Man, do I feel slow

[TAW]

Finally had a decent day to ride outside, so I rode one of my typical routes, which is fairly hilly. I felt so slow and sluggish, had difficulty climbing and felt weak after 30 miles. It makes me wonder if it's worth it to even train indoors. I've been riding the rollers/trainer fairly regularly working on my pedal stroke and cadence, but it certainly is discouraging to get out on the road and see all that you've lost from last season. Good times. :rolleyes:

[EastCoastRoadie]

As much as I hate it, indoor training is an essential part of my program. I use a spin bike vs. a trainer, and use primarily the Spinervals video series. Some of the tougher workouts (like the 2 hour Have Mercy) offer workouts that surpass what you could do outdoors in twice the time on a normal ride. Best part, they enable you to keep your base through the cold weather including the hills. You have to love cycling to get through these types of workouts, but they payoff in gold if you put full effort into them.

[paczki]

Do you ride the rollers or the trainer regularly for one and a half to two hours at a stretch? If not, your aerobic conditioning would definitely fall off.
Also roller and trainer riding doesn't do the power surges of regular riding real well.

[thwart]

Oh, for a day nice enough to ride... ice, snow, cold. Aaargh.

We all have days with 'dead legs'. I wouldn't assume too much about your training routine based on one ride.

[Ray]

Oh, for a day nice enough to ride... ice, snow, cold. Aaargh.

We all have days with 'dead legs'. I wouldn't assume too much about your training routine based on one ride.
I haven't ridden outdoors (other than short errands on my townie) since the winter got cold. Tomorrow its supposed to be upper 40s and my cabin fever is getting bad enough to ride, but there are so many roads with large areas of glare ice that there's no way I'm going out on a road bike - the shady areas will take a couple of days like that to melt. Another roller ride beckons.

-Ray

[CNY rider]

I'm in really good "shape" right now; by that I mean I have been exercising at least 5 or 6 times a week.
That's a couple of rides to and from work on a whale of a bike with studded tires etc, plus 2 or 3 days of back country skiing a week. (Side note: This has been about the greatest year ever for cross country skiing in upstate NY!).
With all that, my weight is up about 4 pounds since the fall and I know I am so slow on the bike that snails could beat me up the hill to my house. :fight:
But the key to me is that I'm having fun, and I'm in good health. The quality road biking will start up in another couple of months, and I'll flail away for at least a few weeks but I will have a smile on my face!
Just enjoy it for what it's worth. :beer:

[chuckroast]

I think TAW is in the KC area as I am and he didn't happen to mention that the price of our 67degree day today was steady winds at 25+ and gusts to 35. Ugh, it was fun to ride but painful to say the least.

I'm always in terrible cycling shape in January February March, no matter what kind of cross training I do.

[joelh]

I went out for 35 miles yesterday for the first time in about 3 weeks. I have been doing spinervals about 5 times a week since Christmas and was amazed at how strong I felt yesterday. My pace was a bit higher and my hill climbing was much better. The experience made me a believer in using the trainer.

[sloji]

Sometimes we think "today is the day i'm gonna kick ass" and we get on the bike and the only thing that clicks is the cleats. We can try and figure it out; biorhythms, too much beer, the trainer just isn't giving me the conditioning I need and at the end of the day we realize we got up and got out and even amidst all our doubts and excuses we did something special, we rode.

I was out with a group today, 20-30 year old cat 1-3 types and we did a 45 mile cruise...easy, since they have a race tomorrow. Of course easy means we pass just about everyone on the road... and this is what I compare myself to at 50 years old? On the way back the pace crept up and I thought i'd catch a strong lone rider in the distance, a big guy and I knew the hill would get him and sure enough this 1/2 mile grade slowed him to about 16 and I powered up it at about 21 and passed him. I let him go and rejoined the group and at the final hill I wanted to see how quick I could finish and one rider tried to catch me only to burn out near the top and he remarked "I hope i'm in your shape at 50." Gotta love that kid for saying that since he could probably demolish me at will.

At the end of the day I feel like I accomplished something; I got my wife a bagel before she woke up, kissed her a few times and said some loving words as she went to work, I rode with some great young people, had a beer and a turkey burger, and took a nap...does life get much better than that?

[soulspinner]

Sometimes we think "today is the day i'm gonna kick ass" and we get on the bike and the only thing that clicks is the cleats. We can try and figure it out; biorhythms, too much beer, the trainer just isn't giving me the conditioning I need and at the end of the day we realize we got up and got out and even amidst all our doubts and excuses we did something special, we rode.

I was out with a group today, 20-30 year old cat 1-3 types and we did a 45 mile cruise...easy, since they have a race tomorrow. Of course easy means we pass just about everyone on the road... and this is what I compare myself to at 50 years old? On the way back the pace crept up and I thought i'd catch a strong lone rider in the distance, a big guy and I knew the hill would get him and sure enough this 1/2 mile grade slowed him to about 16 and I powered up it at about 21 and passed him. I let him go and rejoined the group and at the final hill I wanted to see how quick I could finish and one rider tried to catch me only to burn out near the top and he remarked "I hope i'm in your shape at 50." Gotta love that kid for saying that since he could probably demolish me at will.

At the end of the day I feel like I accomplished something; I got my wife a bagel before she woke up, kissed her a few times and said some loving words as she went to work, I rode with some great young people, had a beer and a turkey burger, and took a nap...does life get much better than that?


No, it doesnt. Good 4 you man! heres to ya :beer:

[zap]

Riding indoors for weeks and then going out in the cold is a shock to the system and yes, you will feel slugish.

Stick with it, work hard on your weakness and you will feel great come summer time.

Remember, endurance is easy. The hard part is gaining speed.

[WadePatton]

a slow day on the bike is better than a fast day on the golf course.

working on the "easy" part...

indoor riding makes me bundle up and battle the elements, I hate it.

TTR