Road Cycling - I'm late, I'm Late-Hammer-NO-yes?!?!??

Okay,

so lets say its august because it is, and lets say I JUST started riding last week after a (gulp) 11 year break. My third ride was on a group ride and I hung on for about an hour and got dropped on a short, but steep hill about 20 miles from home in rolling countryside. Sounds pretty normal right? Well-yes and no.

I could have stood up and hammered myself to the top-and Maybe hung on awhile longer, but there was this nagging voice in my head. And it was telling me with a grand total of 1 hr and 45 minutes of riding, do I really want to hammer on my third ride of the season? Is it is wise to stress your leg muscles like this? I can tell you that on the ride home-my legs were spent!! Stick a fork in them-they are Done!!! I saw slight inclines and almost puled over and called my wife to bring the sag wagon onto Fairmont Blvd to sweep me up.

Next Saturday will be my 4th ride, and I dearly want to hang with the group for a lot longer, but should I? I thnk getting the base miles in the 500 mile mark makes more sense-but at one ride per week-that would take till Spring of 2004 :lol:

But-man-Oh man did it feel good to ride in a pack and feel the rush of Ozygen going into my pathetic lungs again. If only were it not for that Pain-thing!!!

You don't mention age, when I was 25-35 I could get in shape in 6-8wks for racing. 25+yrs later when I resumed riding it took 18mo to be able to 'hang with the pack' at speeds 5-6mph slower than back then.
I agree that a bit more basis is in order but can't solve your problem of one ride per week. Are there other groups? If not I would plan to ride with the group and plan a drop off place well short of your blowup locus, if the ride is the same every week, and gradually extend as time goes by. You might check around for spinning classes which are frequently at nite and will rapidly improve your capabilities. They will take care of the conditioning problems. Steve

can you do short rides during the week, say before or
after work? that should help build up endurance.
how about a trainer when you can't ride outdoors?

I think that maybe if you could have hammered enough to
catch em, you'd have been toast afterwards.
I think you made the right choice.

Marty

There is always the goal thing. If you want to do something bad enough, then you probably can. You’ll just pay the price afterwards. Personally I’m not worried about stressing my leg muscles. I would be concerned about your heart rate. You have to condition your heart as well as you legs. I also think you made the right choice. Try and squeeze in a couple of more rides before you push yourself too hard.

Thanks guys.

I am doing weeknight 20 or 30 minute rides now that I bought a Bell trailer to take my 18 month old daughter around in. We do that-about 2 or 3x a week. I just toodle around the neighborhood in the evening. You know-when the wife works in the evening.

I have too many other hobbies and obligations to do a long training ride in the morning-M-F.

I am 38 years old now-30# heavier than when I raced 11 years ago. :) But I am 167 lbs on a 5' 8" frame-so I am not too, too fat-just out of shape!!

I am just worried that I might set-up myself for injury by trying to hang on club rides so early-but I have the drive and competitive spirit that makes me want to finish every hill at the front!! If I were still 20 or 21 years old-I wouldnt be worrying about it.

Hi,
start training for next year. Race now and you may well injure yourself. It's been a long time. Start on a good training program, and by next spring you will be more than ready.

Thanks for the advice guys!! I missed the club rides this weekend, but got ina good ride non-the-less and I rode pretty hard. Funny thing is-the same pains-in the same spots that I had 10 years ago! The pain behind my right knee came right back-as did the cramp in my right foot. Youd think after this long-they'd have changed or moved on :lol:

I think it's wise to get some mileage under you before you start trying to hang with the fast club rides. If I were you, I'd target one long solo (or with a small group that's maybe just a tad stronger than you) ride a week. Make that the ride you focus a lot of your energy on. Another option is to tack on some miles before or after the club ride you're getting dropped on. Sit in with the group for a while and then take off, or join up with them after you've covered some miles. In my experience, pushing too hard, too soon results in sore things like knees, hips and hindquarters that might keep you off of the bike for a while.

The speed will come back. It might take a year, but it will come back.

[i]The speed will come back. It might take a year, but it will come back. [/B]

Yeah-thats the killer thing isnt it-waiting for that speed or natural way you can accelerate at will up climbs, or sprint to catch a group up the road and recover fast.

I even did one sprint before hitting a down hill (since I knew I'd get to rest) and was suprised to NOT spin out the gear I chose 53-15. Thats pretty sad :lol:

To be honest-I dont think I am racing anymore-Just 40K time trials-of which I think I will promote one next summer in Northeast, Ohio.