Definitely feel my fitness slipping away .

[johnnyb47]

Hi.
With the darks nights upon us ,very busy at work and the onslaught of to much food at Christmas my cycling miles have suffered a fair bit these last few weeks. Cycling has been mainly confined to the weekends and today after seeing lots of cyclists passing my house and heading into the Welsh mountains I thought I would join in and get the bike out. The road leading out of town is a fairly steep affair and climbs for around 5 miles. By the time I got to the top I was well and truly knackered with my legs feeling like jelly and puffing and panting like an asthmatic dog..I got to the top though without stopping and continued my ride out for another 15 miles without stopping. When I got home I collapsed on the sofa to recover. I know for a fact that last summer just gone I would of taken this trip with relative ease when I was cycling many miles a week and I'm surprised how just a few weeks of inactivity in cycling can put you back..Needless to say though I still enjoyed it and I'm looking forward into getting back into my more regular bike rides again when the lighter nights come.
All the best
Johnny

 

[Slick]

Wow, is it always like this in January on this forum? Take it easy, you do loose it quickly, but I've found your not too long getting back upto speed either. Good luck.

 

[tyred]

It's normal but it will come back quickly again. Just do what you are comfortable with to begin with and don't forget to rest either.

 

[johnnyb47]

Cheers guys. It's good to know I'm not the only one :-). I think people ( i.e myself) think they can just get back on a bike and expect to be exactly the same as when they left it a few weeks back. I still managed to average a shade under 15mph which is quite good for me. This summer coming I'm aiming to cycle to my dad's house which is around 70 miles so I'm need of some serious training before I attempt it. It's going to be one of those targets that I'm going to aim for this year. Whilst talking about this what would be a sensible time this would take to do around 70 miles..As you well know the roads here in Wales are not exactly flat. I would imagine I would have to slow my pace down a fair bit so I don't burn my self out to early and I will also need a few stops on the way for food and drink and a chance to recover. I was personally thinking it would take around 7/8 hours or am I being a little optimistic :-)

 

[tyred]

Even if I'm not cycling I'm usually pretty active in other ways so I can jump on the bike and have the fitness to do 50+ miles but if I'd had a lay off from cycling or even just not been doing any long rides for a while, I'd suffer from aches and pains from not being bike-fit.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Cheers guys. It's good to know I'm not the only one :-). I think people ( i.e myself) think they can just get back on a bike and expect to be exactly the same as when they left it a few weeks back. I still managed to average a shade under 15mph which is quite good for me. This summer coming I'm aiming to cycle to my dad's house which is around 70 miles so I'm need of some serious training before I attempt it. It's going to be one of those targets that I'm going to aim for this year. Whilst talking about this what would be a sensible time this would take to do around 70 miles..As you well know the roads here in Wales are not exactly flat. I would imagine I would have to slow my pace down a fair bit so I don't burn my self out to early and I will also need a few stops on the way for food and drink and a chance to recover. I was personally thinking it would take around 7/8 hours or am I being a little optimistic :-)

Good luck with that and make sure your Dad has a brew ready at the other end!

 

[johnnyb47]

And an oxygen tent lol :-)..
My old man lives right on the coast and just driving over to see him is a nice experience so riding it will hopefully be something I will remember for many years to come.

 

[Slick]

And an oxygen tent lol :-)..
My old man lives right on the coast and just driving over to see him is a nice experience so riding it will hopefully be something I will remember for many years to come.

Don't let the year pass without doing it then.

 

[johnnyb47]

Your absolutely right there Slick..Were only here once so it's make the most of it and what you can achieve.

 

[StuartG]

Yea, if you don't experience that it is only because you haven't been cycling long enough!

I have bonked on hills and seen very much fitter guys than me bonk in front. It's nothing to get excited about. Just cool reflection. I was carrying a bit too much weight or I've had a dram or two too much malt the night before. We all have bad days.

I am 67 going on 68. I'm stronger than last year. Its probably due to the gym sessions I use to augment my riding. The message is you get out of cycling what you put into it. You can pretty much achieve what you really want to. So decide on your real objective, It's pretty much a certainty if you really want it.

Setbacks are a certainty. Success is ignoring them.

 

[raleighnut]

Cheers guys. It's good to know I'm not the only one :-). I think people ( i.e myself) think they can just get back on a bike and expect to be exactly the same as when they left it a few weeks back. I still managed to average a shade under 15mph which is quite good for me. This summer coming I'm aiming to cycle to my dad's house which is around 70 miles so I'm need of some serious training before I attempt it. It's going to be one of those targets that I'm going to aim for this year. Whilst talking about this what would be a sensible time this would take to do around 70 miles..As you well know the roads here in Wales are not exactly flat. I would imagine I would have to slow my pace down a fair bit so I don't burn my self out to early and I will also need a few stops on the way for food and drink and a chance to recover. I was personally thinking it would take around 7/8 hours or am I being a little optimistic :-)

One of the secrets to doing long distances is to stay loose and relaxed and just let the miles rack up, you'll be surprised at how far you can get without 'pushing' yourself.
An early start (pre rush hour) is another.

 

[Eribiste]

I made a muppet of myself yesterday; first ride for about three weeks, thirty miles without taking on any fluid or other sustenance. As a consequence, at about 25 miles I completely ran out of energy and had to stop for a rest, suffering the classic bonk. Not something I've suffered before, and not something I want to repeat.

Your seventy mile target is substantial, but do-able with some training towards. Definitely start off slower than your normal pace so you leave some shot in your locker for the last few miles. Also, drink during the ride, before you feel thirsty and have some little treats to nibble on as you go to. I use wine gums myself, others like jelly babies. Either way, they'll replenish your 'need it now' energy and you can also use them as a motivational tool, as in "when (if) I get to the top of that hill, I'll give myself a treat".

Timing wise, I would say your estimate is about right, including a couple of ten to fifteen minute rest stops at a cafe, especially given the hills you possibly find in Wales.

 

[biggs682]

Your absolutely right there Slick..Were only here once so it's make the most of it and what you can achieve.

very true and something more people should think the same

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I had a mild heart attack in the beginning of November, got back in the saddle in December and managed three slow rides, now a combination of Christmas and this lurgie thats going round means I haven't ridden since before Christmas. My first ride is going to be very slow and short and I recon its going to be at least six months before I'm back up to speed. All we can do is to keep riding and try and come back from these set backs.

 

[PeteXXX]

I had an enforced 6 weeks of cycling last September, October, due to an operation. It took me a while to get back to my previous level of riding. Also, my sit bones needed toughening up again!