How to improve fitness quickly?

[lukea6]

Hi all,

I'm new on here.. In fact I think this is my third post!
I'm looking for some help in improving my fitness. I'm very confused with my fitness / stamina levels recently and am trying to find a cause and improve!

I've been cycling for around a year now, sometimes with large breaks in the middle (I work away alot and over the winter literally don't get the time)...
Anyway, last year I did a few organised rides and a few longish rides on my own (60m) and on the whole I coped well. I totally burnt out one day but that was lack of prep/lack of food on the day... It was my first long ride and was a 60 miler over lots of hills! I managed a 90miler with a little training and following a diet the week before. I think I could've managed another 20 miles on top!!

Recently while riding I keep getting absolutly knackered very quickly - especially when real effort is needed for hills etc. This is both out of breath tired and lack of energy tired. I cannot for the life of me work out what's gone wrong! I have been training more than last year (2 or 3 rides a week ranging from 15 to 40 miles) but I certainly haven't been over training. I have tried eating differently, different drinks, sleeping more, cycling in the cooler weather... Nothing seems to be helping!

Any advice on things to try would be greatly appreciated! I have a few long organised rides coming up and don't want to be holding everybody up!

 

[marinyork]

If I was wanting to train for an event I was very worried about I'd be doing my 12-17 mile training loop every night week days (adapted for different work), day of rest on Saturday and longer endurance ride of 40-60 miles on Sunday. It sounds like you have very good abilities and have just been lucky on virtually no training.

 

[Steve Austin]

Running gives the quickest fitness improvements for effort used.

 

[Crackle]

How's your underlying health, any history there, any allergies? Just wondering about the breathlessness as that's how I got and discovered I'd developed adult onset asthma.

If all OK, then as Steve suggests, running is excellent for improving CV fitness and improving that will shif the focus away from beathing trouble which does limit the effort you feel you can make and actually can make.

If you're time limited, try keeping the distance down but increasing the effort and throw in longer slower rides when time allows. Make sure you are spinning uphill as well.

 

[lukea6]

I have hayfever but have always had it! Don't think I'm astmatic. I guess I'll give running a try!

 

[marinyork]

I agree running does make you fit overall more efficiently. It doesn't really transfer though. I was an all right runner, a crap cyclist.

 

[Crackle]

I have hayfever but have always had it! Don't think I'm astmatic. I guess I'll give running a try!

Can be a pre-disposition, might just be worth having a Spirometry test at your local surgery.

 

[lukea6]

Yeah I guess I could ask next time I'm there..

 

[jimboalee]

I agree running does make you fit overall more efficiently. It doesn't really transfer though. I was an all right runner, a crap cyclist.

Good comment.

Any activity will increase CV performance, IF you elevate your Heart Rate for a sustained ammount of time compared with just running upstairs.

What a LOT of folks don't realise is :- by doing the activity - whether it is running or cycling - the capillaries which transport blood to the relevant muscle fibres are being expanded and constructed in an attempt to adapt to the new levels of intensity.

If you run, the capillaries to the running muscle groups are improving. If you ride a bike, the capillaries to the cycling muscles are being improved.

To become a good cyclist, you MUST ride a bike and build those muscles.

 

[Steve Austin]

But to increase overall fitness quickly (which is the point in question) you will need to doa variety of different activities to make your body fitter.

There is no doubt to become a better cyclist you will need to do more miles or train smarter over the long term, BUT ime if you want to improve fitness quickly, riding more will just exhaust your legs.

A variety of activities will increase overall fitness much better than just cycling will. Weight, running, gym circuits are well known to improve fitness faster

 

[jimboalee]

Define "Fitness"?

 

[lukea6]

For me....
The ability to keep on riding!

 

[I am Spartacus]

Wanna judge your fitness level honestly...?
then do the Cooper test..
warm up 10 mins.. then run for 12 mins and measure the distance covered.. compare to the table below . the measurements are in miles btw..
it just sounds like you have very poor base fitness, I fear



MEN
AGE 18-28 29-39 40-50 50+
HIGH 1.85+ 1.65+ 1.50+ 1.35+
GOOD 1.60/1.84 1.50/1.64 1.40/1.49 1.25/1.35
AVERAGE 1.40/1.59 1.35/1.49 1.25/1.40 1.10/1.24
LOW <1.40 <1.35 <1.25 <1.10

WOMEN
AGE 18-28 29-39 40-50 50+
HIGH 1.55+ 1.40+ 1.25+ 1.15+
GOOD 1.36/1.54 1.25/1.39 1.15/1.24 1.05/1.14
AVERAGE 1.20/1.35 1.05/1.24 1.00/1.14 .90/1.04
LOW <1.20 <1.05 <1.00 .90

 

[jimboalee]

Wanna judge your fitness level honestly...?
then do the Cooper test..
warm up 10 mins.. then run for 12 mins and measure the distance covered.. compare to the table below . the measurements are in miles btw..
it just sounds like you have very poor base fitness, I fear



MEN
AGE 18-28 29-39 40-50 50+
HIGH 1.85+ 1.65+ 1.50+ 1.35+
GOOD 1.60/1.84 1.50/1.64 1.40/1.49 1.25/1.35
AVERAGE 1.40/1.59 1.35/1.49 1.25/1.40 1.10/1.24
LOW <1.40 <1.35 <1.25 <1.10

WOMEN
AGE 18-28 29-39 40-50 50+
HIGH 1.55+ 1.40+ 1.25+ 1.15+
GOOD 1.36/1.54 1.25/1.39 1.15/1.24 1.05/1.14
AVERAGE 1.20/1.35 1.05/1.24 1.00/1.14 .90/1.04
LOW <1.20 <1.05 <1.00 .90

Yeh, running is a good measure of fitness, 'cus it's what the human body has evolved to do.

In twelve minutes, I can run a mile and a half after warming up properly.

It just so happens that Solihull Hospital A & E is half a mile from where I live, so the test route goes around the perimeter of the Hospital.

 

[lukea6]

I think I'd fit into the average category. The think that's strange is last year with less prep I coped better than I do now, even though I do more exercise now?