Rest vs Ride
Originally Posted by
Tombaatar
Good information. Thanks. I took it easy this morning. Will take it easy for the rest of the week.
Funny, last week I only got two rides in due to weather and family responsibilities. Rode 45 that Sunday and had numerous 20+ mph splits (fast for me). Felt great and felt like i could have done it again when I got home.
My goal is just fitness and avoiding the stress of driving. I don't race. I usually ride alone.
Originally Posted by
wphamilton
...I think it's OK to ride as much as you want, but
you can vary the intensity.And use common sense to avoid real injury.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
With my busy job / family activities, all my cycling is via a commute of a minimal 14 miles one-way, including a long ride (greater than 40 miles) on Saturday to go in for a few hours at my convenience. Your riding schedule sounds like my ideal, but I’m often stymied to fulfill due to lack of time.
Since I note similarities between our riding motivations and modalities, FYA, I have previously posted:
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
...last year I developed for myself my"
Time-restricted, Personally Ambitious, but Non-competitive CyclistTraining Routine,"…based on
”Relative Perceived Exertion (RPE).” My basic premise was that I wanted to get significantly fit, within a busy work/family time-crunched life, but not suffer so much that I would abandon the program.
I do have the advantages of a very nice minimum 14 mile one way commute that is easily extended; and a high end, very comfortable carbon fiber road bike that encourages riding.
The RPE scale ranges from 6 to17, with descriptions of the intensity. Multiply the RPE by 10 is the approximate heart rate. Jim's scale is the equivalent on a 0 to 100 scale, easier to think about…My basic training is to ride at my RPE of 50% for six miles to warm up, then cruise at an RPEof 60%, and do intervals (on hills) at 70% [described as“hard”; 60% is“somewhat hard," and 80% is “very hard" (lactate threshold;breakpoint between hard but steady breathing and labored with gasping. 50% is "fairly light" (my usual happy-go-lucky pace without thinking about it)].
I try to change gears to maintain a cadence of about 85-90 rpm on flats and rolling hills, and about 60 to 80 rpm on harder hills, to maintain my RPE. Shift up to higher gears as the cadence rises, and shift down as the RPE increases.
My (realistically) ideal mileage goals:
…
I was concerned about getting decent miles in…
It takes me 50 miles a week just to feel good and normal, I feel fantastic over 100 miles a week, and like Superman over 150.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…I particularly agree with your assessment of weekly mileage, though at over 150 miles per week, I call it hyper-fit…
FWIW.
Since my perceived exertion is relative, I can ride according to my schedule as I feel, rather than striving (over-exerting) to achieve a standardized goal like heart rate or watts.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 05-19-17 at 04:43 AM.
Reason: Added mileage goals