Road Cycling - Don't take 2 months off! Ug.

After a two-month hiatus from cycling (finished an MS 150 in Oct and "2 weeks off" grew to 2 months :( ) I just got out to try and get some last minute '03 miles for the 1,000 mark (75 left). It was HORRIBLE! After about 3 miles, my legs were reall having to work up a *slight hill*! Horrible. I've flown up that hill 100 times and this time I had to "hunker down"! Granted, it was about 60 out with a slight headwind, but still! I got 11 miles in (had to cut it short for Return of the King :D ) but it might as well have been 111 ("eleventy first birthday...") for how I felt. It was nice to get on the bike, but I feel that I have a difficult few weeks ahead :( Take my advice. Don't stop cycling! ;)

This morning it was about 6F when I got up and it "warmed up" to about 25. Sorry dood, I'm hidin' till the Spring thaw..... (Trainer in the basement) :D

You have burst my bubble, I was always under the impression that I could get it all back in 3 or 4 days.

You have to keep doing something in the off periods. Jog, brisk walking, run, swim, weight lifting, etc... but do not stop completely. Do at least a few 30 min sessions on a trainer a week with the other activities.

Good for you Carl! Clearly you are a braver man than I!

How about it! My first first ride in a month and a half was a fixed ride with the NC "B" cyclocross champ and the guy that placed fifth in the Masters(I think it was masters) for the season. Oh, the hills! Killin' me!

Carl, good to hear that it looks like you're going to get back on the bike and start working out, we all like to hear that on this forum...I'm sorry but I'm going to have to agree with Grampy here, the high up here today and in the past day's as been about 32f or 0c, that's too cold for me to go out and ride..December traditionaly has been a completly off month for me, I'll get walks in here and there, but I don't ride at all..Then come Jan. I'm motivaed to stairs and then get on the indoor trainer come feb..That 60f that you had, MAN THAT SOUNDS NICE TO ME RIGHT NOW!!, but I used to live in florida, and can remember when I thought that 60 was cold and reason to put on winter riding clothes, so I understand....

Best of luck with the training for the new season, enjoy the riding and stay in touch!..

Benjamin

I agree. I didn't mean to imply "ride outside", just "ride" :) Trainer, whatever. Staying off the bike for two months just killed me! :)

Ahh I getcha Carl, I thought you were refering to outside riding and that stuff..Gotcha now..

Thanks,
Benjamin

I'm still stuck on how 60 degrees makes your riding harder. I can see the layoff doing it, but c'mon, 60's not cold at all.

:D 60 degrees in the sun is more accurate. most of my riding was in the shade w/o the benefits of exposure to the sun. Combine a 7-10 mph wind and I spent a lot of time breathing "cold" air. It was probably 55 along my route. I'm also near a lake, so the air tends to have a bit of an added chill to it. I guess if it'd been a bit drier I probably would've been fine. As it was, after about 3-4 hours, I didn;t "need" to cough. I dunno. maybe my throat is delicate :D You also have to know that I spent most of the summer training in 90+, so I'm sure I'm used to warmer air while cycling (rode a few times in 100 w/o much trouble).

Hey Carl, well you have officially beaten me in the catagory of "time on the bike".
Now just 75 miles to go and you hit yer 1,000!

Yeah. i saw that Gary. And yet, you have almost 250 miles on me. Hmmmm.... Can we say "faster"? ;)

Just bustin' your balls, man. It does take a few rides to get used to cool air. I lived in OK and was there in the summer. The heat sucks. So you can give me crap about hating the heat this summer if I'm back that way.

Give it a few rides. I usually don't ride on consecutive days for a week or two when it gets cool. Let the lungs get used to it a little at a time.

i used to get all layered up and grinded it out in the cool air. now its spin class and mountain bikes on the trail on weekends. if mountain biking is good enough for lance in the off season then its good enough for me.

the last time out we tried to stay with 2 USPS riders we saw (kenny labbe and robbie ventura)

but overall i know what you mean. after a week off i feel out of sorts and choppy in my pedal circle.

Yeah. I should also add that the "60 degrees" was also meant in comparison to the "ideal" 80 when you don't have to work so much to keep body temp.

Impreza: the heat didn't bother me so much. The only problem was hydration on long rides since I don't like the backpack water systems. I couldn't do much more than 40 miles w/o running out. :P

Yeah. i saw that Gary. And yet, you have almost 250 miles on me. Hmmmm.... Can we say "faster"? ;)
I'm all testosterone when I get on the bike. I can't seem to ride at a relaxing pace; I always push. Besides I was training for a race to beat the president of TREK (and I did -barely). Besides I ride with some tri-athletes and they ride at a break neck speed of which I feel compelled to try and match (Damn kids!) ;)

The only problem was hydration on long rides since I don't like the backpack water systems. I couldn't do much more than 40 miles w/o running out. :P
I hear you on that. I used to have the same problem but found that the more often I rode the less I drank (perhaps because I became more efficient on the bike). You should look around though because there is so much out there now in terms of water systems. I have a few different types and usually you could get away with a very small pack in addition to your water bottles (at least up to 50 miles or so) I would not recommend a big pack y any means though; they are too heavy and make you too uncomfortable. If you need help in this area I could help you out. Send me a PM.
-G