Training hard on a limited schedual
 

I do one to two days a week on the road (about 20 plus miles each ride) and one day on the trainer each week. I have made steady progress for the last year on this program as I incorporate yoga and have not had to lay off during the winter because I live in Florida. Here is the problem. On fridays, I ride with a guy who is about 12 years younger than me and he is a natural talent as well. He teaches martial arts, lifts weights, rides twice a week and only weighs in at 170 (15 lbs more than me) despite his much greater muscle bulk. When I ride with him on a fast segment, for a few months now I continualy get trounced about 300 feet every 5 miles no matter how hard I try. He is nice about it but I would like to narrow the performance gap. The last two weeks I have put everything I could in my 5 mile time trial but he still trounced me. He seems to be making progress just as fast as I have, so he always stays one step ahead.

This last friday, my resting pulse was 50 in the morning but hours after our ride it measured 80 just before a meal. That would tend to indicate that I realy am working hard and not quickly recovering (typical 50 plus syndrome I imagine). Does this indicate that I am in over my head or is a 30 jump in resting pulse sort of in the normal range? Additionally I seemed to lack any appetite which I also imaging is the result of going full out for much of our ride. We are averging a 21 to 25 mph pace which he seems to shake off and even laugh off by sitting up sometimes into the wind, which only emphasizes our differences. Would you continue on as I have if your pulse rate seemed to stay high for 8 hours or so?

Garth

Don't be put out by the 300 ft in 5 miles- I am lucky if it is less than 100yards over a mile with the fit one on our group, and he is only 9 years younger than me. Only thing is- I can do a century ride with relative ease and he does struggle.

Heart rate-- I have a resting heart rate of 60- as soon as I start moving it rises to 70 and general rate -walking about and slight activity it is 80. On a ride I will try to keep at around 145- with a max of 160, although it does go above that. After my ride it will take an hour or so before it drops below 85- and that will be when I am comatose in the chair watching the TV. It will be a long time before it drops to below 80, but then I class that as my Norm in any case.

Is your norm 50? is that when you wake up before any activity- or does it stay at 50? I had a few heart problems a few years ago and on the rehab afterwards every one was at around 80 as a norm. This was accepted as the normal heart rate for anyone doing any slight activity such as sitting down-talking- drinking a cup of coffee, or just acting normally. Out of 15 of us on the rehab- different ages and fitness levels we were all about the same. The heart rate to look out for is the speed that you drop after exertion. Providing it drops by 20 relatively quickly- then you are OK. i.e I get to 165 cresting a hill- take it easy for 100yards or so after a hill until HR drops to 140. When it is at 140- then I can get up to speed again. OR--riding at 145, coming to a coffee stop so slow down 1 mile before. By the time I am in the Cafe HR is around 100 and by the time I leave it is at 80+.

Heart rates differ from person to person. So do exertion levels. So do speed of dropping after exercise. You name it and everyone is different. You have already bought one point to view in the lack of appetite. A sure sign that you are pushing a bit too hard for your current level of fitness. We can always tell if someone is having an offday on our rides if they do not have a full breakfast at the cafe. By the time we have done 20 miles- we are ready for that breakfast. When you can do the ride at your current pace- eat a good meal and enjoy it then you can say you are fit. Until then slow down and stop worrying about a heart rate that is only on a par with the rest of us.

Sorry if this sounds blunt, but I have been there, done that and bought the T shirt. I know what you are going through and believe me- you are not very different to most of us with above average fitness. It was 5 or 6 years before I could eat on a ride- But I now judge a ride by the cafes- An integral part of a good days riding.

I guess I look at things differently. Bicycling is my HOBBY. I never use the word "training" when talking about my hobby. I never worry what my heart rate is. If we are riding hard in a group, so be it. If we're just cruisin, that's Ok also. I've ridden centuries in five hours and I've had ones that took eight hours. As long as it felt good, that's all that matters. Keep it simple. If you want to beat the young guy, start doing intervals and hill climbs,IF that's what you want out of your cycling.