Its sorta like training...but not really.

[meaculpa]

This is one of those all too familiar posts...so bear with me.

For the last 24+ months (I've lost track) I've been doing this short commute: 3 miles, mostly downhill going into work then the same route, now uphill, for the ride home. Its a 12 minute sprint to work, then (8 hrs later) 18 minutes to home. There is one extra route I tack on for fun that extends the return route by another 4 miles/20 minutes. But these are such small distances and when I think about the guidelines for aerobic exercise, 30 minute minimums seem to be the rule.

So I feel that not only is this not making me stronger, I really am falling out of shape. Does that make sense?

[Roody]

Well it meets the government's guideline for 30 minutes a day of exercise--barely. Most of us scoff a little at that guideline, thinking you're better off with more exercise. And are you sure you don't take the 4 mile fun ride to avoid the hills on your way home? Be honest....

The key to fitness is to keep challenging your body. If you do the same exercise every day, your body is so used to it that the muscles, heart and lungs don't get stressed enough. You live in a nice town with lots of hills, so you should be able to do a lot more.

One thing I do with my short commute home is make it into a time trial. I set my computer or stop watch and every night I try to get home as fast as possible. Over the last couple years I've shaved about 5 minutes off a 3.76 mile commute. That's pretty good really.

Another thing to try is doing intervals on your commute. Ride as fast as you can in your highest gear up that hill. Make sure you're panting as hard as you possibly can and keep that up for a minute or two. Then turn around and ride easy downhill until your breathing is almost back to normal and repeat it twice. This will improve fitness rapidly if you do it every other day for a couple weeks. Do it on the way home or you might be too tired to work. (Probably not, but maybe.)

[Snuffleupagus]

Why not leave a few minutes earlier and take a longer way to work?

Plus or minus thirty minutes each way would put you at a nice 'round' one hour per day total.

[Aimfordan]

It's still to cold for me to ride to school everyday. Mostly 'cuz I'm a wimp. Anyway it is only about 9 or 10 blocks to my school from my house, I want to start to "commute" on my bike. Save on some gas money. The way I see it is like this, it's exercise no matter how far it is. You can always take fun little side trips on your way to or from if you have extra time.

[meaculpa]

Roody: "are you sure you don't take the 4 mile fun ride to avoid the hills on your way home? Be honest...."

Let me state for the record: I don't shirk hills. The longer way takes a longer hill. The difference? No traffic, no street lights, just me and an empty stretch of road that winds through a city park area and pops me out 3 blocks from my apt. Its my post-work end of ride (the night cap so to speak). But, its true, I am taking it easy on my 39yr old arthritic knees by spinning it.