Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - How to train to meet a goal

In October there is a charity bike ride. You have several distance choices. Twenty-two, 46, 64, 84 or 110 miles. I would like to ride in this event. My issue is how many miles.

I am overweight, 56, never really exercised much until lately. I have had only a couple of rides of a bit over 10 miles. Most of my rides are 4 to 6 miles. I am on track to ride a 100 miles for the month (currently at 91 miles). Next month I want to do 150. I travel a lot so that sometimes throws my exercise plans off. I have little question that I could do the 22 mile ride. I'd like to do 46. Does that seem reasonable?

How much "training" would a person have to do to ride 46 or even 64 miles? The route is paved and only moderately hilly.

Between now and October you could be ready for even the 110 mile option. But not by riding only 100 a month. You need to get some more distance in your runs, break that ten mile barrier. If you plan to ride the 46, get a few 30 mile rides in. If you decide to go for 64, get in a couple of 50 milers in first. Try to bump up your weekly milage to at least 50 if your going to go for the longer rides.

One hundred a month was really aggressive for me this month. I was starting from nearly nothing. I also am very slow (my current average on my cycle computer is only 8.6mph) I see that I have until August to decide which distance I want. So, I think that I will try to make June 150 and see if I can do 200 in July. I will work on breaking the 10 mile barrier and going faster. Last month I broke the 5 mile barrier. I will be very happy with being able to do 46 miles and not take 6 hours to do it.

You have PLENTY of time to do whichever one you want.
A good rule of thumb is to increase your mileage by about 10-20% per week. You don't want to make huge jumps from one week to the next--you risk overdoing it and injuring yourself. At lower distance levels a 20% jump isn't that much--5 miles to 6 miles is 20%. As you get up to longer distances I would scale it back closer to 10%--adding 10% to a 75 mile ride is adding over 7 miles.
You should vary your training by increasing mileage AND speed on different days. One day go a little farther. On another day do less mileage but push it at a higher speed. Distance and speed are different things and require different training. If you can, one day a week, go for a long ride. Make it your big ride for the week. Be sure to take rest days so your body can recover.
At all the charity rides I have ever been on don't "require" you to ride the route you have registered for. You can register for the 110 and then, at some point there will be a junction where you can turn off with a shorter route. Also, these type of rides have lots of rest areas along the way. In my experience, I have never had to ride more than ~10 miles between rest stops. If you try for a long route and then get to a point you know you aren't going to make it you can stop in at a rest area and SAG out back to the starting area--no shame in that.
So, what is my advice? You should wait to register until the last day possible before the fee goes up. Then, sign up for one level higher than you think you can make. Train like a hyper little monkey until the event. Show up on the ride day ready mentally and give it all you got. Ride to your OWN ability/pace and enjoy yourself. As you are packing your stuff up after the ride take a few moments to pat yourself on the back and take ownership of your accomplishment--no matter how far you ride. Think back to those days in May when you could only ride 4-6 miles and feel proud of yourself!!!!!
So, to answer your question, you can ride whichever distance you want--even the 110 is within reach

Thank you! That is very helpful advice.

goldfinch, I'm a bit confused, you say you are 56 and overweight but your weight loss ticker says that you presently weigh 135. Are we to assume you are 1. a female and 2. really short like 5'0? otherwise, you certainly don't seem to be "overweight" but the reality is that you probably do currently have the cardiovascular system of a fat person. More consistent riding will definately help. Also, what kind of bike are you riding? while you can ride 40+ miles and even 110 miles on just about anything you want, there are definately some bikes that will make it easier than others.

goldfinch, I'm a bit confused, you say you are 56 and overweight but your weight loss ticker says that you presently weigh 135. Are we to assume you are 1. a female and 2. really short like 5'0? otherwise, you certainly don't seem to be "overweight" but the reality is that you probably do currently have the cardiovascular system of a fat person. More consistent riding will definately help. Also, what kind of bike are you riding? while you can ride 40+ miles and even 110 miles on just about anything you want, there are definately some bikes that will make it easier than others.

I think her ticker say she's 158.:D......Keep in mind, if a rider can do a 60 mile ride, he can do 100 with a little attention to a few details. If you work your way up to a 20 mile ride, you can do the 46. Building the mileage after that is what makes the target ride more comfortable. You can finish beat or fresh, choice is yours but you can do it.

BTW, there ar alot of us that are old and overweight....and we RIDE!:thumb:

ticker says he/she started at 158 and is now 135 but as you know, it ain't about the weight it's about the performance!

goldfinch, I'm a bit confused, you say you are 56 and overweight but your weight loss ticker says that you presently weigh 135. Are we to assume you are 1. a female and 2. really short like 5'0? otherwise, you certainly don't seem to be "overweight" but the reality is that you probably do currently have the cardiovascular system of a fat person. More consistent riding will definately help. Also, what kind of bike are you riding? while you can ride 40+ miles and even 110 miles on just about anything you want, there are definately some bikes that will make it easier than others.

Goldfinch is of the feminine persuasion.

You have roughly 4 months or 16 weeks to train. If you take DTSDCS's advice about increasing your mileage by 20% over the previous weeks you should reach a goal of 64 miles by week 11 or so (if you ride 5 days a week).

To me it sounds doable to reach 64 miles in that time period. If you break down your training sessions and you are passionate about doing the charity ride I don't foresee to many problems, so good luck :thumb:!

one thing that helps is to not even think about miles, I think about time when I'm training. a lot of the variables of doing those distances have nothing to do with miles and everything to do with time. For example, on your 10 mile ride solo, there may be traffic lights that slow you down but in a group charity ride it may have an escort or it may simply take a route that avoids lots of traffic stops so you find that your actual avg time may increase. Things like soreness of your rear end, shoulders, wrists, and neck are directly related to the TIME spent in the saddle, not your mileage. Most people who work a 9-5 aim to have their longer riding sessions on the weekends when they have more time. I would immediately start looking to do a longer ride. It sounds like your only riding for about 1 hour right now. In the next week make it a point to stretch that out to 1:30 or even 2 hours and don't even think about the mileage. If you have to, do it on a really flat or easy route to lessen your anxiety.

The other thing you need to learn about when doing longer rides is proper hydration and calorie consumption during the ride. Large charity rides generally have stocked rest areas so getting more water and food during the ride isn't a problem I'm 240lbs and I made it a point to drink 1 full water bottle per hour and take in 300 calories worth of food/energy drink every hour for the duration of my 112 mile ride last year. in the first hour it was almost hard to take in the calories because I had just eaten my regular breakfast a little while earlier, but those extra calories early on definately paid their dividends. I pretty much felt just as good at the end as I did when I started 7 hours earlier.

Lots of good advice already, so let me just add some encouragement - and one tip. Build your mileage 10 - 20% per week as has already been noted, but every 4th or 5th week, make it an easier week. Do only 2/3rds or 3/4ths of what you did the previous week. This will let your body recover a bit - and it's the recovery that let's you actually build muscles most effectively.

I'm a TnT coach, and have taken inexperienced riders (including one who was in a wheel chair for 2 years and still rehabbing after a back injury) to the point where we did a very wind-blown century (Solvang, last Spring for those who live in California) in under 10 hours (and that's total time, not rolling time). I've found that when you're building up your base the first time, it's really easy to get discouraged - the easy week every now and then let's you see the progress you're making (because the easy week will still be more than you were doing last month!) and to enjoy it a bit more because you won't be working quite as hard that week.

JB

goldfinch, I'm a bit confused, you say you are 56 and overweight but your weight loss ticker says that you presently weigh 135. Are we to assume you are 1. a female and 2. really short like 5'0? otherwise, you certainly don't seem to be "overweight" but the reality is that you probably do currently have the cardiovascular system of a fat person. More consistent riding will definately help. Also, what kind of bike are you riding? while you can ride 40+ miles and even 110 miles on just about anything you want, there are definately some bikes that will make it easier than others.

I am a 4'11" woman weighing 135, down from 158 last year. In my case, look at the BMI, not the pounds. :)

I am riding a Cannondale Quick 4. Probably not suited for 100 miles. But that isn't what I am going for. I want to do the 46 and daydream about 64.


It sounds like your only riding for about 1 hour right now. In the next week make it a point to stretch that out to 1:30 or even 2 hours and don't even think about the mileage. If you have to, do it on a really flat or easy route to lessen your anxiety.



Given my pokey average speed of 8.6 mph, it takes me more than an hour to do 10 miles. But when I started it took me more than an hour to do 5 miles. That is without a lot of stop and go. Though about a third of my recent mileage is on dirt roads where it just is plain hard to ride. That probably drags my average down. In June I am going to be where it is really hilly so it is going to be much more work than the last couple of weeks. But yes, I think more about time than miles. Over the next week I am going to try to ride more on the pavement. It is more rewarding.


Lots of good advice already, so let me just add some encouragement - and one tip. Build your mileage 10 - 20% per week as has already been noted, but every 4th or 5th week, make it an easier week. Do only 2/3rds or 3/4ths of what you did the previous week. This will let your body recover a bit - and it's the recovery that let's you actually build muscles most effectively.

I'm a TnT coach, and have taken inexperienced riders (including one who was in a wheel chair for 2 years and still rehabbing after a back injury) to the point where we did a very wind-blown century (Solvang, last Spring for those who live in California) in under 10 hours (and that's total time, not rolling time). I've found that when you're building up your base the first time, it's really easy to get discouraged - the easy week every now and then let's you see the progress you're making (because the easy week will still be more than you were doing last month!) and to enjoy it a bit more because you won't be working quite as hard that week.

JB

Thanks for the encouragement and good advice.

My real fear is that I will be slower than everyone. :( Right now even old ladies on comfort bikes pass me.

ticker says he/she started at 158 and is now 135

Doh! I thought the big star was the target, my mistake, carry on!:thumb:...at 135 is she still considered athena weight?

Doh! I thought the big star was the target, my mistake, carry on!:thumb:...at 135 is she still considered athena weight?

When I dropped below 150 I dropped Athena. Now I am Athena Emeritus. When I hit something like 139 I went from obese to "merely" overweight. But Athena is inside, always wanting to get out. :)

I know this go against the grain of the other posts But I have to ask, How many miles do you have in? The advice I've read says that you need 500 miles of just riding before even thinking about training. This is called your base. This is a time to get comfortable on the saddle and getting your form correct. It'll make you a more efficent rider. When training for an event it's the last 6 weeks that's important. You want to peak out then. You got some time. You'll get there just don't burn yourself out.

The only thing I would add, is that you might want to give some consideration to your comfort level on the bike.

Without stretching out your time in the saddle at least a few times to get used to spending that much time on your bike, it might make your ride day very uncomfortable for you.

More or less what jethro56 is alluding to.

I know this go against the grain of the other posts But I have to ask, How many miles do you have in? The advice I've read says that you need 500 miles of just riding before even thinking about training. This is called your base. This is a time to get comfortable on the saddle and getting your form correct. It'll make you a more efficent rider. When training for an event it's the last 6 weeks that's important. You want to peak out then. You got some time. You'll get there just don't burn yourself out.

I don't have close to 500 miles. Maybe 200 total since February, with about 100 of that this month. And 150 was on a bike that was extremely uncomfortable for me, no matter what adjustments I made. So yes, I am coming from nowhere.

That said, years ago when I was in grad school I rode my road bike between Mpls and St. Paul regularly from home to school and back. When I was a teenager I rode all over the place, miles and miles and hours and hours to escape a bad home life. So even though 30 years went by with nary a ride I am comfortable with bikes. But I am NOT fit. Though I was a lot less fit last December.

goldfinch: I'm far far from being a expert but since I just started riding in Oct. I can relate to someone starting out. from your post I gather that you now have a bike that fits you. It took me quite awhile to get everything adjusted as what was comfortable or tolerable was changing. My legs were strong from all the eliptical work I'd done however my core wasn't up to the task of holding my upper body. So from Thanksgiving to Mid Feb I took a Pilates course to build that up. That course allow me to lower the handlebars which helped wind resistance and being able to get out of the saddle on steeper hills. Had I just focused on riding hard and not spending time working on my form I'd still be suffering with hand numbness. That's just an example of a problem I had to correct before hitting it harder.I'm still not fast but I can put in pretty good miles/week for a 54 Y.O. rookie.

actually, your cannondale quick 6 is probably a pretty good bike for long distance, thats a flat bar road bike right? honestly, it sounds like everything your doing right now is working fine. your obviously not a spring chicken and even though you may only be 4'11, 135 is certainly far from being morbidly obese. As you said yourself, you started out needing an hour to do 5 miles, and in a relatively short time your already doing 10 miles in that timespan. I think at this point just make it a point to keep getting out doing what your doing (buildling your aerobic base as others have called it) and don't really even concern yourself with truly "training" again, don't even think about mileage, the 500 mile base rule is a general one. my 500 miles is a lot different from your 500 miles. for me, even in bad shape, I can average 15mph pretty easily so i'll hit that 500 mile mark before my body has probably truly gotten an adequate cardio base.

Do you own a heart rate monitor? the one aspect of training you can do is a 30 minute time trial to figure out your lactate threshold. Then we can give you a better idea of where you should be looking to keep your heart rate while you do these so called "base miles"

goldfinch: I'm far far from being a expert but since I just started riding in Oct. I can relate to someone starting out. from your post I gather that you now have a bike that fits you. It took me quite awhile to get everything adjusted as what was comfortable or tolerable was changing. My legs were strong from all the eliptical work I'd done however my core wasn't up to the task of holding my upper body. So from Thanksgiving to Mid Feb I took a Pilates course to build that up. That course allow me to lower the handlebars which helped wind resistance and being able to get out of the saddle on steeper hills. Had I just focused on riding hard and not spending time working on my form I'd still be suffering with hand numbness. That's just an example of a problem I had to correct before hitting it harder.I'm still not fast but I can put in pretty good miles/week for a 54 Y.O. rookie.

Good points and I value your experience. Can you tell me more about how you built up your riding miles and how long it took you? I have started some upper body exercises because I know I do not have good core strength and I am trying to get walking in, even if it is mowing lawn.

Keep in mind, this charity ride isn't until October, it is on a high quality paved bike path that isn't too hilly, with many distance options, so at worst I could do the 22 miler.

actually, your cannondale quick 6 is probably a pretty good bike for long distance, thats a flat bar road bike right? honestly, it sounds like everything your doing right now is working fine. your obviously not a spring chicken and even though you may only be 4'11, 135 is certainly far from being morbidly obese. As you said yourself, you started out needing an hour to do 5 miles, and in a relatively short time your already doing 10 miles in that timespan. I think at this point just make it a point to keep getting out doing what your doing (buildling your aerobic base as others have called it) and don't really even concern yourself with truly "training" again, don't even think about mileage, the 500 mile base rule is a general one. my 500 miles is a lot different from your 500 miles. for me, even in bad shape, I can average 15mph pretty easily so i'll hit that 500 mile mark before my body has probably truly gotten an adequate cardio base.

Do you own a heart rate monitor? the one aspect of training you can do is a 30 minute time trial to figure out your lactate threshold. Then we can give you a better idea of where you should be looking to keep your heart rate while you do these so called "base miles"

The bike is fairly comparable to a Trek FX7.3, except it is extra small with 26 inch wheels. Here it is:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_g6R2k92UI78/Tdk6nyc1QFI/AAAAAAAAY30/q7gmT6lCAj4/s720/006.JPG

I don't own a heart rate monitor. They give me the creeps. For some reason I just can't go there. (I have a touch of heart disease hypochondria, both my parents had heart attacks when they were much younger than I am now and both died of heart disease. And yes, my doc says I am fine.) Maybe someday, but I just can't do it yet.

I started as a total slug in Aug. 2009. Kinda hit a wall weight-loss wise after 14 months and 150 lbs lost I got a bike as a way to shake things up. I also had surgery to remove a benign tumor 7 months earlier that was attached to my colon. I was in fairly good shape aerobiclly. My big problem was being comfortable on the bike.It was a literal pain in the ***. For me buying and breaking in a Brooks B17 saddle has made longer saddle time possible. My recomendation would be to determine what is the first thing that makes you want to get off the bike and post that here. I wouldn't have tried the B17 if it wern't for the advice I recieved from this excellent group of people.

The bike looks perfectly suitable for the upcoming ride regardless of the mileage option you take, unless there's something specific about it that's causing you problems.

The bike is fairly comparable to a Trek FX7.3, except it is extra small with 26 inch wheels. Here it is:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_g6R2k92UI78/Tdk6nyc1QFI/AAAAAAAAY30/q7gmT6lCAj4/s720/006.JPG

I don't own a heart rate monitor. They give me the creeps. For some reason I just can't go there. (I have a touch of heart disease hypochondria, both my parents had heart attacks when they were much younger than I am now and both died of heart disease. And yes, my doc says I am fine.) Maybe someday, but I just can't do it yet. That bike is totally fine for doing long rides on. if you are doing an extended ride into a headwind, drop bars are nice but not mandatory. I would recommend putting ends on the bar to give yourself additional hand positions, particularly if you want to stand up on the pedals while climbing which actually helps to rest one set of muscles a bit. I can't see the tread of the tires but i would go with slicks and the narrowest size you can get. Comfort shouldn't be a concern at your weight. if you were on 700c weheels I'd tell you go with 700x23 tires.
Regarding heart rate monitors, there are two ways to train on a bike, one is by heart rate and one is by power meter. Power meters would be considered the gold standard but are very expensive. A HR monitor is less than 100 bucks. Don't take this the wrong way but you really shouldn't even consider asking questions about truly training on a bike until your willing to wear a HR monitor. Plain and simple what you are training on a bike is how your body performs at specific heart rate zones, specifically, how much power you can create in various zones. If you don't know your zones, you can't train properly. you need a HR monitor for this. Face your fear and get one, you will be glad you did. it truly is a very useful tool.

Here is a pic of my commuter bike with bar ends on it.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_EsMeUMrMdB0/TcLBtyf6YNI/AAAAAAAAAtc/BwSjf91pI2I/s800/IMAG0764.jpg

Nope. Not going to get the monitor. If I am not comfortable with my speed, fitness and general comfort, I will do 22 miles. And that will be fine.

Nice bike, moto.

Nope. Not going to get the monitor. If I am not comfortable with my speed, fitness and general comfort, I will do 22 miles. And that will be fine.

Nice bike, moto.

Don't get me wrong, you don't need a HR monitor to build up your endurance but it makes it easier to know if your doing it properly. Just put your focus on riding longer amounts of time, and don't start trying to do things like sprint workouts or hill repeats until you feel ready to get a HR monitor.

Don't get me wrong, you don't need a HR monitor to build up your endurance but it makes it easier to know if your doing it properly. Just put your focus on riding longer amounts of time, and don't start trying to do things like sprint workouts or hill repeats until you feel ready to get a HR monitor.

I don't envision sprint workouts and hill repeats. I am just happy to make it up hills without walking. I did a hill today at 3.1mph and didn't even fall over. :) But I am excited. I had my first 100 mile month.

Thanks for all your advice. For now, I am just going to keep riding about 10% to 20% more each week as suggested by several of you and assess by August what goal is appropriate.

Goals are great. Having fun is greater.:)

My husband and I connected after being on separate trips. We went for a short ride this evening, him following me. He said as we were riding: "your butt looks smaller and doesn't jiggle as much." :)

Nice ride.

As fr as training, if you really want to kick your CV fitness into overdrive. . . throw in some running for cross training purposes.

As fr as training, if you really want to kick your CV fitness into overdrive. . . throw in some running for cross training purposes.

Good timing. I'm checking out this plan someone else posted about: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml It looks like a good plan for the less than fit to start jogging.

^ I and several others around here are using, or have used, the C25K program.

also http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/index.html is a good resource as well.

But for the most part when it comes to getting fit and burning calories, distance matters more than time, in the beginning, anyway. . . building a base.

I am revisiting this thread a little more than 2 months after I began it. When I started the thread I had a casual goal of riding a Tour de Pink charity ride of 46 miles and if that was too aggressive, to drop the goal to the short ride of 22 miles. (I had the date wrong and the event is September 10, a month from now). http://www.ysctourdepink.org/site/TR/Events/TourdePink?pg=informational&fr_id=1190&type=fr_informational&sid=1020#EventSchedule

When I started this thread I had not yet ridden as far as 10 miles and my average mph was 8.6. I was working on riding 100 miles in May, which was an aggressive goal for me. Since then I have increased my average to around 10 mph and my distance. I have also lost 13 pounds in that time period. I have now gone as far as 25 miles. My limiting factor is my neck and shoulder. Sometimes they are bad and kill a ride for me, sometimes not so bad. I doubt that within a month I will be able to do 46 miles. I might, but it would be too slow to meet the ride requirements. Since I started biking this spring I have now ridden roughly 600 miles.

My concern is speed. The instructions read that you must be able to average at least 12 mph to participate in any of the rides. I have never averaged that high. Today I rode part of the route, a paved bike trail. I did 10 miles and I pushed it more than I push my rides. I tend to be overly conservative with my riding I think. Pushing it, I averaged 11.5mph. I don't think that I could do that for 22 miles. But maybe a month from now?

Now my goal is the 22 miles ride averaging 12mph. Any suggestions on how to increase my average speed? My speed has not increased near as much as I thought it would over the past two months. But then again, I have to remember how bad off I was when I started, with no fitness at all. So I don't really feel bad about it, I just want to keep doing better so that I can actually ride with other people.

Increase in speed takes time, but at 600 miles you are ready.
Best way, is to ride with some faster people and try to hang on with them.

Do you know anyone one you might be able to ride with?

Increase your cadence, RPM's.
Get to where you can hold 90 rpms' in an easy gear.

Do you have any foot retention on your pedals?

i'm willing to be tthat you don't need to do anything. Avg speed numbers get dramatically affected by traffic. On large organized group rides you are often able to go through stop signs, red lights, etc (i did one that was police escorted so those of you who think i'm talking about blatently breaking bike laws, piss off!) when i do rides in Central Park with virtually no need to stop, I can average 19mph easily. When I'm out riding around the rest of the city, my average drops down to 12 or 13 mph because of traffic.

I think you are doing a great job thus far HOWEVER your insistance on not using a HR monitor makes it difficult to offer you proper training advice. One piece of advice I can give you is to get a bike computer with a cadence sensor. If you haven't learned to spin at 90+rpm than you absolutely need to do that. it is far more efficient and will improve your cardiovascular system greatly. since your not using a HR monitor, simply keep the bike in a gear that is low enough that you can keep your cadence up at 90. This can be tough starting out but keep working at it.

Other way to make an increase in speed would be an upgraded wheelset, lighter wheels allow you to get up to speed quicker but there can be a pretty big cost associated with that and you won't get nearly as much bang for the buck as you would if you improved "the engine". Don't sell yourself short, you can definately do this. You do need to start pushing yourself some more and things like hill repeats and sprint workouts give bang for the buck and improve the system and performance but you had mentioned previously that you weren't interested in that.

Just get out and ride more! IF you know you only have 30 minutes to ride, make it a point to ride HARD. offset that with days when you have 2 hours to ride and just focus on riding steadily for that time frame. The combination of the two types of rides will get you a lot of bang for your training buck.

i just read through the whole thread again. quick question for you. Did you ever get bar ends for your handlebars? this may help you a lot with your back and neck pain complaints. it's normal to have some soreness from longer rides. doing more rides will help with that but also so will having bar ends so that you can alter your position on the bike while riding. Another thing regarding Avg speed. When i ride north on the hudson river with the wind at my back I maintain about 21mph pretty easily (its totally flat too) when I turn around to come home and I'm into the wind i'm lucky to get 15mph on average. So in other words, don't worry much about average speed. I read the website for your ride and their main concern is they don't want you being so slow that you miss out on the rest areas and don't get water/food. This is more of a concern for Century riders who have a much bigger risk of "bonking" doing the long ride. I think you should be fine to do the 40+ mile option and should really set your sights on that.

I did get bar ends, but they are not that helpful.

I do not use any kind of foot retention. I've been thinking about that because I have had my feet slip on the pedals once in a while. But I am nervous about trying clipless. I am basically a chicken about new things. :)

I will consider getting a cadence sensor. I think I spin pretty well as I am a totally ineffective masher. Over the past month I kept working on spinning as fast as I can without bouncing around.

I will try some harder and shorter rides.

The only people I have to ride with are my spouse, who is pokey and does only short, casual rides, and my cousin, who is a bit slower than me because she rarely rides. In a week I will be out of the area until the ride date so I don't know what my riding conditions are going to be. I'll be in the UP of Michigan.

I should note that my ride today was totally on a trail and this charity ride is on the same trail. I only stopped once, at the turn around point. My 11.5 average was with that only one stop and a couple of slow downs across damp wood bridges. I did notice that going out on the ride there is a very slight incline as coming back I was about 2mph faster. There was a slight breeze but nothing of significance. So the conditions were about ideal.

My husband and I connected after being on separate trips. We went for a short ride this evening, him following me. He said as we were riding: "your butt looks smaller and doesn't jiggle as much." :)

Nice ride.

Nice ride for HIM too!!!

You seem to be a worrier. I can recognize them because I am married to one of the best. She doesn't see the glass as half full OR half empty--she worries about what happened to the half that's missing and are we sure that the half remaining is going to be enough. . .

You are in fine shape for this. I have not been on a charity ride where there was a strict M.P.H. average enforced--maybe there is one out there, but I have not come across anything like that. They WILL close up rest areas and stop blocking intersections if you are really, really slow but from what you are describing you will not face any of that.

Just keep doing what you have been doing. You are making great progress!!! Own your successes!!!!

From my experiences riding charity rides, you are ready to go today.

The only other suggestion is to find someone to help you with your bike fitting. Your back and neck pain seem to be more of a limiting factor than anything else at this point. I could see your pain stopping you short of your goal as more of a possibility than your average speed or lack of endurance.

In a week I will be out of the area until the ride date so I don't know what my riding conditions are going to be. I'll be in the UP of Michigan.

I don't know the circumstances of the MI trip, but the UP should be a very nice place to ride, if you have the means to take your bike with you and your schedule/itinerary permit.

The only other suggestion is to find someone to help you with your bike fitting. Your back and neck pain seem to be more of a limiting factor than anything else at this point. I could see your pain stopping you short of your goal as more of a possibility than your average speed or lack of endurance.

I am fitted to my bike and am working with a physical therapist who is a distance rider. I have a rotator cuff issue and a bit of disk bulge in C6. I am working to get my bad shoulder stronger which should help the neck. Already I am much better.

And yes, I am a worrier!


I don't know the circumstances of the MI trip, but the UP should be a very nice place to ride, if you have the means to take your bike with you and your schedule/itinerary permit.

I am retired and I live in motorhome. The bike goes where I go. It makes for varied riding! The 600 miles on my bike were ridden in Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. And in a few days, Michigan.

okay so not to knock you but if you are retired, seems to me that should equate to plenty of time to ride. no excuse for not getting those miles in!

Warning this is for someone with a strong heart.

Without a HR sensor I can only give you very general advice. Find a patch of trail 2 miles long. After a good warmup (10 minutes) pedal in a gear that you can spin at your max rpm. Now shift up a gear and try to hold your cadence until you're panting. Then shift back down and when you've caught your breath do it again. 7 reps would be great to start. If you can do > 10 ,Then you need to go a little longer maxed out. Only do this once a week. I will say that I'd been exercising almost a year before I started doing interval training. Now that I think about it I need to put that back into my program. I'm going to do it on the eliptical machines at the Y though. Bike riding is fun time for me.

I don't think I am going to push that hard. I still am getting used to exercise. And I still don't want a heart monitor. But I will vary my rides with some rides where I push it a bit more.

I don't think I am going to push that hard. I still am getting used to exercise. And I still don't want a heart monitor. But I will vary my rides with some rides where I push it a bit more.

Stop making excuses. You've been riding since early spring. You are NOT getting used to exercise. You are making a conscious decision NOT to push yourself. If you really want to do the 40+ mile route it can easily be done and many here are giving you the steps on how to do it, but we can't push the pedals for you. Most of us advising you have all been in your shoes except that we were FAR heavier or more injured. We all did it successfully and we know you can do it. You don't have to know that you can do it just yet, you just have to trust us and trust the process and do it.

A heart stress test may resolve your concerns about your heart and whether it will take it.

I am going to push harder. I just have this hypochondria about heart stuff because my parents both died young of heart disease. I have had stress tests before and they always have been clean, though it has been seven years since I had one. I don't much want another one. My doc doesn't think that I need one. I just am not ready for a heart monitor. So, I'll ride harder but not so hard that I am gasping for air.

Besides biking I am walking and doing my PT exercises.

My suggestion is that you sign up for the 22 miler. You don't seem to want to push your limits which will slow your progress. You will be happier on the shorter route where odds are better that there will be other riders at similar speeds. You can ride with less stress and enjoy the event rather than struggling on it.

Heartrate monitor is great, but even perceived exertion gives you some clues. Talking in full sentences, broken sentences, breathing too fast to talk, gasping for breath are 4 levels of effort you can gauge by.

On longer rides you may discover things that you need to fix to be comfortable. You may find that certain foods or drinks are unpalatable or upset your stomach. You may find that your feet or hands go numb, if you need gloves or different shoes. You may find that your cycling attire chafes. You'll figure out if you need to change brands of sunscreen, if you need to bring lip balm, how to drink from a water bottle while riding. I'd rather find these on training rides rather than during the big event.

I have been on rides where minimum speeds were suggested and course support end times were posted. You can find that rest stops are no longer set up (food/water/port-a-jons), route signage is being removed, no sag support, no intersection control, and heavier traffic. Be prepared for an unsupported ride if you decide on the longer routes.

I am going to push harder. I just have this hypochondria about heart stuff because my parents both died young of heart disease. I have had stress tests before and they always have been clean, though it has been seven years since I had one. I don't much want another one. My doc doesn't think that I need one. I just am not ready for a heart monitor. So, I'll ride harder but not so hard that I am gasping for air.

Besides biking I am walking and doing my PT exercises.
Fair enough. But if your never at the point where you are gasping for air, than you aren't riding hard. And thats okay, but just don't consider doing any actual "training" until your willing to change your thinking. Again, I hope you don't think I'm being harsh, I'm just trying to give you honest sound advice. Because your family history of heart disease that should make you want to get a heart rate monitor so that you can train properly and safely. I suggest that you go to a gym and ride an exercise bike or elliptical with hr monitor handles that you hold onto as a first step in the right direction. you are really selling yourself short by letting this fear get the best of you.