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Just starting again at 51, love it!

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Fifty Plus (50+) Share the victories, challenges, successes and special concerns of bicyclists 50 and older. Especially useful for those entering or reentering bicycling.

Just starting again at 51, love it!

Old 02-16-20, 03:22 PM
  #51  
CyclingBK
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Finally got a ride in; ) Been like a month. Coming into the winter, I was enthusiastic I’d ride more but I’m seeing I just don’t like riding when it’s below 40. Instead of riding, I’ve been doing cardio workouts off YouTube, lol, not bad actually. And been using the stationary bike at the gym I mentioned in the post above once a week.

Nice ride, 13 miles, felt good, definitely lost some progress but good to get out there and at least the sun came out at the end. Spring can’t come soon enough!
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Old 02-25-20, 02:57 AM
  #52  
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I started cycling again about seven years ago at 54.
However, that was using a very, very cheap no name brand bicycle (about $100) just to get around the village instead of using a motorbike.
After wearing that out cycling sometimes 50km a day, I now have a Merida Big Seven 'Hardtail' which I only use on the road.

Now, at 61 I recently cycled 120km in 5 hours. I was knackered, but it does give me a great sense of achievement.
When funds allow me, I want to go on a longer trip of 2,000km. Sadly it's always about money, but I'm determined to do it.
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Old 02-25-20, 07:56 PM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by CyclingBK
You ladies and gents are getting me pumped!

Riding has quickly become one of the things I look forward to most.
I absolutely agree with that last statement. Similar story to yours, I started at about the same age with weight training and jogging/walking and then finally discovered biking just last year (at 64, now am in deep with the bike at 65). I feel just as pumped. Can't wait to get back out there. I ride in the morning and am getting so often, I don't even change, letting me run back out and ride some more after lunchtime. It's extremely addictive (my work does tend to suffer). If you haven't got a trainer, when you do, you'll start adding a few more miles in the evening too. I even enjoy that. It's an amazing sport.
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Old 02-26-20, 06:33 AM
  #54  
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Congrats on a new lease on life my friend! I've got a story very similar to yours. When I turned 50 I had a real awakening to my life and health up till that point. I had to come to terms with how much I had let things slip and I decided to do something about it. I weighed 330 lbs and was on 3 blood pressure meds and 4 pain pills a day from my ortho doctor. The plan was to manage the pain until I was old enough to get both knees replaced. Not a very promising future at all.

I placed all my attention on getting healthy and trying to learn how exactly to do just that. I changed my diet radically and started all kinds of exercise. I tried to walk but my knees couldn't take more than a mile every few days.

It was just a few months later that my son turned 10 and I realized I had never even taught him to ride a bike. I dug out an old girls cruiser and taught him how to ride it across the yard. Then I decided we both needed mountain bikes. I traded some hunting stuff for two Trek MTB's and we started riding.

On my first ride, I didn't even make it 3/10ths of a mile to the top of my driveway, but I kept at it day after day. The bike gave me a new sense of freedom and movement that had been missing for over 30 years.

Just 15 months after starting, I had lost 160 lbs and progressed to 30 mile days and 100 mile weeks. I'm coming up on age 52 now and I weigh 170lbs and feel better than I did at 20. The bike was a major part of all that. I just bought a Surly LHT and am about to do a 440 mile tour in the spring. Later this summer, I plan to ride it from Alabama to Colorado.
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Old 02-26-20, 07:24 AM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by RH Clark
Congrats on a new lease on life my friend! I've got a story very similar to yours. When I turned 50 I had a real awakening to my life and health up till that point. I had to come to terms with how much I had let things slip and I decided to do something about it. I weighed 330 lbs and was on 3 blood pressure meds and 4 pain pills a day from my ortho doctor. The plan was to manage the pain until I was old enough to get both knees replaced. Not a very promising future at all.

I placed all my attention on getting healthy and trying to learn how exactly to do just that. I changed my diet radically and started all kinds of exercise. I tried to walk but my knees couldn't take more than a mile every few days.

It was just a few months later that my son turned 10 and I realized I had never even taught him to ride a bike. I dug out an old girls cruiser and taught him how to ride it across the yard. Then I decided we both needed mountain bikes. I traded some hunting stuff for two Trek MTB's and we started riding.

On my first ride, I didn't even make it 3/10ths of a mile to the top of my driveway, but I kept at it day after day. The bike gave me a new sense of freedom and movement that had been missing for over 30 years.

Just 15 months after starting, I had lost 160 lbs and progressed to 30 mile days and 100 mile weeks. I'm coming up on age 52 now and I weigh 170lbs and feel better than I did at 20. The bike was a major part of all that. I just bought a Surly LHT and am about to do a 440 mile tour in the spring. Later this summer, I plan to ride it from Alabama to Colorado.
That's a great story.
I wish you success with your tour and your new lease of life. You've certainly put a lot of effort into it.
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Old 02-26-20, 07:40 AM
  #56  
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Originally Posted by JackieYan
That's a great story.
I wish you success with your tour and your new lease of life. You've certainly put a lot of effort into it.
Thanks my friend. I should have mentioned that I quit the pain meds on day one and the blood pressure meds when I no longer needed them. My BP is perfect now and no knee or back pain to speak of. I know that diet and exercise has absolutely healed me. I learned a lot about nutrition along the way. I don't consume any sugar or processed foods at all now. What I want to tell everyone though is that we can all be much more pro active in our health, and that the doctor taught to prescribe meds to treat symptoms is likely not your best source of information on how to be proactive or even healthy.
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Old 02-26-20, 09:13 PM
  #57  
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Wow, thank you for sharing these stories. You guys are seriously inspiring, not kidding. You have pushed through, what to me, are amazing heights that I hope to attain.

Im doing “ok” in the bike. After making solid progress since starting in August, getting to 5 then 10 miles, finally getting my first 20, old man winter hit and I haven’t been able to ride much. Just getting in one, sometimes 2 rides a week, and getting 45 minutes on the stationary bike at the gym.

Im still doing cardio 3 times a week but there’s nothing like the bike to build serious wind and endurance.

Doing great with the weight training. Hitting good compound lifting sessions including a really nice leg day of squats and deadlifts.

But the bike, I just love it. Not just the fitness and challenge physically, but the joy of being out there and just rolling, seeing, feeling, being in that great state of mind.

Trying to hold on to some of my gains and then can’t wait for some steady good weather to get to doing consistent 20 mile rides and really enjoying myself ; )
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Old 02-28-20, 06:49 AM
  #58  
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Yeah buddy!!! That's awesome that your back in the saddle.
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Old 03-01-20, 04:04 PM
  #59  
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Originally Posted by Cycletography
Yeah buddy!!! That's awesome that your back in the saddle.
Thanks, and speaking of the “saddle”. Finding my ideal saddle position has been key.

After playing with the height and tilt, I felt good but moving it forward just a bit, maybe a bit more than 1/4 inch made a very positive difference.

Now, just need the weather to warm up a little already!
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Old 03-04-20, 07:52 PM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by CyclingBK
Wow, thank you for sharing these stories. You guys are seriously inspiring, not kidding. You have pushed through, what to me, are amazing heights that I hope to attain.

Im doing “ok” in the bike. After making solid progress since starting in August, getting to 5 then 10 miles, finally getting my first 20, old man winter hit and I haven’t been able to ride much. Just getting in one, sometimes 2 rides a week, and getting 45 minutes on the stationary bike at the gym.

Im still doing cardio 3 times a week but there’s nothing like the bike to build serious wind and endurance.

Doing great with the weight training. Hitting good compound lifting sessions including a really nice leg day of squats and deadlifts.

But the bike, I just love it. Not just the fitness and challenge physically, but the joy of being out there and just rolling, seeing, feeling, being in that great state of mind.

Trying to hold on to some of my gains and then can’t wait for some steady good weather to get to doing consistent 20 mile rides and really enjoying myself ; )
The weather here is rather crummy for riding from October to April. I bought a set of resistance rollers over 20 years ago and use them a lot. I put maybe 1000 miles on them every winter. They are not nearly as boring as a trainer and really help keep the bike handling skills sharp. The resistance feature is very handy for doing intervals and various drills, much more versatile than a set of plain rollers and well worth the extra money.
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Old 03-04-20, 08:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
The weather here is rather crummy for riding from October to April. I bought a set of resistance rollers over 20 years ago and use them a lot. I put maybe 1000 miles on them every winter. They are not nearly as boring as a trainer and really help keep the bike handling skills sharp. The resistance feature is very handy for doing intervals and various drills, much more versatile than a set of plain rollers and well worth the extra money.
Every old war war film I've seen, there's always someone saying, "Resistance is useless."
(sorry!)
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Old 04-06-20, 09:14 PM
  #62  
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Having some nice weather lately, and one benefit of WFH is....can ride in the afternoon!

I had a big eye opener on training today and on pushing myself.

Basically, that you can try to push yourself a bit harder than you think you can and your body can push through a level of muscle ache and settle into a zone at a new level, at least for a time, if that makes sense.

I was on a flat and trying to push pretty hard, not crazy, but fast for me, at a speed I could maintain but was feeling that leg ache and breathing hard but steady. I got to a point I felt I should ease off, so I did for a minute and would have usually taken it easy for a little while, but then there were quite a few people scattered in front of me going on the slow side, just riding leisurely. So, I said, what the heck, let me pass all these people, and cranked up my effort again and was pleased that I was running pretty hard and not feeling a leg ache and just went with it. Was in a cool zone where I knew I was going faster than usual and my legs were feeling good.

Now, I have a really nice sort of muscle burn in my legs that I haven’t quite felt before, and I’m hoping it means some muscle development, if that’s the right word.
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Old 04-08-20, 04:05 PM
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Interval training. Push, let up, push again.
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Old 04-08-20, 07:46 PM
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Originally Posted by zacster
Interval training. Push, let up, push again.
Hey, zacster, hopes all’s good. Great weather lately, have you been in PP much?

Training? Yes, you know, I think Im actually doing a little training, lol. I did the same thing today. I finally realized that it’s good sometimes to just go ahead and start riding hard because your body can push through some leg ache and settle into a new zone.

I measure my progress by being able to push up to a higher gear and ride the same cadence as I did previously in a lower gear and the only way to do that is bear down and push harder.

Im sure this is obvious to the rest of the cycling world but it’s just taken me a few months to feel confident and a little stronger and “go after it” a bit harder.

Also, I think I finally understand when people say they make the best progress when riding with others and push one another.
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Old 04-25-20, 01:28 PM
  #65  
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Originally Posted by zacster
Interval training. Push, let up, push again.
So, since that post I made on 4/6, and after you and another member mentioned “interval training”, I’ve done some research and been working on it.


And it’s been fantastic! Totally changed my outlook on cycling and complete game changer in my power.

I don’t even know if this is real interval training exactly but here’s what I do....


Im only doing 3 sets of 2 intervals. I warm up for one 3.3 mile lap. Then, on the 2nd lap, I will do one all out sprint for like 30 or 40 seconds til I’m fading, then take it easy for a few minutes, then do another all out sprint, take it easy then I got this hill that lasts a few minutes, I go moderate, then complete the lap going moderate but with good effort. Then I do 2 more laps of the same.


I notice the increase power especially on how I can take inclines and the hill in higher gears more easy. And I think I’m ready to go one gear higher on my sprints already.


I think I like it so much because it gives focus and it’s fun for me. I only ride the loop since I’m not that comfortable in NYC traffic and just going round and round was ok but this is much more fun.

I think if I can get out to “the country” and do some nice long rides, that will be fun too. But for now, this is great.

Last edited by CyclingBK; 04-25-20 at 02:21 PM.
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Old 04-25-20, 02:53 PM
  #66  
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Originally Posted by CyclingBK
So, since that post I made on 4/6, and after you and another member mentioned “interval training”, I’ve done some research and been working on it.


And it’s been fantastic! Totally changed my outlook on cycling and complete game changer in my power.

I don’t even know if this is real interval training exactly but here’s what I do....


Im only doing 3 sets of 2 intervals. I warm up for one 3.3 mile lap. Then, on the 2nd lap, I will do one all out sprint for like 30 or 40 seconds til I’m fading, then take it easy for a few minutes, then do another all out sprint, take it easy then I got this hill that lasts a few minutes, I go moderate, then complete the lap going moderate but with good effort. Then I do 2 more laps of the same.


I notice the increase power especially on how I can take inclines and the hill in higher gears more easy. And I think I’m ready to go one gear higher on my sprints already.


I think I like it so much because it gives focus and it’s fun for me. I only ride the loop since I’m not that comfortable in NYC traffic and just going round and round was ok but this is much more fun.

I think if I can get out to “the country” and do some nice long rides, that will be fun too. But for now, this is great.
You are doing great brother. I think the most important thing about any training is to stress well, rest sufficiently, and get nutrition to build. You will advance as long as you do a little more than last time without hurting yourself, give yourself time to recover and the proper diet to build and recover from the stress.

Listen to your body. I like to be building every other day but at 52 I might rest 2 days between really hard workouts. I may ride every day, but it's just a keep limber type ride on a rest day. Also any type cross training will help build different muscles. I also work out on an Elliptical machine and ride 3-4 different style bikes at different times. I think those things help me advance.
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Old 04-25-20, 04:07 PM
  #67  
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Originally Posted by RH Clark
You are doing great brother. I think the most important thing about any training is to stress well, rest sufficiently, and get nutrition to build. You will advance as long as you do a little more than last time without hurting yourself, give yourself time to recover and the proper diet to build and recover from the stress.

Listen to your body. I like to be building every other day but at 52 I might rest 2 days between really hard workouts. I may ride every day, but it's just a keep limber type ride on a rest day. Also any type cross training will help build different muscles. I also work out on an Elliptical machine and ride 3-4 different style bikes at different times. I think those things help me advance.
Thanks for the encouragement.

I’m Ill be 52 this year also. Yes, cycling was something I picked up after I’d been working out regularly for a couple of years already. I really started because gym cardio is so boring, lol. And cycling is the best, so happy I started.

My workout routine now is to strength train (pretty challenging with the gyms closed!) 6 days a week and cycling every other day. Especially now if I’m going to do these intervals, I’ll give myself a day off after.

id like to pick up some type of cross training that Incoporates lateral motion. if that makes sense, since cycling is “linear”. For now, I was thinking cardio routines that have that “side to side” movement. But I think on cardio days I prefer....cycling! 😀
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Old 04-26-20, 11:09 AM
  #68  
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Originally Posted by CyclingBK
Thanks for the encouragement.

I’m Ill be 52 this year also. Yes, cycling was something I picked up after I’d been working out regularly for a couple of years already. I really started because gym cardio is so boring, lol. And cycling is the best, so happy I started.

My workout routine now is to strength train (pretty challenging with the gyms closed!) 6 days a week and cycling every other day. Especially now if I’m going to do these intervals, I’ll give myself a day off after.

id like to pick up some type of cross training that Incoporates lateral motion. if that makes sense, since cycling is “linear”. For now, I was thinking cardio routines that have that “side to side” movement. But I think on cardio days I prefer....cycling! 😀
Along that line of thinking is why I like to ride both a road bike and a mountain bike. Get to where you can bunny hop that thing over logs and around obstacles without getting radical enough to hurt yourself and you will find it's a completely different work out. For me weight training 6 days a week would be about 3 times too much. I may light reps for more of a maintaining type work out every day, but you will only make significant gains if you allow your body time to recover. I've tried to push too hard for too long with too much a couple times in the last 2 years and had an injury that set me back a couple months at a time. A 52 year old body can be awesome but it's still different than a 25 year old body and has to be treated differently.
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Old 04-26-20, 05:23 PM
  #69  
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Intervals will get you strong! Keep going at it. Ride as hard as you can, but don't hurt yourself.

And yes, the park is a great place to get a workout, much better than the streets. Before the stay at home order, you could ride the park without ever having to apply the brakes. Now it is always a lot more crowded and I find myself having to watch out. I've kind of given up on riding there, but I'll be back I'm sure. I've only been riding there my entire life and I'm 65!
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Old 04-27-20, 10:06 AM
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Originally Posted by zacster
Intervals will get you strong! Keep going at it. Ride as hard as you can, but don't hurt yourself.

And yes, the park is a great place to get a workout, much better than the streets. Before the stay at home order, you could ride the park without ever having to apply the brakes. Now it is always a lot more crowded and I find myself having to watch out. I've kind of given up on riding there, but I'll be back I'm sure. I've only been riding there my entire life and I'm 65!
Thanks!

Yeah, it’s more crowded, especially on Saturday, I went at 2pm, weather was beautiful and it was packed.

During the week and early, later in the day is a little better. Either way, that loop is an absolute boon for us these days. Wow, you’ve been riding in the park for some time, I just started this summer. I remember it was open the car traffic at the intersections years ago, was it more difficult to ride in back then?
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Old 04-27-20, 06:22 PM
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When I was growing up on Ocean Ave across the street, it was 3 lanes of traffic. There was no bike lane or anything. On an occasional Sunday they would close it, except to access the big parking lot for the skating rink. The parking lot is now where the big rink is and they restored the concert grove where the old rink was. It was a tragedy there that finally closed the parking lot when someone was killed on a bike by a car entering the lot. It was maybe 5 years ago that they closed the park to traffic for good. Even when I was commuting it was still one lane open for cars in the morning towards Grand Army, and then the other way in the evening. By then though there were few cars and it was clear it was unnecessary to allow them at all. All the predictions of traffic gridlock if they closed the park were proven false, people only used it because it was open, when they closed it the traffic disappeared from the neighborhood. Just like with the 14th St busway for the L train closure, where all the gridlock predictions ended up being nonsense.
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Old 04-28-20, 09:55 PM
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Originally Posted by zacster
When I was growing up on Ocean Ave across the street, it was 3 lanes of traffic. There was no bike lane or anything. On an occasional Sunday they would close it, except to access the big parking lot for the skating rink. The parking lot is now where the big rink is and they restored the concert grove where the old rink was. It was a tragedy there that finally closed the parking lot when someone was killed on a bike by a car entering the lot. It was maybe 5 years ago that they closed the park to traffic for good. Even when I was commuting it was still one lane open for cars in the morning towards Grand Army, and then the other way in the evening. By then though there were few cars and it was clear it was unnecessary to allow them at all. All the predictions of traffic gridlock if they closed the park were proven false, people only used it because it was open, when they closed it the traffic disappeared from the neighborhood. Just like with the 14th St busway for the L train closure, where all the gridlock predictions ended up being nonsense.
Thanks for sharing, Zach. My in laws go way back in BK, Ill look forward to mentioning this.

Man, today at 6pm, the bike loop was really packed and just about at the point it was not realistic to ride hard, or even at all, without being somewhat dangerous. I welcome all but some folks and kids are completely careless as far as moving across “lanes” without even looking much less giving a heads up.

I saw a few very close calls and I’m thinking I’m not going out there at that time anymore. I’ll plan on trying to get out there around noon.
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Old 04-29-20, 05:46 PM
  #73  
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Originally Posted by KraneXL
There is a difference between what you can do, and what is best for you. Your body grows and recovers when its at rest. What opportunity does that have to happen when you're training every day? That was a lesson I learn some time ago and have been better of for it. My suggestion was given with that intentions in mind, but in the end, its your body. Do what you think is best.
I had a stark reminder of this recently. I'd done far more running during Dec., Jan., and February of this year than I usually do (almost none) in anticipation of a military course I had to attend where my running would be tested. After so many years of service my knees are hating life, and all the running I did during those months really pounded my knees. I took and passed that test with flying colors, and struggled to just walk normally for several days afterwards. I returned from that course right at the start of the Virocalypse lockdown, and haven't run a step in weeks, and have done far less cycling than I'd intended. I should be feeling terrible about the way I've failed to reach my cycling goals, but on a recent long ride I noticed just how much better my knees are feeling. They just needed some time off, and though I didn't plan it this way, they got it, and they're doing much, much better now. Sometimes you just gotta stop and let the body have the time it needs.
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Old 04-29-20, 06:41 PM
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Originally Posted by SethAZ
I had a stark reminder of this recently. I'd done far more running during Dec., Jan., and February of this year than I usually do (almost none) in anticipation of a military course I had to attend where my running would be tested. After so many years of service my knees are hating life, and all the running I did during those months really pounded my knees. I took and passed that test with flying colors, and struggled to just walk normally for several days afterwards. I returned from that course right at the start of the Virocalypse lockdown, and haven't run a step in weeks, and have done far less cycling than I'd intended. I should be feeling terrible about the way I've failed to reach my cycling goals, but on a recent long ride I noticed just how much better my knees are feeling. They just needed some time off, and though I didn't plan it this way, they got it, and they're doing much, much better now. Sometimes you just gotta stop and let the body have the time it needs.
Thats brutal. I don’t run at all, knees don’t like it one bit.

And I am a big believer in resting up, listening to my body, and rest days.

I have to say that I don’t train anywhere near what a lot of people out here do.

Before the gyms closed, I lifted 3 days a week for around 30 minutes and did cardio 3 days.

Now, I’m strength training 6 days a week but really only 20-30 minutes and in a “light” 10-20 rep range with body weight lifts and cycling for 45 minutes to an hour every other day.

I definitely keep my diet solid and rest well.

It’s all about keeping it sustainable.
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Old 05-10-20, 04:33 PM
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CyclingBK
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Well, I set out to do a 20 mile ride today. Would have been my 3rd one ever and my first in 2 months.

Didnt make it ; ) Wimped out at 17 miles with one lap (3.35 miles) to go. I could have pushed it but had to make the call and decided to quit since I felt like I’d be ok but a bit to maxed out. And I didn’t want to deal with that big hill (it’s big to me!) one more time.

Get em next time, right! Lol

Was a beautiful day and a fantastic ride. Best part was when I saw this dude “ride a wheelie” for a really long way going like 14 miles an hour!
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