Congratulations for getting on a bike. I have been at it for three months now coming off of 15 years on the couch. When I started I had trouble doing the 1 mile loop around my neighborhood more than a few times. It felt like the hills were impossible.
Fast forward to today. I have no problem riding 20 miles with some moderate hills.
I have been lurking for some time now and feel it is time for me to share.
Things that have helped me –
1.) I started eating better. I cut out soda and refined sugars first. I quickly cut out fast food (grilling up a few chicken breasts at a time and keeping them in the fridge makes for a quick sandwich). Switched from white to whole grain foods. I still treat myself to sweet things like fruit smoothies after a long ride or hard workout. I eat a lot. I just eat different foods. Be sure to get enough calories to keep you going but get the right ones. 1000 calories of cheeseburgers is not the same as 1000 calories of fruits and veggies.
2.) I started taking a good “sports” multivitamin. I used to get headaches frequently. Now that I take a vitamin I don’t get them. When I forget to take the vitamin I get a headache. I am defiantly deficient in something.
3.) I hired a coach. This is not a cheap option but has been a VERY good investment. I have learned successful training methods. I have days that I ride hard and days that I ride VERY easy. My coach tailors my workouts to ME. It is not a set training plan from a book. I let him know how I feel and we tweak things.
4.) I am training with a power meter. This allows me to really understand and profile my rides. It also is encouraging when I see improvement and it is really quantified. This again is not an inexpensive option but I feel like it is a great investment.
5.) I got an indoor trainer. Big guys have to put out much more power to get forward motion, more power means more training stress and can wear you out fast. An indoor trainer allows me to go easy and still get my legs moving and my blood pumping. I use the trainer when I watch TV. It is not as comfortable as the couch but I feel great after.
6.) I take a maximum of 1 day off a week. When my muscles ache I have found that very light recovery rides in a trainer help me feel better the next day.
NOW having said all that the best advice I can give you is just do what you can and feel good about each effort. It becomes easy to make big changes when you add up a bunch of small ones.
-Mark
240 to 215 and shrinking
Eating the elephant one bite at a time.