Long Distance Cycling - How do you do it...

I have been riding for many years now. I am 35 and try to ride 3-4 days a wk sometimes more. I ride for my health and pure enjoyment of it. I have Type 1 diabetes. I ride an 05 trek 5000 which seems to be holding up well. My rides are usually between 10 and 15 miles and I ride solo.

Usually after 15 miles I am ready to end my ride. Phisically I can handle more miles but mentally I am ready to quite. I would like some advice on how to go about increasing my mileage. Both phisically and mentaly. I would like to get up to 30 plus mile rides and i know that isnt much but to me it would be.

Thanks in advance
Chris

Y'know, 10 - 15 miles, 3 - 4 days a week ain't bad for a Type 1 diabetic. I salute you. (My blood sugar gets regulated just fine - My own athletic-career-limiting condition is cancer.)

It sounds like riding alone just isn't motivating you. Many folks need feedback from other cyclists in order to stay motivated. Check with some of the LBS in your area and see if you'd be interested in their group rides. You'll find everything from First Friday evening rides to Saturday morning long(ish) distance tours... You'll be out with riders of all different skills, and refreshingly, the guys who get heckled are the near-pro level ones. (too fast,
too hardcore, too stylish...)

Do a 30 miler with a group and you'll forget you wanted to quit at mile 15. Soon enough, you'll be out with them tackling 60s and beyond. Competition will do that to a guy.

Having said that, I ride solo about 98% of the time. I like leaving home when I want, riding as far and for as long as I want, and changing plans when I want. Plus, I'm a bit of an introvert. I kind of like spending 7 hours on a bike and not having to say a word to anybody.

What I do is pick a destination, and ride to it. There are a couple of towns nearby that the round-trip to & from can be stretched into 105 to 120 miles. I'll pick one and ride there. The beauty of this is that once I'm there, I still have to get back home, no matter how I feel about it. Guaranteed big mileage.

I gotta warn you, though. Miles are addictive. My most recent Sunday morning ride was cut short by thunderstorms, and I was p*ssed off for the rest of the day at having had time for only 88 miles... You try explaining that to a non-cycling girlfriend.

Thanks captain slow for that info. I have looked into a group ride with a LBS, their rides are Monday and Wednesday. Monday being the easy day (roughly 38 miles last Monday) and Wednesday being a race pace day. I have done some group rides in the past but like you I like to ride solo or with another friend, that way i can controle the pace and destination. A good friend of mine that I use to ride with last year from time to time moved about 3 hrs south and we would do 20-30 mile rides I think the difference was his motivation to push me to keep going. I would like to work up to doing 30-40 mile rides on my own and some day a century but that is a long way off, the century anyway..

I think I will check out the Monday night rides at my LBS... Thanks again
By the way, Cancer? How are you doing? Is it in remition? What type of cancer do you have?
Chris

I could be wrong here but...if mentally you're done after 15 miles, then you probably don't enjoy long-distance cycling. Nothing wrong with that, it's just not you. Maybe you should think about doing some shorter, more intense rides instead. It's like with track&field. Some people enjoy marathons and others sprinting.

Find different places to ride. Maybe actually consider driving someplace to start your ride. I personally try to avoid that, but I have some great places to ride close to my house.

You know, donrhummy has an interesting point. Maybe you'd be interested in building speed... Just as in foot racing, you've got sprinters and marathonners.

I have a work friend who lives in Europe now, but when he was here, we were known as Fast & Far. He was Fast, I was Far. Ben was good for maybe an hour & a half, but he'd average 20 - 22mph for the ride... dang near serious amateur territory. Me, on the other hand... As my screen name implies, I tend to plod. My best ever century was 6:07:20 at 16.6mph... somewhat off of the TdF group average of right around 4:00:00.

So there, you could build up to Far, or you could work on Fast. Either way, you're on a bike, and that's better than anything else I can think of.

BTW, cancer was of the rectal (Or Butt Rot, as I like to call it) variety... Just the thing to make perching on a skinny bike saddle all day that much more comfy. I'm pretty sure my fitness level saved my life. Also, I figure if that buzz-cut kid from Texas... Lance-something-or-other... can make the best of it, well, I can too. Tell ya this: After what I've seen, ain't a thing out there on the road gonna scare me at all.

You say you ride for the enjoyment of it, among other reasons, but are ready to quit after 15 miles. Maybe think about what it is you enjoy about the start of the ride that you're not enjoying at 15 miles. What goes through your mind at that point? Without more details it's hard to answer your question, except by speculating. Many participants in the long distance forum are doing centuries, 200K's, and up. But that doesn't mean that we don't all go through the same thing that you're going through. It's just that it might be happening at mile 85, or mile 185, instead of mile 15.

For me, the number one reason why I start to think "Will this ride ever be over? This ride isn't fun anymore? This is a stupid sport. Etc etc etc etc" is that I've bonked but haven't realized it. If I eat something, then twenty minutes later I'm happy again. Fifteen miles is probably an hour and a half, which is about the distance that I can go at a medium-fast pace without eating anything and without bonking. Maybe you're just running low on fuel at fifteen miles. What do you eat while riding?

Where are you riding? Do you ride the same loop or out-and-back every time you go out? Or do you vary your distance?

I have three week-day loops I do, each is a different distance (20 kms, 30 kms, 47 kms), depending on how I feel that evening after work, or I could commute to and from work (70 kms rt).

But then on the weekend I go anywhere my fancy takes me. Lately it's been taking me into the Rocky Mountains a lot, but this weekend I'm planning to head to a cute little town which has a creamery turned into a museum and which sells ice cream. It's become a tradition to go there at least once every summer.

Perhaps you need to vary your route more. Or perhaps you need a destination ... maybe you need a great ice cream place 15 miles from where you live so that you have a goal to prompt you to do 30 miles! :D


I also love my cycling time as a destresser. I let my mind wander over all the problems of the day ... then I try to come up with solutions to as many as I can. And I plan what I'm going to do with the rest of the evening or day ... or week. Then I look at the scenery ... I look at the houses I'm passing and think about what I'd do differently with their external decor. I look at the old, broken-down houses and think about the pioneers who built them. I imagine stories in my head ... about the pioneers, about other things ...

One of the things I really love about long rides is that it gives me time to THINK. :)

Well actually it takes me about an hr to ride the 15 miles and usually I dont eat anything unless my blood sugar level goes below normal. You might have a point about bonking. I plan on increasing the mileage so eating will be a plus.

Find different places to ride. Maybe actually consider driving someplace to start your ride. I personally try to avoid that, but I have some great places to ride close to my house.

I plan on slowly increasing my mileage which means I will be biking some different routes. I am hoping that will help.

Chris

For me, the number one reason why I start to think "Will this ride ever be over? This ride isn't fun anymore? This is a stupid sport. Etc etc etc etc" is that I've bonked but haven't realized it. If I eat something, then twenty minutes later I'm happy again. Fifteen miles is probably an hour and a half, which is about the distance that I can go at a medium-fast pace without eating anything and without bonking. Maybe you're just running low on fuel at fifteen miles. What do you eat while riding.

Well actually it takes me about an hr to ride the 15 miles and usually I dont eat anything unless my blood sugar level goes below normal. You might have a point about bonking. I plan on increasing the mileage so eating will be a plus.

the thoughts you describe sound like they might be related to blood sugar if they go away when you "re-fuel". Sounds like you need to talk to some other diabetics and/or a physician to get some tips on nutrition etc for endurance sports.

You get lots of points for managing your diabetes and riding the distances you are currently riding but if you really would like to extend your rides it would be good to do it in a manner that's best for your individual needs.

In re-reading this thread I see that the OP was quoting another post about bonking. In any case, that seems like a real possibility of what's behind the struggle to increase mileage.

Well actually it takes me about an hr to ride the 15 miles and usually I dont eat anything unless my blood sugar level goes below normal. You might have a point about bonking. I plan on increasing the mileage so eating will be a plus.


Yes, at first anyway, until your body become much more fit, aim for about 250 calories per hour when you ride 2+ hours.

In your case, you might have a bagal or something before you head out and see if that improves things.

Group riding will help the miles go by fast. Group energy is contagious.
However, having said that, for decades I timetrialed once a week for a full hour. That's going full tilt for the hour; if I could talk at the end of that hour, then I wasn't riding hard enough.
That certainly made group riding with younger folks lots easier . . .
At age 75 I still ride 6 days a week but average only 100+ miles. Can still kick in a short/fast sprint.
Practice and set a goal. Ride to a town 10 miles away and treat yourself to a coffee/goodie or whatever you like. Then ride back. Keep stretching the distance for your 'reward'!
Yup, you can do it!
BTW am also a cancer survivor; heck I've got stuff to do!
Pedal on!
Rudy/zonatandem

I plan on slowly increasing my mileage which means I will be biking some different routes. I am hoping that will help.

Chris

Did you ever consider giving yourself a break? As I am increasing distance (which at 40 m is not that much but getting longer), I always gave myself a mid point break. On the way out I ride to that point, do some streches, take a bite, etc. and after 5 mins or so resume. This intermediate goal seems to make the trip out bound easier. Focusing on the return home while going out is a real drag for me. Of course, having gotten to the break spot, coming back is no choice.

Good luck

Did you ever consider giving yourself a break? As I am increasing distance (which at 40 m is not that much but getting longer), I always gave myself a mid point break. On the way out I ride to that point, do some streches, take a bite, etc. and after 5 mins or so resume. This intermediate goal seems to make the trip out bound easier. Focusing on the return home while going out is a real drag for me. Of course, having gotten to the break spot, coming back is no choice.

Good luck

Very good point...That is something I will try.

Again I want to thank everyone that has contributed. There is alot of good advice so far.

Chris

For me, the number one reason why I start to think "Will this ride ever be over? This ride isn't fun anymore? This is a stupid sport. Etc etc etc etc" is that I've bonked but haven't realized it. If I eat something, then twenty minutes later I'm happy again. Fifteen miles is probably an hour and a half, which is about the distance that I can go at a medium-fast pace without eating anything and without bonking. Maybe you're just running low on fuel at fifteen miles. What do you eat while riding.

Well actually it takes me about an hr to ride the 15 miles and usually I dont eat anything unless my blood sugar level goes below normal. You might have a point about bonking. I plan on increasing the mileage so eating will be a plus.

While you will need to properly fuel, there is NO way you're bonking after 1 hour of riding. Bonking is when you can't think straight, you can't stay upright on the bike -- it weaves back and forth -- and you're struggling to ride at 3 mph. You're NOT bonking.

I seriously think you should look into some training programs that include intervals and other fun riding options for shorter distances. There's nothing wrong with preferring fast, shorter riding. There are some amazing cyclists who kick butt over shorter distances and never ride further than 20 miles or so. There are a million ways to enjoy a bike. Try looking into Fartlek or Tabata Protocol training or just visit the book store and look for some books with interval training programs. You might find it the most fun you're ever had on a bike.

Yes, at first anyway, until your body become much more fit, aim for about 250 calories per hour when you ride 2+ hours.

In your case, you might have a bagal or something before you head out and see if that improves things.

I actually went out for a 2 hrs ride and utilized all of the info that I have recieved from everyone on this sight. I took a different route, I did an out and back, so 1 hr out and turned around for an hr back. I only ate about 70 calories which I guess is not much, but I didnt want my blood glucose level to get to high. Not sure of the mileage yet, my battery on my computer died yesturday and didnt get a chance to get a new one. I plan on driving the route this afternoon to get an idea how many miles it was. All and all it was one of my longest rides and mentally and phisically I felt great. 2 biggest reasons that I was able to accomplish my goal today was going away from where I normally ride and fueling my body all thought next time I plan on eating more. I will let you know how many miles my trip was later today.
Hopefully I am on my way to increasing my mileage.


Sorry my spelling is awful.....:cry:
Thanks
Chris

While you will need to properly fuel, there is NO way you're bonking after 1 hour of riding. Bonking is when you can't think straight, you can't stay upright on the bike -- it weaves back and forth -- and you're struggling to ride at 3 mph. You're NOT bonking.

I seriously think you should look into some training programs that include intervals and other fun riding options for shorter distances. There's nothing wrong with preferring fast, shorter riding. There are some amazing cyclists who kick butt over shorter distances and never ride further than 20 miles or so. There are a million ways to enjoy a bike. Try looking into Fartlek or Tabata Protocol training or just visit the book store and look for some books with interval training programs. You might find it the most fun you're ever had on a bike.

I am not bonking for sure but if my blood glucose level is extremely high or extremely low it makes biking at all very difficult. It can realy zap your energy. Trust me it is not easy controling my diabetes and cycling. But it is just a challenge that I have to face no matter what..

Since you are diabetic I will tell you one thing: be VERY careful of your feet. On long rides most people get numerous foot issues (i've had them in the past too). If I were you I'd go to a specialist (where are you?) like Andy Pruitt, and get a fitting for your shoes and your bike. Also, see a doctor about this too. It can be very dangerous for diabetics if they get foot issues.

the thoughts you describe sound like they might be related to blood sugar if they go away when you "re-fuel". Sounds like you need to talk to some other diabetics and/or a physician to get some tips on nutrition etc for endurance sports.

You get lots of points for managing your diabetes and riding the distances you are currently riding but if you really would like to extend your rides it would be good to do it in a manner that's best for your individual needs.

In re-reading this thread I see that the OP was quoting another post about bonking. In any case, that seems like a real possibility of what's behind the struggle to increase mileage.

I tend to agree with this statement also, sounds like you are bonking. I can't imagine what special requirements Type1 diabetes puts on sports nutrition and refueling, but it may be worth your time to get some information.

If you really want to do it, you can work up to it, barring, I hasten to add, medical issues specific to you. There's a guy in our club who is type 1 diabetic and he has worked up to 120k and will be doing a century soon.

I did a 30 mile on Friday and 25 mile on Saturday and I felt great. What worked for me was doing an out and back instead of a loop near my home. Because of the Diabetes I had to eat to keep my blood sugar up and drink alot of fluids. I am looking forward to another 30 mile maybe more tomorrow. Thanks for all of the advice, thats what makes this forum so great.....

Chris

I did a 30 mile on Friday and 25 mile on Saturday and I felt great. What worked for me was doing an out and back instead of a loop near my home. Because of the Diabetes I had to eat to keep my blood sugar up and drink alot of fluids. I am looking forward to another 30 mile maybe more tomorrow. Thanks for all of the advice, thats what makes this forum so great.....

Chris

Hello Chris 32

It sounds like you're getting plenty of good advice here. There aso a thread a couple of pages on in this forum sharing advice for really hard core type 1 distance cyclists - worth a look

My own 2 cents worth - I was diagnosed type 1 at the age 16, now I'm 54, 20 or so running marathons and a lot of century bike rides

Do you really like bike riding, or is it a case of 'I really ought to like it'?
If you really like it, do you have a bike that you stroke and wink at when you get off it? Some bikes are just plain hard work, others are an affair of the heart!
If your recent rides went better with more carbohydrate in your system, then regardless of advice from non-diabetics, it's a 'proto-bonking" issue
Temporary too low blood sugar is more of a problem than temporary too high
Medical advice is to keep blood sugar low - but that advice is often calibrated to non-active people
Don't forget the delayed effect of exercise on blood sugar levels. Often I'd be dangerously low 3 or 4 days afeter a marathin when all I'd been soing was siting ane eating!

PM me if you'd like to pursue the conversation - I the meantime, ride safely and often;)