Any Tips To Increase Fitness?

[Downward]

I have found recently that I have come to a sort of standstill/backward step fitness wise. I have stopped being able to get up the big hill in one go but have found I have ran out of puff rather than my legs have gone.

Since thinking about where it's all going wrong I have started gearing down. My breathing is still as heavy and HR is still the same but now I am in lower gears and not pedallling as furiously as in a higher gear I am getting quicker and my legs are starting to work rather than my heart (If that all makes sense)

Still not managing to get up the hill without stopping though.

(The main hill is 10% and probably 1 mile long Uphill going to work, Downhill coming home)

 

[jimboalee]

Downward.

Is it Mucklow's?

If it is, remember the wind has been in the counter-productive direction recently.

Wind speed and direction are important. Even the pros fit larger cassettes if the wind is in the wrong direction for the mountain stages.
They are effectively 'gearing down', to avoid coming to a grinding halt.

 

[Downward]

Downward.

Is it Mucklow's?

If it is, remember the wind has been in the counter-productive direction recently.

Wind speed and direction are important. Even the pros fit larger cassettes if the wind is in the wrong direction for the mountain stages.
They are effectively 'gearing down', to avoid coming to a grinding halt.

Yes it is.

 

[plank]

Use the commute to do hiit training at starting from traffic lights, be safe though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training

I do it on my 10 mile each way commute untill I cant manage it anymore, it helps keeping a chocolate bar incase you get so wiped out you need a boost but that shouldnt happen very often.

It also makes a big difference eating properly although sometimes it dosent make sence for example after a week feeling really tired I felt really good on friday after eating junk and drinking beer the night before. I dont think supplements are bad but creatine seems a funny one to take by itself

Eating well for me on an ideal day goes like:

Oats
cycle
fruit
weights at gym
protine shake
nuts
raw salad, leafy greens brocolli pepperd, beetroot beansprouts+hemp oil
quinowa and roasted onion sweet potato galic peppers
protine shake
fruit
cycle home
flapjack
run or swim (only twice a week)
veg+quorn or beans or lentils

youl have to guess the times though but they are all spread out. Its quite a lot of effort not to give into the easy food option, normally by friday I fancy a pub lunch but without injuries I do 13+ hours training a week. Without eating like this I cant keep it up. And I do count commuting as training! Personally I dont think pasta and sandwiches cut it, at least they dont work for me. I think you should take every avaliable opputunity to avoid wheat as its the grain than appears in everything when you need a quick snack and have to buy something from the shop.

Its really important to stay hydrated too, I almost cant manage it without isotonic drinks

I also dont belive you have to do lots of long rides as I did a centry on my 3rd road ride last year (although it was a bit of a struggle on flat pedals) later on I also did 4 centurys in 4 days in a row when my previous training was only cycling to work for a max of 40 mins. My diet was strange then because I hardly ate anything but in both cases staying hydrated was really important for me as thats when I suffered and its really hard to get it hydrated again.

I find it hard to gague fitness improvements because if you try hard you always feel tired.

Phew long post, I think you can do it, its a great opputunity being able to commute if you sorted your diet and maybe joined a gym close to work and did some squats or deadlifts in the morning befor you shower you could really get somewhere with the fitness

 

[Savannah]

I've posted this somewhere else on this site but it seemed to need a mention here. Boost your nutrition with superfood recipes from Brendon Brazier's site. You need to get some of the ingredients from the health food shop but generally his recipes are easy to make and give you a real boost either before or after a ride. Have a look at www.brendanbrazier.com

 

[jimboalee]

Nah, I got this....

http://www.nigelslater.com/books_view.asp?nBook_ID={279EC3D2-5127-45CA-B5AF-D190A387A74E}

 

[Lisa21]

The first time I cycled a straight 6 miles I vowed i could never do it again as it was too far and nearly killed me!! That was only a few weeks ago now and I find im now doing it with hardly any effort and prefer to push myself into doing longer rides as my little 6 miler now holds no fear for me!!!
It will get easier and more enjoyable if you keep at it-and sooner than you think!!

 

[girv73]

Lion, I started from much the same position as you - bit overweight and had just got back into cycling. At the start, doing 2 miles into the village nearby nearly required medical attention, but forcing myself out 3 days a week soon saw the miles racking up. That was last summer. I'm doing a 20 mile round trip commute now 3 or 4 days a week and 40+ mile Sunday runs without too much trouble. This year I will enter my first sportives - 30, 60 and 90 milers, maybe a century.

As someone said to me: keep at it, fitness will come. Building endurance takes time and, really, 3 weeks isn't very long.

FWIW, I tend to push as hard as possible on the commute rides, doing sprints from traffic lights and so on.

 

[jage56]

focus on your breathing - I've found using lower gears (or single) and trying to get a good deep regular breathing pattern pays dividends - and eat plenty coz after 12 miles a day your gonna be hungry - and give it time

 

[Downward]

Hows it all going ?
Now the warmer weather is here you should find it easier - esp when it's warm enough for just Shorts and a top.

 

[col]

Also what we are overlooking Lion is that 70 lbs of extra weight is like carrying nearly a sack and a half of spuds on your bike with you, any normal person would be drained after a few miles doing that. As the wieght comes of it will get better too.

 

[jimboalee]

focus on your breathing - I've found using lower gears (or single) and trying to get a good deep regular breathing pattern pays dividends - and eat plenty coz after 12 miles a day your gonna be hungry - and give it time

Nah, nah, nah.

12 miles per day is well within the duration of a 'fasted lipolysis' ride.

The hunger HAS to be ignored.

 

[bigfella]

Thanks for that, some interesting info there.

I hope my first week of commute goes well and I don't give up too easily. What I like about the commute is the commitment - once I have left you are forced to carry on. Or you get the sack for being late!!