muz379

Ok so i think ill just update a little i joined back at the start of the year deciding i wanted to loose weigt and id use cycling to loose that weight ,
So anyway a little update of my status . since then ive sorted out a road bike , it isnt an excellent bike its an old raliegh reynolds 501 frame bike but it does the job for me . Ive lost about 8/9 lb's i have actually lost more but i had an accident(was hit by a car ) and was off the bike completely for 2 weeks so in that two weeks i put weight back on
Im still happy with my progress i wasnt expecting it to be easy or for the weight to fall off . Another thing i can feel in addition to the weight loss is increased fitness and confidence on the bike . When i started i wouldnever have had the confidence to go and ride that far away from home my routes would usually go 5 miles away from home at the furthest and now im riding pretty much wherever without a problem .

So anyway 3 or 4 weeks ago i got demotivated from the training a bit thinking i was not really going anywhere except gaining a bit of fitness so i decided i needed a goal to work towards with my training so ive entered a bike ride for charity . The date is the 4th july and the distance is 60 miles .This will be the first time ive rode anything this far before
Ive chosen the one on the 4th july because it gives me 12 weeks to get properly ready for it . So i wanted to ask for some training tips and ive got a few specific questions
What sort of training should i start doing specificly for this and how should i start building it up to the 12 weeks . Currently i do 1 or 2 short rides in the week of 10-15 miles then at the weekend im getting out and doing one 20 miles plus ride the longest of wich has been about 30

Ive also got a specific question after doing a 30 miles weekend ride on a saturday im really not up for cycling till tueesday again in that when i get on the bike my legs get tired really quickly within 2 miles what can i do to avoid this , id like to do a long one sat and then a shorter one monday as well but at the moment i really cannot do it its a massive struggle . Someone i spoked to who does rowing at my uni said after long hard training sessions he uses SIS rego drink straight after the excersise and reccomended i give that a try after the long rides what do you guys think of this stuff ?

Last thing i know its a long way off but the few days leading up to the ride and the day of the ride what should i be doing with myself riding lots or stayingt off the bike ??
Anything else you guys feel is relevant for me would be greaty aprechiated as well

MrClyde

Sounds like you are doing great.

After riding an hour or more, I always eat something soon after. I don't buy fancy recovery drinks, I just eat something sensible like a sandwich, a bowl of cereal, or bagel with peanut butter, etc.

12 weeks should be plenty of time. After a long Saturday ride, try doing a recovery ride the next day. Don't worry about speed, and just try a few miles the first time. After you get warmed up, you may be surprised how you feel. I was. I usually cannot go all out the next day after a big ride, but it actually feels good to get out and get the legs moving. I often take my kids on the recovery rides, that helps me just do a nice casual ride.

Are you eating and drinking good on your longer rides? Once I got above 30 miles, getting the right fluids and calories at the right time became much more important. I plan on one 24oz bottle of fluid per hour (more in extreme heat), and a gel pack or equivelant every 45 minutes.

Leading up to your ride, for my first century I tapered back the intensity of my rides starting abour a week before, and took 2 days completely off before the ride.

muz379

Apart from the two weeks i had off because of the accident im very happy so far with my progress i just wanted something to aim for to motivate me , and even better this ride is for a charity that i would like to donate too as well
I was quite sceptical when he told me about the rego stuff as well especially seeing as it seems kinda expensive but Last time after a long ride i did eat quite a sensible sandwich and a bannana and still it was hard going on the bike the following monday.
Im trying the same ride again this sunday so we will see how we feel again this monday . Ill definatly try and do a 3 or 4 mile recovery ride out this time just taking it easy see what i get out of that
Im definatly drinking more than enough i feel , i usually take two 1 litre bottles with me and last time i refilled one of them about a two thirds of the journey .
I usually eat a bannana about 10 minutes before leaving for a long ride then about 10 miles in ill have an energy gel or bar etc then another one at 20 miles then eat when i get home

youcoming

It will take some time for your legs to get use to the exercise, when I started I couldn't fathom doing 60 miles, now I do back to back 100 miles and think nothing of it. Just keep building on that 30 miles by 10% every week, or that is what many here will tell you. If you can do just that you will hit 60 miles in about 8 weeks. It may sound like a lot but it works. Recovery rides are essential to some, I will if I've had a real hard ride but normally don't bother with them. If you do keep it on the small ring and just spin around in your 19. As for recovery, a lot of that has to do with timing of food after ride, replace the glycerin stores with a banana, rice, pasta or something else starchy, along with some protein. Some swear by chocolate milk for this, I have found recovorite by Hammer Nutrition is what works for me. The most important thing is fueling yourself and staying hydrated when on the bike, think a sip of water and a bite to eat every 10-20 minutes if ride is over 1.5 hours.

muz379

my legs are getting used to the short midweek rides now they arent a problem

I think getting up to the 60 in 8 weeks is a good aim for me actually and certainly then gives me another 4 weeks (or 3 if you take the week before to start) improving my times over 60 miles . At what period in time before the ride do you think it will not be beneficial for me to do any more training , i was thinking three weeks before i might start shortening the distance

Ive done some research and i can get the rego drink that i was talking about in small sachets for a relativley cheap price so i might get some from my bike shop and try them on sunday and if they dont work start exploring some more options when it comes to recovery

MrClyde

In my experience, recovery drinks will not make the soreness disappear. I can't feel the difference between a recovery drink, chocolate milk, or a sensible snack. If I don't eat anything, I feel terrible a couple hours after the ride. But if you find something you like that works for you, go for it.

As far as tapering prior to the event, I don't taper until about a week out. 7 days before a big ride I may still do a practice ride of similar distance. I would recommend the weekend before you do a normal "long" ride, which may or may not be the full 60 miles. Then if you are used to the short midweek rides, do 3-4 of those at low to moderate intensity during the week, then take Friday and Saturday and rest for your ride. At the event, you will probably get extra motivation due to the excitement, other riders, etc so the biggest thing to remember is take it easy the first 20 miles or so. Don't burn all your matches in the first 10 miles trying to keep up with someone else. Know your pace and your plan and stick to it.

Oh, and make sure you tell us how it went!

CliftonGK1

There are plenty of training programs designed to get you up to 100 miles in 10 weeks, so 60 miles in 12 will be no problem for you, I'm sure.

On your long rides, you should make sure to watch your nutrition and hydration levels, as well as your electrolytes. For any rides longer than 2 hours, I always make sure to bring some e'lyte replacements, either NUUN tablets for my bottles or Hammer Endurolyte capsules. (1 NUUN/hr or 3 Endurolyte caps/hr for me works well.)
Hydration is important; your muscles will get sore if you're not keeping well hydrated. I aim for 3/4 of a large bottle per hour on an average. More if it's hot, less if I'm slacking and not sweating so much.
Food intake will also stave off soreness. 200 - 250 calories per hour is the standard goal when going for long distances. That's 1 Clif Bar, or 2 gels, or a banana and some Gatorade-ish drink. Nibble, don't snarf. Eat a bite every 15 - 20 minutes to keep a constant food supply going in.
Post ride, keep your hydration up for another 2 hours after the ride and work on stretching. Don't let yourself get tightened up by getting cold.

As for tapering, I don't believe in it if you're not racing. For a race, sure; conserve some energy. For a social ride, there's no reason you can't ride like usual right up to the day before your event. (I did a ride series this spring with 3 consecutive weekends: 200k, 200k, 300k. This fall, I'll do a 200k, 300k, 400k and 600k in a 6 week span.)

Once your body is used to the distance, and you know how to keep hydrated and well fed, you can pretty much just keep on riding as much as you want. Tourists routinely do consecutive 75 mile days. Randonneurs ride up to 750 miles in under 4 days. Once that training base is there, it's a matter of proper fueling.

muz379

I think ive got the nutrition and hydration sorted whilst im riding
Went out for a 17 mile spin today wasnt too bad drank about 1.5 litres
was also trying out energy gels today had one at about half way but didnt like them that much so just had the one i think ill stick to the bars which id usually have one bar to every hour of riding i do

Afterwards today i had a meal within an hour of coming back in and i drank another bottle of drink (i usually refill the one i took on my ride when i come in and drink it whilst im putting my cycling gear away etc ) , gonna try and get out to do a 4 or 5 mile recovery ride tomorrow without much trouble
and then hopefully on sunday going for a 30 mile ride , going to try a few different recovery options before i settle for one , this sunday its going to be either chocolate milk and a bannana or the sis rego drink and then next sunday im going to try a different one then see which one suits me best

Stretching ?
Ive been stretching before going out every ride but should i also be stretching once ive come back , and if so what speecific stretches should i be doing afterwards ?

CliftonGK1

For stretching I do:
- foot (stretch the arch to keep toes from cramping)
- calf
- hamstring
- quadricep
- lower back
- shoulders and neck (especially during and after a long ride)

Often during a long ride (and long is a subjective term, remember) I'll stretch during my meal breaks.

muz379

went for my recovery ride today , was more like 3.5/4 miles but i took the ybrid bike out which is heavier than the road bike , preparing for tomorrows longer ride now , couldnt get the rego drink so imma try the chocolate milk and bannana tomorrow see how that goes for me . got some energy bars in gonna fill my bottles later , apart from that anything else anyone can suggest so that i am well recovered on monday after this ride

muz379

Had my 30 mile ride today ,was a pretty warm day so i was quite generous with the drinking and ate an energy bar and a half along the way , had to change the tyre along the way as well , luckily i managed to make it to a bike shop that i use quite regularly along the route all in all a good ride though was out for about 3 hrs in all
got back after the final obstacle/challenge of carrying the bike up the stairs and had some chocolate milk and a bannana stretched and then got in the bath and lay there for a while soaking then got out and had some dinner and now i feel tired as youd expect but not overly tired , gotta go walk the dog later and last time i really didnt have the energy to do it but i think ill manage it today ,
Going to try and make a 5 mile recovery ride tomorrow

MrClyde

How did your recovery ride go?

tdbmd

Chocolate milk makes a excellent recovery drink, post ride or run.

RedWhiteandRed

Now this is funny.

dscheidt

Funny or not, it's true.

muz379

The recovery ride went great thanks , perfect day the weather was great did nearly 7 miles and felt like i could have done more ,took the hybrid out again just feels a lot more comfortable for recovery rides and some of the trial i ride on is kinda scary when your only riding on 23's bits of loose gravel
i got to what would have been half way point for a 5 mile ride and decided i was having too much fun so i could turn it into a ring route rather than just ride up my local trial for a few miles then come back
Didnt ride much today being tuesday and probably will only get a few miles out tomorrow running errands and that but on thursday im going out for a 20 mile ride with a riding friend , the one im doing the 60 mile ride with infact and then sunday we are going out for a 40 miler which will be my longest ride yet

ive also got a new project to work on which is a new hybrid bike to fix up , its a giant expression got it for quite cheap off a friend but atm its in quite a bad shape in terms of repair brakes , gears , wheels/tyres and other things need fixing up but im looking forward to fixing it up and riding this as my current hybrid has been sold. Gonna post some pics in the forum tomorrow when the camera has charged

MrClyde

I think you are going through the normal process of figuring out how hard you can push yourself for speed and distance, and how to help your body rest and recover for the next effort. Keep up the great work, you'll be ready for your 4th of July ride.

muz379

wow well got a few miles out of today , nipped into the city centre to get a part for my hybrid project , so far fixed the seat , partially fixed the rear brak just waiting the new blocks to be delivered before thats all in order , gonna sort out gears etc the end of the week or the weekend
Not riding tomorrow though with my friend had to reschedule it till firday so i might take a slow 15 miler myseld undecided yet though so i will decide when i see the weather in the morning .

Well when i go out at the weekend for the longest rides i fell like im pushing myself pretty hard whereas my midweek rides are at a slightly lower level of effort , still pushing but just not as hard . im feeling confident that i can make the 60 miles i wouldnt also mind making it in a decent time however we will have to see , and i can always do it next year to get better at times etc
If everybody dosent mind i might keep this thread as a bit of a training log/place to ask any more question

muz379

Wow got a possible date for mt first century as well if all goes well with my 60 mile ride in july then im going to start training for my first century on september the 5th , another arranged ride for the same charity as my 60 mile ride