So says Katy. Of course Katy is the runner that thinks that there was a 5k at 2 in the afternoon last weekend. No Katy, we only have mid afternoon races in July and August here in Texas.
But Katy is right. Cycling is easy. Tuesday night I did the Paper Clip ride with the Space City Cycling Club folks. I rode 22.1 miles at an average pace of 22.5mph and a HR avg of 157. This is about 2mph faster than I ever rode that route before. For some reason I am pretty damn fit right now.
But Tiggs says cycling is not so easy. Actually, she is right too. Just like running it is all about intensity and distance. I don't think Tiggs found cycling less than two hours difficult, it is those longer rides that are challenging. Especially if you are riding at a pace that gets your heart rate in a cardio zone.
Katy wants to have some tips as she is a new cyclist. Well actually I have only cycled 14 months so I am not qualified to give tips. But here are a few thoughts.
- Cycling should not hurt, it should be easy on your body. If something hurts, your fit is wrong. Go to your bike shop and get some adjustments.
- Every car has the potential to be a terrorist to a biker. Read the link "How not to get hit by a car".
- Starting cycling is just like starting running. Build a base level for a while, say at the 20 to 25 mile length for a month. Then ratchet it up to the 40 mile level for a month. Then see if you can do 60 miles. Then see if you can do 20 miles in less than an hour. And so on.
- Cycling in a group is actually safer and more fun than cycling alone. Find a group to ride with.
- Bonking sneaks up on you in cycling. It may seem easy and all of a sudden bam......unless you are adequately hydrating and fueling. Experiment till you get it right.
- You need to ride hard sometimes if you really want to be a cyclist. If you aren't sweating and getting your heart rate up to tempo level, it's easy or recovery ride. Again, like running, mix it up with speed work, intervals, fartleks, long easy distances, hill repeats and so on.
- Find safe routes to ride on. Go to your nearest bike store and get some ideas from them as well as some suggestions for training groups and partners.
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5 comments:
Cycling is hard at first. Then gets easier. But it took 5 years for me to really make peace with the bike. It can be a struggle.
The oddest thing about cycling vs running is that in cycling, you really *can* buy speed. (At least to a point.) Wish I could buy some new running shoes and gain 1-2 mph like I've done on my new tri bike... :)
cycling is *so* hard for me. whine.
Joe says- "Then see if you can do 20 miles in less than an hour"....HA! Yeh right. More like 2 hours for me!
Since the MS I learned that my base wasn't strong enough when I started adding distance for the MS. For the past couple of weeks, I've been hitting SPIN 2x per week and riding my mountain bike on the weekends (b/c since the MS I hate my road bike and have yet to make peace with her again--I will soon). My plan to to continue to spin and ride every week until next year and have a really solid base before ramping up on mile. Then I WILL finish the MS and finish happy.
I am not a cyclist...
Does bike riding with a baby seat on the back count as "cycling"?
One of these days, I will actually own a real bike and go for a real bike ride.
Seriously, thanks for the tips! I have no idea what I'm doing. I need to come ride with some real cyclists sometime.
My issues seem to be:
1. I'm scared to turn at high speeds
2. I can't get my heart rate up unless I'm going up hill
3. Don't know if I'm utilizing my gears correctly
4. I look like an idiot in a helmet
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