Weight loss/training for L-C-L
- Thread starter Alan O
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arch684
Veteran
Good luck, enjoy
Have fun
Mission accomplished.
I knew I wasn't properly fit for it (longest ride so far had been only 43 miles, and I've done less than 1,000 since I restarted last summer, even including turbo trainer miles) and hadn't been sleeping properly (both due to caring for my Mum), and the only way I was going to complete it was to take it slowly, have plenty of stops, and keep the food and drink going all day.
The unexpectedly hilly part of the route between around 40m and 65m (Frodsham to Delamere and around) was a bit of a killer on the legs - I really hadn't been training on any uphills at all, and I've never been much of a hill climber even when I was young. But after that it was largely flat all the way to the end.
I had a backup escape plan of getting the train back from Chester at around 75m if I needed to, but once I reached that point there was no way I was going to give up, no matter how I felt.
I pretty much hit the wall with around 10 to go, and an old achilles tendon injury had started hurting, so I stopped for a good rest and another feed, then it was a brief stop every mile or so and coasting whenever I could (even if only slowly). But I made it home.
All in all, considering my inadequate fitness and my 99kg body weight, I'm pretty satisfied with the day.
And after a long soak in the bath, a good dinner, and a decent sleep, I feel surprisingly good this morning!
(When I got home I was thinking "I'm not going to do that again", but now, hmm, maybe - let's see if I can get some weight off first
)
Alan
I knew I wasn't properly fit for it (longest ride so far had been only 43 miles, and I've done less than 1,000 since I restarted last summer, even including turbo trainer miles) and hadn't been sleeping properly (both due to caring for my Mum), and the only way I was going to complete it was to take it slowly, have plenty of stops, and keep the food and drink going all day.
The unexpectedly hilly part of the route between around 40m and 65m (Frodsham to Delamere and around) was a bit of a killer on the legs - I really hadn't been training on any uphills at all, and I've never been much of a hill climber even when I was young. But after that it was largely flat all the way to the end.
I had a backup escape plan of getting the train back from Chester at around 75m if I needed to, but once I reached that point there was no way I was going to give up, no matter how I felt.
I pretty much hit the wall with around 10 to go, and an old achilles tendon injury had started hurting, so I stopped for a good rest and another feed, then it was a brief stop every mile or so and coasting whenever I could (even if only slowly). But I made it home.
All in all, considering my inadequate fitness and my 99kg body weight, I'm pretty satisfied with the day.
And after a long soak in the bath, a good dinner, and a decent sleep, I feel surprisingly good this morning!
(When I got home I was thinking "I'm not going to do that again", but now, hmm, maybe - let's see if I can get some weight off first
)Alan
Congratulations Alan!! So glad you made it round!! Well done!!
Mines at the weekend and I've woken this morning with a cold!! Here's hoping it goes away sharpish!! My training also hasn't gone to plan and my longest ride so far is only 68 miles. I'm just hoping I get past the cut off points in time!
Again well done Alan! Pleased for you!!
Mines at the weekend and I've woken this morning with a cold!! Here's hoping it goes away sharpish!! My training also hasn't gone to plan and my longest ride so far is only 68 miles. I'm just hoping I get past the cut off points in time!
Again well done Alan! Pleased for you!!
Thanks
But what a horrible time for you to get a cold
Keep warm, lots of vit C (or whatever your favourite cold remedy - mine comes in a bottle from Scotland), and hope you're not too badly affected.
I'll be thinking of you over the weekend and my hopes go with you - do let us know how it goes.
Cheers,
Alan
Apologies for not replying sooner but I'm pleased to report I made it round!! Total time of 9hrs 4 mins. Moving time though was 7 hrs 51 mins. Main reason for the big differences in time are I helped a chap with a mechanical and catching a lass who couldn't unclip going up Boot hill due to the bolts dropping out her cleats!! Both of these cost me 45 mins.
I had a fantastic ride and highly recommend the event to any that haven't done it!
Now for the Birmingham Velo on Sunday!!
I had a fantastic ride and highly recommend the event to any that haven't done it!
Now for the Birmingham Velo on Sunday!!
Nice one - well done!
"When I got home I was thinking "I'm not going to do that again", but now, hmm, maybe - let's see if I can get some weight off first."
That's what I said the day after I finished last year's Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool 100 mile ride (in aid of Claire House Hospice), and I'm rebooting this thread because, yep, I'm going for it again. This year it is on 1 July.
I won't be held back from doing enough miles as I was last year, and after laying up my bikes in late October (for various reasons, not only because I'm a fair-weather cyclist wimp), I've got them out, adjusted, cleaned, and January is already off to a reasonable start. Three short rides in the past two weeks add up to 40 miles, which isn't record-breaking, but it's ahead of where I was this time last year.
On the weight front I'm 96kg at the moment, 3kg less than last July, and I'm targeting a weight of 85kg by the day of the ride. That's a loss rate of pretty much exactly 0.5kg per week, which should be comfortably achievable.
I intend to get out and do a decent length ride every weekend when the weather is good enough, and also try to get in some shorter weekday afternoon/evening rides when weather and light permit (and it's nice that daylight is already noticeably lengthening).
I finished my day's work yesterday (I work at home on a computer) at around 15:00, saw the weather was really nice (clear sky, mild temperature, if a bit windy) and that the BBC forecast suggested a couple more hours of the same, so I went out on the MTB towards the nearest woods (which shielded me from the wind) and managed 14 miles. Very enjoyable, and more rides like that whenever I can should make a significant difference.
I've also signed up to my local gym (it's 15 minutes walk away, and I can get off-peak membership for £20 per month - which will reduce in September when I reach 60). Because of my heart op back in 2007 I had to get my doc's approval first, and he checked me out and reckons everything is fine and enthusiastically supports it. He's a cyclist too, and he's very much behind cycling as a general means of exercise.
The gym is really for days when it's too cold, wet or windy to want to go out cycling, when spending a free hour or so on the machines should be a big help. I have an elliptical trainer at home which I've used a lot and like, but it was a cheap one and is close to worn out now - the ones at the gym are obviously far superior, and they also have rowing machines, steppers, treadmills, exercise bikes... all of which are good for cardiovascular workouts and general aerobic fitness.
Anyway, the support and encouragement from the fine folk here really helped last year, and I'm really hoping to finish it this year with a lot less pain by the end! (And the more people I tell, the more committed I'll be and the harder it would be to back out
)
That's what I said the day after I finished last year's Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool 100 mile ride (in aid of Claire House Hospice), and I'm rebooting this thread because, yep, I'm going for it again. This year it is on 1 July.
I won't be held back from doing enough miles as I was last year, and after laying up my bikes in late October (for various reasons, not only because I'm a fair-weather cyclist wimp), I've got them out, adjusted, cleaned, and January is already off to a reasonable start. Three short rides in the past two weeks add up to 40 miles, which isn't record-breaking, but it's ahead of where I was this time last year.
On the weight front I'm 96kg at the moment, 3kg less than last July, and I'm targeting a weight of 85kg by the day of the ride. That's a loss rate of pretty much exactly 0.5kg per week, which should be comfortably achievable.
I intend to get out and do a decent length ride every weekend when the weather is good enough, and also try to get in some shorter weekday afternoon/evening rides when weather and light permit (and it's nice that daylight is already noticeably lengthening).
I finished my day's work yesterday (I work at home on a computer) at around 15:00, saw the weather was really nice (clear sky, mild temperature, if a bit windy) and that the BBC forecast suggested a couple more hours of the same, so I went out on the MTB towards the nearest woods (which shielded me from the wind) and managed 14 miles. Very enjoyable, and more rides like that whenever I can should make a significant difference.
I've also signed up to my local gym (it's 15 minutes walk away, and I can get off-peak membership for £20 per month - which will reduce in September when I reach 60). Because of my heart op back in 2007 I had to get my doc's approval first, and he checked me out and reckons everything is fine and enthusiastically supports it. He's a cyclist too, and he's very much behind cycling as a general means of exercise.
The gym is really for days when it's too cold, wet or windy to want to go out cycling, when spending a free hour or so on the machines should be a big help. I have an elliptical trainer at home which I've used a lot and like, but it was a cheap one and is close to worn out now - the ones at the gym are obviously far superior, and they also have rowing machines, steppers, treadmills, exercise bikes... all of which are good for cardiovascular workouts and general aerobic fitness.
Anyway, the support and encouragement from the fine folk here really helped last year, and I'm really hoping to finish it this year with a lot less pain by the end! (And the more people I tell, the more committed I'll be and the harder it would be to back out
)Might be worth keeping a log in this thread so you know where you are up to. At this point in the year, any miles are good miles."When I got home I was thinking "I'm not going to do that again", but now, hmm, maybe - let's see if I can get some weight off first."
That's what I said the day after I finished last year's Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool 100 mile ride (in aid of Claire House Hospice), and I'm rebooting this thread because, yep, I'm going for it again. This year it is on 1 July.
I won't be held back from doing enough miles as I was last year, and after laying up my bikes in late October (for various reasons, not only because I'm a fair-weather cyclist wimp), I've got them out, adjusted, cleaned, and January is already off to a reasonable start. Three short rides in the past two weeks add up to 40 miles, which isn't record-breaking, but it's ahead of where I was this time last year.
On the weight front I'm 96kg at the moment, 3kg less than last July, and I'm targeting a weight of 85kg by the day of the ride. That's a loss rate of pretty much exactly 0.5kg per week, which should be comfortably achievable.
I intend to get out and do a decent length ride every weekend when the weather is good enough, and also try to get in some shorter weekday afternoon/evening rides when weather and light permit (and it's nice that daylight is already noticeably lengthening).
I finished my day's work yesterday (I work at home on a computer) at around 15:00, saw the weather was really nice (clear sky, mild temperature, if a bit windy) and that the BBC forecast suggested a couple more hours of the same, so I went out on the MTB towards the nearest woods (which shielded me from the wind) and managed 14 miles. Very enjoyable, and more rides like that whenever I can should make a significant difference.
I've also signed up to my local gym (it's 15 minutes walk away, and I can get off-peak membership for £20 per month - which will reduce in September when I reach 60). Because of my heart op back in 2007 I had to get my doc's approval first, and he checked me out and reckons everything is fine and enthusiastically supports it. He's a cyclist too, and he's very much behind cycling as a general means of exercise.
The gym is really for days when it's too cold, wet or windy to want to go out cycling, when spending a free hour or so on the machines should be a big help. I have an elliptical trainer at home which I've used a lot and like, but it was a cheap one and is close to worn out now - the ones at the gym are obviously far superior, and they also have rowing machines, steppers, treadmills, exercise bikes... all of which are good for cardiovascular workouts and general aerobic fitness.
Anyway, the support and encouragement from the fine folk here really helped last year, and I'm really hoping to finish it this year with a lot less pain by the end! (And the more people I tell, the more committed I'll be and the harder it would be to back out
Yes, excellent idea, thanks, I'll do that - logging my miles here in public should be a great additional motivator.Might be worth keeping a log in this thread so you know where you are up to. At this point in the year, any miles are good miles.
I have a record of last year's miles per month on Strava (excluding turbo sessions), so I can log the comparison.
January hasn't ended as well as I'd hoped - I had a 25-mile ride planned for Sunday, but I twisted my knee quite painfully and I've been out of action for about a week (and I won't be cycling tomorrow).
I've ended up doing 4 short rides since 14 January for a total of 47.6 miles, with the longest 15.3 miles. It's nothing too impressive, but better than January 2017 when I only did 17.7 miles.
I've bigger things planned for February, with better than 47.8 miles needed to beat 2017.
I've ended up doing 4 short rides since 14 January for a total of 47.6 miles, with the longest 15.3 miles. It's nothing too impressive, but better than January 2017 when I only did 17.7 miles.
I've bigger things planned for February, with better than 47.8 miles needed to beat 2017.
February was a step up, though I was afflicted by sciatica which kept me off cycling for nearly 2 weeks and away from the gym for 3 weeks.
I managed a total of 150.6 miles cycling, with the longest single day a 42 mile MTB ride which was around 80% on gravel path and similar. That easily beats the 47.8 miles I did in February 2017.
On top of that, my fitbit reckons I've walked 145 miles in 28 days, and I did enjoy a couple of gym sessions in the first week of the month.
Target to beat in March is the modest 56.6 miles from Feb 2017, and I want to do a 50+ day. The way the weather is at the moment, it'll be at least a few days before I'm out again, but at least my back's well enough for the gym for when it's cold and windy.
I managed a total of 150.6 miles cycling, with the longest single day a 42 mile MTB ride which was around 80% on gravel path and similar. That easily beats the 47.8 miles I did in February 2017.
On top of that, my fitbit reckons I've walked 145 miles in 28 days, and I did enjoy a couple of gym sessions in the first week of the month.
Target to beat in March is the modest 56.6 miles from Feb 2017, and I want to do a 50+ day. The way the weather is at the moment, it'll be at least a few days before I'm out again, but at least my back's well enough for the gym for when it's cold and windy.
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In March I covered 177.6 miles (against just 56.6 miles in March 2017). My biggest one-day ride was 46.8 miles, and I still felt reasonably fresh at the end of it (I didn't manage to beat my 50 one-day target, which I'd actually forgotten about). In fact, I really feel I've had a significant step up in my cycling fitness in March.
I went a whole 12 days early in the month with no cycling, due to poor weather, but I made good use of that time at the gym. I've started adding strength training to cardio, and that's definitely paying off. I really can feel a significant improvement on hills now, and my recovery time after rides has improved.
Another thing that helped, I think, was riding exclusively on the MTB for about 3 weeks. When I got back on the tourer I'll ride for the L-C-L, it felt so easy!
I've now done 150 miles in February, 175 in March, and I'll target at least 200 in April (against a mere 49.3 in April 2017).
I also want to do one ride of at least 75 miles this month (and I'll try not to forget). The weekend of 21/22, I have two rides scheduled which should add up to about 100, but I don't want to do a single 100 before 1 July as I want to keep that psychological target for the day itself.
Weighing day is tomorrow, and I should be on for approximately 91kg, which would be 6.8kg down so far this year and 8kg lighter than the day of last year's ride - and I'm still on track to make my target of 85kg.
When I started this training I was dreading the hill out of Frodsham - now I feel like I can't wait to have another crack at it.
I went a whole 12 days early in the month with no cycling, due to poor weather, but I made good use of that time at the gym. I've started adding strength training to cardio, and that's definitely paying off. I really can feel a significant improvement on hills now, and my recovery time after rides has improved.
Another thing that helped, I think, was riding exclusively on the MTB for about 3 weeks. When I got back on the tourer I'll ride for the L-C-L, it felt so easy!
I've now done 150 miles in February, 175 in March, and I'll target at least 200 in April (against a mere 49.3 in April 2017).
I also want to do one ride of at least 75 miles this month (and I'll try not to forget). The weekend of 21/22, I have two rides scheduled which should add up to about 100, but I don't want to do a single 100 before 1 July as I want to keep that psychological target for the day itself.
Weighing day is tomorrow, and I should be on for approximately 91kg, which would be 6.8kg down so far this year and 8kg lighter than the day of last year's ride - and I'm still on track to make my target of 85kg.
When I started this training I was dreading the hill out of Frodsham - now I feel like I can't wait to have another crack at it.
