I can't get past 50kms

[Davidrnau]

Hi

I don't get a chance to ride my bike as much as I would like too presently, however, I do quite abit of walking, the problem seems to be when I am on my bike and I get around 50kms my legs just feel like lead and so sore, feel like I am going to have a clip stack, and my bottom gets so sore also, can only ride about 10-12kms then have to stop for abit......I am by nature a fidgety person and can find it hard to stay on the bike for extended times....perhaps having the flat bar bike doesn't help either, maintaing the same arm position.

I feel okay within myself did 44kms this morning, took a sandwich, and a small protein bar and water.....as I say around 50kms thats it...I could barely get up a 1% incline...well perhaps not that bad

Should I perhaps ride less but more often.

Advice appreciated.


David

I

[trailgumby]

Nutrition. Sounds like you're bonking.

You need 0.8-1.2g per kg of body weight per hour, depending on intensity. What you're eating doesn't sound like nearly enough. How long are you taking to get to 50km?

REgarding your butt, a set of good quality bibknicks goes a long way (boom-tish ) when matched with a saddle that fits your sit-bones. Drop bars help, but are not the only solution. Relaxing your grip and trying to use your core more to support yourself will help, as will large diameter grips like ODI Rogue.

[sogood]

Nutrition and endurance.

Endurance takes time to build up. Regular riding to strengthen your legs and bottom.

You'll get there soon enough, especially if you ride 3-4 times a week. One other thing. Don't just sit on the saddle the whole way. Stand on the bike regularly to give your bottom some airing and circulation. Or you'll be looking at the "saddle syndrome".

[lobstermash]

Also see if you can adjust your fit on the bike. If you've got your saddle position right, in regard to height, tilt and closer/further to/from the bars, you shouldn't be putting too much weight on the saddle when you're pedalling.

[DoogleDave]

Some good advice above....however I feel we need some more information.

At what intensity do you ride at?
How long does it take you to ride the 40-50km's?
What is the general terrain like (flat, hilly, surburban with lots of traffic light stops or rural with minimal stopping)?
How would you rate your fitness level?
How long have you been cycling for?
Do you feel comfortable when riding your bike?
Has the bike been fitted to you?

There are any number of things that could be causing you to "hit the wall" so to speak around the 50km mark, but the suggestions above sound quite valid places to start.

Dave

[Davidrnau]

Some good advice above....however I feel we need some more information.

At what intensity do you ride at?
How long does it take you to ride the 40-50km's?
What is the general terrain like (flat, hilly, surburban with lots of traffic light stops or rural with minimal stopping)?
How would you rate your fitness level?
How long have you been cycling for?
Do you feel comfortable when riding your bike?
Has the bike been fitted to you?

There are any number of things that could be causing you to "hit the wall" so to speak around the 50km mark, but the suggestions above sound quite valid places to start.

Dave

Yes I agree David, good advice.....

- Leisurely
- around 3 hours perhaps a little more I am not sure (I stop alot)
- Hilly, not difficult some fast downhills very few traffic lights (minimal stopping)
- Average for my age (pushing 50)
- On and off for years, back on the bike after three years (one month now)
- I feel comfortable on the bike I have followed fit to the letter from what I have found on the net, the bike is not professionally fit
- The bike itself is in excellent condition, is very heavy though must be around 10kgs

David

[Nobody]

- Average for my age (pushing 50)
- On and off for years, back on the bike after three years (one month now)

Only one month on the bike and almost 50? Give yourself another couple of months to build up to it.

[twizzle]

Yeah - after you have 10 or 20 thou k's on the legs, 50km will seem easy.


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[DoogleDave]

Yes I agree David, good advice.....

- Leisurely
- around 3 hours perhaps a little more I am not sure (I stop alot)
- Hilly, not difficult some fast downhills very few traffic lights (minimal stopping)
- Average for my age (pushing 50)
- On and off for years, back on the bike after three years (one month now)
- I feel comfortable on the bike I have followed fit to the letter from what I have found on the net, the bike is not professionally fit
- The bike itself is in excellent condition, is very heavy though must be around 10kgs

David

Thanks David.

My take on the situation....

Although you have prior years on the bike, after your three year hiatus it will take you some time to get your body used to riding for that duration of time.
Riding for three hours is a good effort only one month into your return to cycling so I would just continue on doing what is comfortable for you to do and over the next few months I am sure you will start to see improvement in how you are feeling after this duration/distance.

It is good that you are taking some food and drink with you and it is important that you eat before you feel hungry and drink before you feel thirsty.
Once you hit the wall (if this is what is happening), eating something after that point won't have an immediate affect. You need to consume food before you reach this point.

It may also be that your legs aren't yet used to being pushed for three hours....something only kilometres on the bike will remedy.

I'm not sure what gearing you are using however you should be trying to ride at a comfortable cadence (usually around 80-90 rpm).
If you are working a harder gear and turning the pedals slowly you may be making your legs work harder than they need to. If this is the case, try riding in an easier gear and pedal a bit quicker. This will work your cardio a bit harder but will save your legs. in time you will find the right balance in choosing a gear that you can pedal at a comfortable cadence without working your cardio or legs too hard.

Keep on turning those pedals!

Dave

[cyclotaur]

I agree with DD above. I started again at 55yo and rode 3-4 times per week only 25kms. It took me 3 months to be able to do it in an hour, and that was riding time - I always stopped for 5-10 mins at the turnaround. Then I started longer rides.

These days I aim for 200+ kms per week and my rides range from 40-90 kms. So it just needs a bit more persistence I'd say. Endurance will come. [WINKING FACE]

[Xplora]

4 weeks?! LOL give yourself a chance to adjust. If you want to do it NOW, then ride as hard as you can for 45 minutes 4 times a week to build up a bit of a base. If you have to rest, stop your watch. Get that 45 minutes in. That's going to push you quite a bit; if you are fit now, you'll go faster. You should be smashing it in after a couple months. Your body takes weeks and weeks to adapt to the new stress level. Give it time!

[twizzle]

4 weeks?! LOL give yourself a chance to adjust. If you want to do it NOW, then ride as hard as you can for 45 minutes 4 times a week to build up a bit of a base. If you have to rest, stop your watch. Get that 45 minutes in. That's going to push you quite a bit; if you are fit now, you'll go faster. You should be smashing it in after a couple months. Your body takes weeks and weeks to adapt to the new stress level. Give it time!

Umm.... "Base" means training up your slow-twitch aerobic capacity via long hours. Full adaptations to training is supposed to occur within 6 weeks (that's where the 42 day CTL moving average comes from!), after which you are supposed to increase intensity or volume. Hard intervals is more like Carmichael's "time crunched" plan, which gives rapid gains but requires more recovery time after your "race" block. Long term gains (unfortunately) require lots of saddle time.

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[Xplora]

I assumed the terminology "bit of a base" implied an extremely rough and ready training program. 45 minutes of solid riding (at whatever level you ride at) several times a week will be extremely difficult for the OP, and will put him in good stead to smash his target. Let's be realistic. If he had 20 hours a week to build up to his 50kms target, he wouldn't be posting. He's probably riding 5 hours a week if he's lucky. Best to just structure that time to be more effective.
I think that's something that can't be underestimated - a lot of people aren't told "go out and flog yourself silly for 45 minutes, better that than 2 hours cruising" because I know I got very little out of my commutes adding to 210kms a week except pinch practice. 8 hours a week was not structured too good - and I struggled to put in a hard 50km effort.

Either way, if the OP wants to improve he'll need saddle time. Great way to "suffer" "sorry babe, gotta get some exercise"

[vander]

Full adaptations to training is supposed to occur within 6 weeks (that's where the 42 day CTL moving average comes from!), after which you are supposed to increase intensity or volume.

Not really adaptations are very individual and I am yet to see anything to convincingly say 6weeks is how long it takes. The 42 days is just a fairly arbitrary number and was programmed so it could be changed to the individual person. I feel like your not really meaning to say it but it comes across as your saying base = 6weeks. Again that isnt correct, its highly individual and often people need much longer (I did around 3months of base stuff and would probably still be doing it if I didnt need to get some race form).

[twizzle]

No, I wasn't intending to link all of the bits together. "Base" training is pretty much always going on in some form, (ie. long rides), as opposed to "base period" where you don't do intensity.

As for the six weeks - as I said, "within". Some people will adapt faster and can use a shorter period, but if you increase stress too quickly then you supposedly don't get the benefits. The six weeks is supposed to be long enough to ensure the adaptations are complete. Most of this stuff I picked up in J Daniels book, "the running guide" or "the runners guide". And see "Daniels Points" in GoldenCheetah.

Edit: The book is called "Daniels' Running Formula"

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[SEQrider]

David,I would agree with many of the previous replies about building up your time and distance. I am 55 and got onto my road bike about 14 months ago when my wife started doing triathlons. I decided to "train" with her. Initially I thought 20 klm was a good ride. After a couple of months the distance I was able to ride without stopping increased and as they say " it doesn't get any easier, you just get faster"! But it does get easier and you do get faster. Hills that used to make me want to get off and walk are now ridden up and over, still have to work but now I know I can do them. Over time my rides have become 50 to 80 klm at an average of 26 / 27 kph, and I now feel like 20 klms wasn't really a ride.
At first I tried to do it on the cheap, cheap knicks, cheap shoes, but I have learned that a good pair of bib knicks is vital to surviving any decent ride, so now I have 3 or 4 bibs with 2 of them being my favourites. Well worth the cost.
Get your cadence up. I started with a cadence around 75, thinking that was a good comfy range, now I naturally spin at 90+ with an average of 87 to 90 over 75 klm up hill and down dale. Without thinking about it I spin at 90 to 100, that has become comfortable and my default rpm.
Stick with it, drink more than you think you need and get some food into you. Bananas, nuts, energy bars, plenty of food to choose from that is easy to carry and easy to eat. The 2cnd last hill before home is always the hardest one for me, but it's not always a physical challenge, sometimes it's a mental challenge that you need to overcome.

[autumn acid]

I'm a 27 year old rider who jumped in the deep end earlier this year. Let's just say my life up to that point was sedentary, compounded by a fairly unhealthy lifestyle.

First couple of months were hell. Any ride longer then 30ks was excruciating. Lower back problems, thighs rubbing. Not fun at all.

I did persist though, given I was slowly losing weight which was a good thing.

A few months ago, I bit the bullet and got a fit done at Velofix in Sydney on the back of some recommendations. It resulted in some fairly major changes to my bike.

Results were immediate. Here are some of the major improvements:

- Sit bones properly supporting my weight, decreasing lower back pain;
- Pedaling efficiency; and
- A weird pain in my left knee gone.

These changes allowed me to push my rides out further and improve my endurance, not to mention enjoy cycling more. I have gone from a ~100k a week rider to a 200k a week rider quite rapidly.

My recommendation is to pursue a fitment, or, perhaps more appropriately get some guidance as to what you can do that will help you achieve your goals. Leg pain, bum pain and pain in general can boil down to a lot of things!

Best of luck.

[specialized sl2]

Maybe just start doing about 30 keep doing that until u get comfortable with it then go up to 40 get comfortable with that and keep slowly doing more until you can do over 50