I'm ready for the Stelvio!

[roubaixtuesday]

OK, a bit of a brag coming here, but felt like sharing and maybe it'll inspire others.

I've always fancied riding the Stelvio, and the end of Covid combined with incipient decrepitude (I'm mid fifties now) inspired the organisation of a trip, which is from next Sunday.

Of course, this required getting fit, and whilst a lot better than the previous winter, the dawning of 2023 found me about 90kg, which is too much to enjoy the alps.

So I set out to eat less and cycle more, and I have to say I've massively enjoyed the cycling part Eating less makes more difference to weight than exercising and I've done it, now being about 80kg, which is about as light as I've ever been as an adult. For anyone interested, I didn't do any kind of particular diet, just stuck religiously to normal meals, absolutely zero snacks, and was really hungry a lot of the time for 4 months, but it worked.

The cycling has been brilliant. I've not missed a single commute (20 miles round trip) and since March have been extending into the hills several times a week either morning or night. I've also managed a few really big rides, including a couple of very hilly centuries. Strava tells me I've been much quicker up my regular hills than ever before, and I've totaled 6000km, probably double my typical, maybe more.

I'd never have done this without an objective at the end, and now I feel I'm ready for the Stelvio!

Not sure I'm ready for the weather, though...

https://webcam.myortler.it/stilfserjoch

I'm sure others have more impressive stories of getting fit for a challenge - would love to hear them.

 

[13 rider]

Well done and good luck , plenty of climbing practice in the peaks

 

[Cycleops]

And I thought you were getting ready to get a new set of tyres.

 

[I like Skol]

It's only a hill. I wonder if your weight loss might actually be detrimental?

 

[Slick]

OK, a bit of a brag coming here, but felt like sharing and maybe it'll inspire others.

I've always fancied riding the Stelvio, and the end of Covid combined with incipient decrepitude (I'm mid fifties now) inspired the organisation of a trip, which is from next Sunday.

Of course, this required getting fit, and whilst a lot better than the previous winter, the dawning of 2023 found me about 90kg, which is too much to enjoy the alps.

So I set out to eat less and cycle more, and I have to say I've massively enjoyed the cycling part Eating less makes more difference to weight than exercising and I've done it, now being about 80kg, which is about as light as I've ever been as an adult. For anyone interested, I didn't do any kind of particular diet, just stuck religiously to normal meals, absolutely zero snacks, and was really hungry a lot of the time for 4 months, but it worked.

The cycling has been brilliant. I've not missed a single commute (20 miles round trip) and since March have been extending into the hills several times a week either morning or night. I've also managed a few really big rides, including a couple of very hilly centuries. Strava tells me I've been much quicker up my regular hills than ever before, and I've totaled 6000km, probably double my typical, maybe more.

I'd never have done this without an objective at the end, and now I feel I'm ready for the Stelvio!

Not sure I'm ready for the weather, though...

https://webcam.myortler.it/stilfserjoch

I'm sure others have more impressive stories of getting fit for a challenge - would love to hear them.

Love it, I wish I had your focus, as I really need to do similar, in fact, much more.

Anyway, well done, that is a great effort and I hope it really pays off for you when the time comes.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've got a similar-ish objective for next year. Stand by in 12 months time for a thread entitled "I'm still somewhat overweight and not actually ready at all".

 

[T4tomo]

OK, a bit of a brag coming here, but felt like sharing and maybe it'll inspire others.

I've always fancied riding the Stelvio, and the end of Covid combined with incipient decrepitude (I'm mid fifties now) inspired the organisation of a trip, which is from next Sunday.

Of course, this required getting fit, and whilst a lot better than the previous winter, the dawning of 2023 found me about 90kg, which is too much to enjoy the alps.

So I set out to eat less and cycle more, and I have to say I've massively enjoyed the cycling part Eating less makes more difference to weight than exercising and I've done it, now being about 80kg, which is about as light as I've ever been as an adult. For anyone interested, I didn't do any kind of particular diet, just stuck religiously to normal meals, absolutely zero snacks, and was really hungry a lot of the time for 4 months, but it worked.

The cycling has been brilliant. I've not missed a single commute (20 miles round trip) and since March have been extending into the hills several times a week either morning or night. I've also managed a few really big rides, including a couple of very hilly centuries. Strava tells me I've been much quicker up my regular hills than ever before, and I've totaled 6000km, probably double my typical, maybe more.

I'd never have done this without an objective at the end, and now I feel I'm ready for the Stelvio!

Not sure I'm ready for the weather, though...

https://webcam.myortler.it/stilfserjoch

I'm sure others have more impressive stories of getting fit for a challenge - would love to hear them.

Well done, I'm running about 5kg over what I should be but haven't quite got the no snack and cutting down the weekend booze discipline to shed it. Those high passes are better done in late summer early autumn rather than spring! Cancelled Giro stages show the snow can hang around a long time in places.

It's only a hill. I wonder if your weight loss might actually be detrimental?

Go on you know you want to recommend he does it on a heavy hybrid with fat tyres too...

 

[UphillSlowly]

OK, a bit of a brag coming here, but felt like sharing and maybe it'll inspire others.

I've always fancied riding the Stelvio, and the end of Covid combined with incipient decrepitude (I'm mid fifties now) inspired the organisation of a trip, which is from next Sunday.

Of course, this required getting fit, and whilst a lot better than the previous winter, the dawning of 2023 found me about 90kg, which is too much to enjoy the alps.

So I set out to eat less and cycle more, and I have to say I've massively enjoyed the cycling part Eating less makes more difference to weight than exercising and I've done it, now being about 80kg, which is about as light as I've ever been as an adult. For anyone interested, I didn't do any kind of particular diet, just stuck religiously to normal meals, absolutely zero snacks, and was really hungry a lot of the time for 4 months, but it worked.

The cycling has been brilliant. I've not missed a single commute (20 miles round trip) and since March have been extending into the hills several times a week either morning or night. I've also managed a few really big rides, including a couple of very hilly centuries. Strava tells me I've been much quicker up my regular hills than ever before, and I've totaled 6000km, probably double my typical, maybe more.

I'd never have done this without an objective at the end, and now I feel I'm ready for the Stelvio!

Not sure I'm ready for the weather, though...

https://webcam.myortler.it/stilfserjoch

I'm sure others have more impressive stories of getting fit for a challenge - would love to hear them.

Not sure if mine is impressive. I have been structuring 95% of my riding for the last 9 months, building for Maratona Dles Dolomites. 3 weeks to go. Decided against losing too much weight it food poisoning a few weeks ago helped with this 😕.

Have mainly ridden 4 times a week:
- short zone 2
- long zone 2 (increasing in time)
- intervals on the turbo (sweet spot/over unders)
- hill repeats in better weather
Have planned 12 week training blocks by predicted load and thrown in a couple of Sportives. Fitness and endurance has definitely improved.
Have a great time in Italy 🇮🇹👍🏼

 

[Dogtrousers]

Not sure if mine is impressive. I have been structuring 95% of my riding for the last 9 months, building for Maratona Dles Dolomites. 3 weeks to go. Decided against losing too much weight it food poisoning a few weeks ago helped with this 😕.

Have mainly ridden 4 times a week:
- short zone 2
- long zone 2 (increasing in time)
- intervals on the turbo (sweet spot/over unders)
- hill repeats in better weather
Have planned 12 week training blocks by predicted load and thrown in a couple of Sportives. Fitness and endurance has definitely improved.
Have a great time in Italy 🇮🇹👍🏼

At the risk of hijacking @roubaixtuesday 's bragging thread ...

I'm looking at setting myself a structured plan of this nature, with an eye on a big foreign mountain in about a years time. My problem is I only want to plan what I know I can stick to, which is roughly 2.5 turbo sessions on average a week and decent outside ride at the weekend 3.5 times on average a month.

My Saturday rides are a problem because I don't want to mess up my fun riding with riding I "should" be doing. If I want to ride a hilly 100 miles and die on my arse for the last 3 hours and get home utterly wasted with my Garmin bellyaching about "over-reaching" then that's what I want to do, even if it is counterproductive and no cycling coach would countenance it.

So that just leaves the couple of turbo sessions that I'm prepared to commit to. Maybe three sometimes. I'm thinking of a 90 minute zone 2 plus something intervally/sweet spot just because too much zone 2 on the turbo will kill me with boredom and likely affect my motivation.

Now, about those snacks (hastily hides the remains of second-breakfast crumpets).

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Not sure if mine is impressive. I have been structuring 95% of my riding for the last 9 months, building for Maratona Dles Dolomites. 3 weeks to go. Decided against losing too much weight it food poisoning a few weeks ago helped with this 😕.

Have mainly ridden 4 times a week:
- short zone 2
- long zone 2 (increasing in time)
- intervals on the turbo (sweet spot/over unders)
- hill repeats in better weather
Have planned 12 week training blocks by predicted load and thrown in a couple of Sportives. Fitness and endurance has definitely improved.
Have a great time in Italy 🇮🇹👍🏼

Far more impressively structured than my "eat less and cycle more" plan!

The Dolomites are jaw dropping, have a great trip.

 

[UphillSlowly]

90 minute zone 2 plus something intervally/sweet spot just because too much zone 2 on the turbo will kill me with boredom and likely affect my motivation.

This is pretty much how I started over the winter. Based on Time Crunched Cyclist plan as my wife bought me the book. Then tweaked it with advice. To be fair she trained for London-Paris and LEJOG with one/two short rides and one long ride each week before we got turbo

 

[UphillSlowly]

Far more impressively structured than my "eat less and cycle more" plan!

The Dolomites are jaw dropping, have a great trip.

Planning the training has appealed to the inner geek in me

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I got a power meter in the Black Friday sales. Now, the only workout I do on the turbo is my VO2 max session. Thus the turbo is just once a week, and rest done outdoors. You just have to identify the bit of local road(s) to use for a particular session.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I got a power meter in the Black Friday sales. Now, the only workout I do on the turbo is my VO2 max session. Thus the turbo is just once a week, and rest done outdoors. You just have to identify the bit of local road(s) to use for a particular session.

Living in deepest darkest SE London I'm about 40 mins none too pleasant riding ride from anywhere quiet enough for that.

Unless it involves hills. We have plenty of hills. I can nip out and do some hills round Crystal Palace, with added nutter motorist avoiding drills and carbon monoxide tolerance training thrown in.

 

[stephec]

I didn't do any kind of particular diet, just stuck religiously to normal meals, absolutely zero snacks, and was really hungry a lot of the time for 4 months, but it worked.

That's impressive, you've obviously got far more willpower than I have.