to me how he reached excellent form while riding 60 mile moderate paced rides. I thought he was joking but he never picked up the pace eventhough I knew he could smoke me. Part of the game is discipline, and he had it!

It's good that you're a man with a plan!:D

NO PAIN NO GAIN!!!! It is a lot better once you push past!

True confession time: Are you an endorphin junkie too?

yeah, I'm an endorphin junkie. I love the feeling I get when the endorphins kick in, it's amazing how good you can feel after the pain you endure :).

I love it when I find new trails and just reach the hill and can see the rolling hills waiting for me; crisp clear open road with the breeze hitting on my face, Its just amazing.

It seems that as soon as I get my legs at max muscle burn after warm up, and continue to push,



The burn goes away
I get a massive endorphin dump and catch a high like few ever experience....better than drugs (and I know this to be true!)
My legs open up, circulation wise
and lastly, it seems like I can then ride forever!




True confession time: Are you an endorphin junkie too?

I think so. It takes me a few miles to get warmed up, too, but once I do, it seems like I can push and push and push all I want, and I can just recover in no time, no matter how big the hill.

Although, I tried riding once this week... only I forgot that I hadn't eaten anything yet that day... I was reminded around mile 19. I'm not doing THAT again... especially since I was still six miles from home! Worst ride home ever!

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The burn goes away
I get a massive endorphin dump and catch a high like few ever experience....better than drugs (and I know this to be true!)
My legs open up, circulation wise
and lastly, it seems like I can then ride forever!




True confession time: Are you an endorphin junkie too?http://www.comicguide.net/images/smilies/rad2.gifhttp://www.comicguide.net/images/smilies/rennrad.gifhttp://www.comicguide.net/images/smilies/radler.gif
I've ridden for 7 years and never experienced that. I'm going out and try it today. I report back tonight.

I met a really lean racer dude a few years back. Dude was in fabulous shape. He explained to me how he reached excellent form while riding 60 mile moderate paced rides. I thought he was joking but he never picked up the pace eventhough I knew he could smoke me. Part of the game is discipline, and he had it!

It's good that you're a man with a plan!:D

The same level of stamina can be reached in much less time of what he did in whatever x amount of time doing the 60 mile runs. I bet you this, must be boring as hell to do the same deal for 60 miles. In running this is called junk miles, what a waste of time...

Got to say it; been there, done that.

The example of the race of landing a better place than others is totally off... A good workout routine would have landed you on a higher spot. Many factors come into play; nutrition, recovery, over-training, etc.

No pain, no gain.

The same level of stamina can be reached in much less time of what he did in whatever x amount of time doing the 60 mile runs. I bet you this, must be boring as hell to do the same deal for 60 miles. In running this is called junk miles, what a waste of time...

Got to say it; been there, done that.

The example of the race of landing a better place than others is totally off... A good workout routine would have landed you on a higher spot. Many factors come into play; nutrition, recovery, over-training, etc.

No pain, no gain.

I probably didn't explain myself correctly. I meant doing 60 mile fat burning recovery type rides mixed in with hard training rides. Alternating days on the bike. Riding one day up a mtn. 5,000ft 40 mile ride followed by a 40-60 mile flat fatburning ride is not boring at all. And hardly what I would consider junk miles.

It is when the legs feel like dead weight and my lungs are burning that I have problems. I think I could deal with the burn or the lungs, but both kill me. I also can't find a comfort to stand with the hand bars I am using right now. Need to put on drops.

Hurrah! JumboRider is back! Jumbo, we need an update on your riding. Terrierman, it's time for another thread about Jumbo and Big Liberty Blue.

I'm not sure which burn you're refering to. My legs burn a lot when I ride. They of course burn for the first 3-7 miles untill they are warmed up. After that they don't burn unless I'm climbing or really pushing my pace. That burn doesn't go away untill I ease off and let me legs rest for a little bit.

I program my iPod around based on the fact that I generally push through the first burn about 20 mins into my rides. Until then I keep things a bit slower, building song by song until the 20 min mark. At that point its time to go silly with something like

"Renegades of Funk" by Rage Against the Machine,
"Big Exit" by PJ Harvey,
"Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys,
"Hate To Say I Told You So" by The Hives,
"Love Lies Bleeding" by Sonic Animation; or
"Joker and the Thief" by Wolfmother

Nothing makes that first burn free period than some pumping music. Sure it may be better to cruise longer rides at a lower HR, but if I've only got 2 hours to ride I'd rather go at 110% for as much time as I can and burn the max no of calories in that period. Music just makes things easier and gets you ready for the second burn.

Tom all of the above for me!

If i stop for more than 5-10 mins... i have to warm up all over again.. i notice the pain comes in waves and after fighting thru it i feel better and better.

No pain no gain! haha

I program my iPod around based on the fact that I generally push through the first burn about 20 mins into my rides. Until then I keep things a bit slower, building song by song until the 20 min mark. At that point its time to go silly with something like

"Renegades of Funk" by Rage Against the Machine,
"Big Exit" by PJ Harvey,
"Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys,
"Hate To Say I Told You So" by The Hives,
"Love Lies Bleeding" by Sonic Animation; or
"Joker and the Thief" by Wolfmother

Nothing makes that first burn free period than some pumping music. Sure it may be better to cruise longer rides at a lower HR, but if I've only got 2 hours to ride I'd rather go at 110% for as much time as I can and burn the max no of calories in that period. Music just makes things easier and gets you ready for the second burn.

COMPLETELY AGREE!!!

I have a dilemna. I like endorphins just fine, but am not that big of a fan of lactic acid. Too bad thats about the best way to get a load of endorphins on board, I mean short of getting seriously injured or something. Oh well, such is life. Yes, I push it too. Not every day but often enough to suit me.

After the first 3-5 miles I take what I call a stand up drink break. I just stop, stand and have a drink. Kind of lets my legs know its rock and roll time. If I'm lucky, I do it at a red light; Otherwise, I just pull off to the side for a couple minutes. I DO NOT get off the bike, just stand over the top tube.

:) so, that's the reason my head feels so foggy after a longer ride... when i do a 25 or 30 mile ride, my brain feels like i'm doped or something for a long time afterwards.... i thought it might be just fatigue, but now that you mention it, maybe its an endorphin high...

i never have liked pain meds much... hate the dopey feeling... i'm dumb enuff as it is, and put that stuff into me... i become a blithering idiot.... plain embarrassing when people tell me how i acted...

Uhg! I just did a 4 mile hill (~15 minutes of 165 heart rate) hooooooping to feel my first endohigh. I failed :(. I figured that might be enough . . Whats it take! I want to feel it.

Uhg! I just did a 4 mile hill (~15 minutes of 165 heart rate) hooooooping to feel my first endohigh. I failed :(. I figured that might be enough . . Whats it take! I want to feel it.

More, essentially. You push yourself to your physical limits and stay there.

**WARNING** Any undiagnosed heart condition can also pop up and surprise you in this zone!

True confession time: Are you an endorphin junkie too?http://www.comicguide.net/images/smilies/rad2.gifhttp://www.comicguide.net/images/smilies/rennrad.gifhttp://www.comicguide.net/images/smilies/radler.gif

Oh, yes. I used to get the endorphin rush about 10 minutes into a ride. Now if I get it at all, it takes 30 minutes or longer.

The only pain I've had is the beginnings of a stich in my side, on two occasions. It's vnever gotten to actual pain, but it was uncomfortable.

I program my iPod around based on the fact that I generally push through the first burn about 20 mins into my rides. Until then I keep things a bit slower, building song by song until the 20 min mark. At that point its time to go silly with something like

"Renegades of Funk" by Rage Against the Machine,
"Big Exit" by PJ Harvey,
"Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys,
"Hate To Say I Told You So" by The Hives,
"Love Lies Bleeding" by Sonic Animation; or
"Joker and the Thief" by Wolfmother

Nothing makes that first burn free period than some pumping music. Sure it may be better to cruise longer rides at a lower HR, but if I've only got 2 hours to ride I'd rather go at 110% for as much time as I can and burn the max no of calories in that period. Music just makes things easier and gets you ready for the second burn.

And for us old f*rts, nothing beats some ZZ Top for some good pumping, "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs", being my favourites.

However, when cycling and listening to music, you should only use one ear piece, leave the other ear open, so you can still hear traffic noises, like the soccer mommy wagon, where the driver is yapping on her cell phone, and not paying attention to the road.

I don't go for the burn on a bike. I used to do it in body shaping class, so I understand it. But to me, that burn means sore knees for a week. I just ride fast enough so I can't quite sing. Or not. I just try to stay on the bike.

My burn just tells me I the blood is beginning to flow strongly and that the "old energy (like contaminated or old gasoline)" is being burned off and fresh fuel is being pumped into my body.

And for us old f*rts

With the way that most modern music is going I'm starting to feel like an old fart myself with that reasonably contemporary list.

I've gotta say though that I disagree about using one earphone only whilst riding. Most of my riding is on multi-use paths with very little road riding. I'm paranoid that everyone is out to kill me (pedestrians are far more erratic than any cager and while they're likely to do less damage than an SUV, its still gonna hurt). Its all about situational awareness and making sure that you're onto it 100% of the time. Its how I ride, its how I drive, and its how I fly. I agree that being able to hear engines is important, but often sound is very deceiving and is no substitute for keeping a good eye out at all times. Besides which I'm constantly surprised at how much ambient noise I can actually hear despite the iPod at volume.

With the way that most modern music is going I'm starting to feel like an old fart myself with that reasonably contemporary list.

I've gotta say though that I disagree about using one earphone only whilst riding. Most of my riding is on multi-use paths with very little road riding. I'm paranoid that everyone is out to kill me (pedestrians are far more erratic than any cager and while they're likely to do less damage than an SUV, its still gonna hurt). Its all about situational awareness and making sure that you're onto it 100% of the time. Its how I ride, its how I drive, and its how I fly. I agree that being able to hear engines is important, but often sound is very deceiving and is no substitute for keeping a good eye out at all times. Besides which I'm constantly surprised at how much ambient noise I can actually hear despite the iPod at volume.

I gave up on MUPS, you always get some jogger trotting down the middle of the path, music player set to a volume, where I can hear it from 2m away, of course your bell isn't going to help, your shouting isn't going to help, so you have to slow down to about 1km/h and try and squeeze through on one side or the other, and often as not, end up with the jogger yelling obscenities at you, as if their being startled, is your fault, because they were on another planet. No thanks, at least the cagers pay attention some of the time. :rolleyes: