What's your biggest cycling fitness or training pain point?

[trailgumby]

At the moment I am waiting for medical clearance before I can go above easy endurance pace, but normally my biggest challenge in improving fitness is being disciplined enough to make sure I get consistent quality sleep, followed by avoiding the usual winter colds and flu's that get passed around in an open plan office (and yes I understand those two do have a relationship).

What are your biggest cycling fitness or training pain points?

[Calvin27]

What are your biggest cycling fitness or training pain points?

When you miss a session or fell you didn't try hard enough (hayfever around this time of the year is usually my suspect) and you go out hard next time. Real hard. Usually results in injury. With endurance sports like cycling, it's very easy to overcook.

[fat and old]

My left foot. After a solid block of riding...maybe 4-5 months....I get pain in the ball of the foot. Stop a week or two, start over.

[warthog1]

Time pressure.

[trailgumby]

What are your biggest cycling fitness or training pain points?

When you miss a session or fell you didn't try hard enough (hayfever around this time of the year is usually my suspect) and you go out hard next time. Real hard. Usually results in injury. With endurance sports like cycling, it's very easy to overcook.

This is a real bad habit that I have too. Yes it is easy to overcook.

To some extent the medical issue I have presently is perhaps a blessing. After 3 months of minimal riding, having to keep my HR low lest I break off a blood clot and give myself a stroke or heart attack has kept me away from high intensity efforts where my form gets ragged and I end up hurting myself.

[familyguy]

+1 for time.

I just cannot get out enough to keep at the level I was at this time last year. I've started looking at rollers, a smart trainer, or even joining a gym (as a last resort, I seem to have a growing dislike of gym staff egos) to at least try to keep the fitness up.

When I do get out, my lungs are usually the first indicator of 'too much effort'. I usually pick up one or two incidents of a cough during any year. It is likely a family-inherited issue, as it affects a couple of direct family members. This may only get worse as I head towards 45 and up, though riding does improve things in this regard.

I've never trained to a point of overdoing it or injury. I am usually pretty good at realising how far I can go in terms of effort and not hurt anything. Perhaps as a consequence I under-do things. Given I am not training *for* anything this is not usually an issue. Although it is Gong Ride this weekend and I've only been able to crack a 50km effort once in the last month. But, having done it 15+ times I know what's around the corner and can pace myself accordingly.

I suppose running is a very distant option, after 20 years of multiple levels of basketball, both knees react to running with protestations. I gave up that at age 30, and went back to bikes.

Jim

[member054]

+1 for time pressure.

To expand on that, having a young family has removed any time for proper cycling, such as a 2-hour ride 1-2 times a week. Cycling was my way of achieving physical and mental health. Coming up to 5-years of poor sleep, poor eating frequency and habits, very little 'space' at home. By the time I get 'off the clock' it's been a 14-hour day and am too shagged for a ride.

[AUbicycles]

familyguy, spin classes or similar are an option but have to suit wait you want to do. Otherwise I would consider a smart trainer which allows you to use your data - whether it just be strava, training programs (such as from the brand of trainer) or gamification such as zwift.

The trainer is fairly adaptable for scheduling and if you find the right mode (to enjoy or appreciate it) then you are set and can fill in all the gaps.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

My leg. I need a new one. It's a slow process.

[trailgumby]

My leg. I need a new one. It's a slow process.

I can't imagine that being a cheap exercise either.

[TheWall]

The overcooking point is interesting.

I recently had almost 5weeks off due to a big holiday...there was virtually no excercise had in those 5weeks. Yes, the first two weeks back on the bike was hard but after a couple of weeks I am riding at a higher level than I was before the hols.

So for me....My new plan is to take a week (or two) off everynow and then. Footballers do not play footy the whole year...an off season was just what I needed.

[g-boaf]

What are your biggest cycling fitness or training pain points?

When you miss a session or fell you didn't try hard enough (hayfever around this time of the year is usually my suspect) and you go out hard next time. Real hard. Usually results in injury. With endurance sports like cycling, it's very easy to overcook.

I don't tend to do that, but getting adequate sleep is very important. My weak link has tended to be achilles injuries. So I'm mindful of that. But it's all relative, so can't complain.

+1 for time.

I just cannot get out enough to keep at the level I was at this time last year. I've started looking at rollers, a smart trainer, or even joining a gym (as a last resort, I seem to have a growing dislike of gym staff egos) to at least try to keep the fitness up.

Get a smart trainer and then read up as much as you can on training with power from the likes of Joe Friel. GCN even has some reasonable videos about that. Be methodical about it. Don't overtrain, allow time to warmup. I don't like traditional gyms much myself. Last time I went to one seemed to be people hanging around machines chatting. Just get on with it and be done with it.

Otherwise, the best training is riding in mountains up to 2000m+, that works better than anything. Do a week of that, then come back to the "real" world (unfortunately), have a few days off and then you'll be riding quicker than you've ever done. Aside from being good training, it's like some meditation, getting away from all of the normal world. You forget everything else.

[human909]

Laziness.

When I exercise I do it hard and I don't hold back. Pain, including broken bones, doesn't hold me back. Nor does fear, or exhaustion if the adventure isn't over yet.....

Does that make me physically tough? Maybe. Though getting back to the first word, I'm weak willed in starting exercise.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

My leg. I need a new one. It's a slow process.

I can't imagine that being a cheap exercise either.

It's variable. My first dedicated bike racing leg cost nearly $8k. The ones used by some members of BC squad are closer to $100k. I've since cut back to swapping over from the walking leg attachment to bike leg attachment inspector gadget style (undo/redo a couple of grub bolts on each). Much lower cost but a bit of a PITA.

The worst part is dealing with the bureaucracy.

I need a new leg as the current one does not fit properly any more and is causing me injury and pain. The doctor has provided a prescription for one but irrespective of who pays for it no one is allowed to start working on making it until some low level bureaucrat signs off on it. It's really effing dumb.

I had managed to get about 3 months of consistent riding under my belt and was gradually losing a bit of weight and feeling like a bike rider again albeit a long way from my racing days. Then I had lots of leg trouble from beginning of September and it's no riding until next year probably. I can't risk it as when it swells up I can't walk either and that's a level of mobility restriction I wish to avoid if possible.

[fat and old]

The worst part is dealing with the bureaucracy.

I need a new leg as the current one does not fit properly any more and is causing me injury and pain. The doctor has provided a prescription for one but irrespective of who pays for it no one is allowed to start working on making it until some low level bureaucrat signs off on it. It's really effing dumb.

Some bureaucrat has to give you permission to spend your own money? Am I reading that right?

[Kev365428]

Knees and saddle sores.

Constantly fiddling with saddle position/height lately trying to find the optimum position. Couple that with a lack of consistency in training days and it becomes a tail chasing exercise.

Kev.

[kb]

+1 for time pressure.

To expand on that, having a young family has removed any time for proper cycling, such as a 2-hour ride 1-2 times a week. Cycling was my way of achieving physical and mental health. Coming up to 5-years of poor sleep, poor eating frequency and habits, very little 'space' at home. By the time I get 'off the clock' it's been a 14-hour day and am too shagged for a ride.

With a 9 1/2 month old, I’ve been lucky this year. After a few months with almost no riding I’m back to around 14 hours including commutes. I think my riding has actually improved with a little more focus and riding with others who are much stronger. Still miss my 12 hour weekend rides though . Sleep is always an issue.

[BugsBunny]

Diet - I would give myself 7/10. I generally eat a healthy / balanced diet - 3 times a day. Lots of water too.
Training - I would give myself 7/10. I train regularly, consistently and follow a structured training program. Although I could probably add some "cross training" in addition to just cycling.
Sleep - 3/10. No matter what I do with my lifestyle, I'm unable to get myself into bed at a regular and healthy time and get sufficient rest.

There is no one to blame for this except myself, but lifestyle habits like playing with the ipad before bed and late night conference calls just make it awfully difficult to be consistent with sleep.

[Mububban]

I have to carefully manage my body or I pull muscles and/or deplete my immune system.

I eat well, sleep plenty, don't smoke/drink/do drugs etc. My scrawny body just can't "back up" like more athletic people can do, so I have to manage it. Which is hard as I'm used to being active and get fidgety if I can't go out and do things!

[Alex Simmons/RST]

The worst part is dealing with the bureaucracy.

I need a new leg as the current one does not fit properly any more and is causing me injury and pain. The doctor has provided a prescription for one but irrespective of who pays for it no one is allowed to start working on making it until some low level bureaucrat signs off on it. It's really effing dumb.

Some bureaucrat has to give you permission to spend your own money? Am I reading that right?

Yep. Our tax dollars hard at work.

[trailgumby]

The worst part is dealing with the bureaucracy.

I need a new leg as the current one does not fit properly any more and is causing me injury and pain. The doctor has provided a prescription for one but irrespective of who pays for it no one is allowed to start working on making it until some low level bureaucrat signs off on it. It's really effing dumb.

Some bureaucrat has to give you permission to spend your own money? Am I reading that right?

Yep. Our tax dollars hard at work.

Meanwhile you can't exercise the way you'd like with the effectiveness you'd like - how is that supposed to be good for your health? And the wait for this bureaucrat to make his scribble is 4 months?

[trailgumby]

Knees and saddle sores.

Constantly fiddling with saddle position/height lately trying to find the optimum position. Couple that with a lack of consistency in training days and it becomes a tail chasing exercise.

Kev.

Have you been to see The Body Mechanic?

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Some bureaucrat has to give you permission to spend your own money? Am I reading that right?

Yep. Our tax dollars hard at work.

Meanwhile you can't exercise the way you'd like with the effectiveness you'd like - how is that supposed to be good for your health? And the wait for this bureaucrat to make his scribble is 4 months?

It's complicated series of events of which bureaucracy is but one part.

In my experience the time between when you recognise the solution to the injury problems is to get a new leg, to getting a new leg is about 4-6 months. Even then, sometimes the new leg doesn't make things better, it can make things worse so it's also a transition risk. I'm always nervous at such times of transition. I've had both experiences: "wow that's so much better", to "oh dear, that's bad".

When I was last racing (2011 season was my last) the leg I had created an open wound in the inside of my knee (about the size of a 5 cent piece and deep enough to be able to see the ligament) but I knew that pulling the trigger on a new leg might jeopardise my Nationals and World Cup ambitions more than simply training and racing through the injury.

So I waited until the World Cup was over. I had that wound for about 2 years and it was not a pleasant experience. The replacement leg did help heal my injury but it became unusable within months because it fitted the race fit me but I had stopped training and racing and put on weight. So another 4 months went by, much of it unable to walk let alone ride a bike. It's part of the conundrum you face as an amputee - if you get fit, the leg you have is no longer suitable but the timelines for changeover are so long that it can have a profound impact on the suitability of the replacement leg.

[trailgumby]

It's part of the conundrum you face as an amputee - if you get fit, the leg you have is no longer suitable but the timelines for changeover are so long that it can have a profound impact on the suitability of the replacement leg.

That's awful. Can the AIS or Paralympic committee provide any assistance with speeding things up? I'm just amazed that a system can be so dysfunctional. With all the progress we've made over the decades in disability access and EEO, we still inflict this on people. Unbelievable.<shakes head>

[andrewjcw]

Same as most amateurs I'd guess, ride more and eat less. I'm a bit of a seasonal cyclist - I get keen and go nuts for 3-6 months, and then I get burnt out and literally don't do any riding for the next 3-12 months. Here's a nice visualisation of the problem.



I recently bought a new bike and started commuting everyday so maybe that will help me a bit more consistent. Maybe I should sell the car so I have no choice.