2012 The year of the bicycle

Four of a kind

I decided to record a log here for myself, in order to keep me on track and also to try and motivate me to reach a few goals.

A little bit of background as to why I've taken up cycling...

Last April, I found myself in severe lower back pain, which lead to been diagnosed with a ruptured L5/S1 disc. Having been an avid gym goer the past 10 years(am now 33), and very active all my life, this was a huge blow to me. My planned 7 month trip backpacking in Asia starting last June had to be cut in half literally as I had to return home after the back gave me way too much trouble, that it was pointless continuing in pain. I've vowed to be able to go travelling again next year in South America as a promise to myself.

Didn't need an op as consultant said I'm better off walking and gradually building up my core strength over the course of 12/15 months.

I started walking 1/2 miles per day the past month as I said moping about for long enough feeling sorry for myself. However, the back has greatly improved over the past few months, so much that I decided to commit myself to buying a decent road bike and taking up cycling as the lack of a buzz from walking nearly drove me insane. I crave for that cardio pump feeling which weighlifting and general cardio in the gym provided me with for so long.

My experience with cycling is limited to my teenage BMX days back in the late 80's and since then the only time I've been on any sort of bicycle was during the warm up/cool down period in the gym for 10 mins.

So I'm really an out and out beginner when it comes to this sport.

I went ahead and purchased a Specialized Allez Elite 2012 road bike which after careful consideration felt right for me(at this time anyways )

My cardio fitness level as you would have guessed has shot right down to rock bottom, as a result of 10 months without any sort of exercise. My weight has also taken a beating for the worst. I used to weigh 90kg-95kg at the highest during the last few years and most of that weight was due to muscle with the usual bits hanging around the waist side refusing to budge.
Now I'm currently 100kg and rising and very much out of shape from all the complete crap I've been stuffing down my neck over the previous months.

Diet wise, I'm not too concerned at the moment as I know when I get some fitness back I'll go back to clean eating as best I can.

So what do I want to achieve as my cycling goals this year?

1. Join up with local cycling club and go for weekly cycle with them (doing that as soon as I have a few spins under my arse)
2. Do at least one Sportif (I would love to complete the ROK in July - but probably not realistic at this time for me)
3. Try and cycle at least 3 days every week minimum.
4. Lose 15kg of bodyweight by 31st December from my current weight which is 100.1kg
5. Slowly get back to eating as clean as possible
6. Complete a 100km spin
7. Complete a 100mile spin
8. Cycle 2000km by the end of the year - This works out at around 45km per week which is a realistic target that I can achieve.

To help me record and analyse my cycling I got an Edge 500 with HRM and cadence sensor which already I can see the huge benefits of having!

Sorry for the long first post folks. I'm looking forward to working up a routine and improving both my fitness and cycling over the forthcoming months. Any criticism either constructive or otherwise will be taken on board. I know I've a mountain of stuff to learn about cycling and with experienced people here, its a good place to start sharpening the teeth.

I hope that when this year is over I can look back and definitely call it "the year of the bicycle"!

Four of a kind

Had my first official spin today. It was a very short 7km trip, which was just 2 laps from my house over the road and back again. After the first lap, I had to come in a sit down to catch my breath, not because I was hammering it, but because it was my first bit of cardio since April 2011. If felt great though to feel the heart pumping like crazy again and to be doing something proactive.

The main thing was my back didn't feel one bit sore, even though it was only a 20 min spin, its a start and that's all I can ask for

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153802389

Four of a kind

Got another short 7.9km cycle under me today. Added in a new small segment which took 24 mins to complete. Felt as if I was going to get sick towards the end of the spin. Its hard to visualize getting back to a decent level of fitness but that's part of the process.

Saddle felt uncomfortable but again, more miles in it should settle that problem.

Opened up the gears on a good stretch of road and got my first taste of what speed feels like on a bicycle.

I'm deliberately keeping the distance short for the first few spins, in order not to overdo things and also to gradually build up endurance. My back felt great last night after the first cycle and I slept better than I've done in months.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153931687

Four of a kind

My first decent cycle today, clocked in at 20.21km. I decided to give this route a belt as there's a few 3-8% grades along the route and I wanted to see how I faired up at this early stage of my training. Needless to say it was very tough for me. I had numerous stops and a good stretch at the halfway mark.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/154187882

The saddle did start to hurt along the way back, and I'm hoping that this is just teething problems on my part.

The route took me 1h 14mins at an average speed of 16.3km/h

I'm not sure how those figures hold up at this early stage, but considering the few hills that were thrown in along the way, I'm very happy with my performance today. Above all its given me the confidence that I can do probably double that distance no problem on a much flatter route.

Obviously my fitness level has a lot of catching up to do and that's the challenge that I'm looking forward to.

I don't know how to properly analyse all the statistics yet regarding heart rate etc... but I'm sure I'll pick that up as the weeks go by. I'm not that worried yet about statistics, just keen to get the miles in and not overdo things at this early stage.

I'm absolutely amazed by the functionality of the edge 500. It really is a serious piece of gadget and as a gadget nerd myself, I love it.

Having a day off tomorrow so that I can recover a little and give myself a break.

Sunday is when the local bike club(Curlieu Wheelers) have there meet up, but I'm not going to tag along this week. I'll do my own thing and will get a few more cycles under me before I join them.

Four of a kind

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/154770800

Despite saying that I wouldn't join up with the local club this week, I found myself at the meeting point all ready to go at 11am.

The beginners route was a 20km spin, but I ended up doing the intermediate 37km route and was really chuffed that I completed it. Apart from a few inclines which knackered me, I was well able for it.

Avg speed was 18.4km and moving time was 1:51

A few of the more experience cyclists told me to try and work in the 75% zone of my max heart rate in order to gain fitness. So that's something I'm going to look more into.

The saddle didn't hurt as much as I was expecting initially and that's a good sign.

For the most part of the cycle I was trying to keep as high a cadence as possible in order to prevent as much muscle fatigue as possible. I found getting the balance a little tricky especially when coming over an incline, but I'll get the hang of it with more practice.

It felt good to cycle in the group as I learned a few rules of the road which has given me some confidence to venture out onto the main roads myself during the coming week.

So the weeks round up(only started Wednesday)

Week 1:

Distance: 69.39 km
Time: 4:00 hrs
Avg Speed: 17.3 km


Looking forward to next weeks cycles

Four of a kind

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/155230951

Got out today for a nice 20km spin and enjoyed it apart from the saddle hurting a little bit more today. The quads were very tired at the start but with the long spin yesterday I can put it down to that.

The saddle did hurt today. I've a tub of that Chamois Assos cream, would that be a worth trying out to ease the discomfort? I know I've still yet to put in a fair few miles in order to adjust to the saddle but I could have done a lot more today only for the discomfort.

Cardio wise I feel as I'm regaining my fitness, especially when I've a few inclines to navigate. Not big ones, but still steep enough for me at this stage.

One problem I had which I don't know how to figure out, is the gears seemed to adjust/move themselves on the chain of their own accord at a couple of stages along the route.

Anyone know what I'm talking about? The only way to describe it was just say I was in a middle gear...then there would be a slight clicking noise, followed by the chain auto changing itself. I'm not sure if this is supposed to happen or not, but I would like some opinions if possible.

I'm enjoying myself with the cycling and find it relaxing as well as a tough bout at the same time. If I can sort out the saddle issue then I can see myself been able to hit 40/50km spins in no time at all, as my recovery rate and fitness levels have really improved.

TheBlaaMan

Its just some stretching i=of the cable as it beds in over the first few weeks. Turn the wee black plastic adjuster above the rear derailleur half a turn tighter and it should pick up the slack. A new bike would generally come with a first free service, so perhaps its time to line that up for a week or two time....

Its difficult (IMO) opinion to stay in 75% HR zone, and in any case - as you describe your conditions during/after a spin - you sound much nearer to 95%, so do take it easy and built it up slowly.

good luck

seve65

you are easily working hard enough in respect of your HR by the looks of your garmin stats. After a couple of months you might want to look into what your actual max hr is if you want to train more precisely in hr zones. You seem to be enjoying it and thats really what its about

Four of a kind

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/155736555

23.3km cycle today. It was a really harsh day for it, well for me anyways. There was sun, rain, hail, sleet and not to mention the wind! Only thing missing from the elements was snow.

I found this particular cycle very tough. Sore arse from the saddle still, coupled with a my first cycle in windy conditions left me wondering where it all went wrong! But I did enjoy the spin and apart from saddle pain and freezeing conditions I felt fine.

I now realised why shoe covers are worn! My toes were like ice more of less from the off. Unfortunately, I don't have clip in's at the moment as I'm still only a week cycling, so I only have those clip that you slid your foot into. I don't think a shoe cover would work with that set up.

I can appreciate how important it is to be geared up correctly for the cold conditions.

Again like the last cycle, I could have done a longer distance, but the constant discomfort from the saddle was very off putting. And it definitely puts me off from cycling in consecutive days at the moment. I applied chamois cream prior to leaving, but in fairness it did nothing to ease the pain.

I'm hoping that the saddle is ok for me. Its the standard one that comes with the bike, namely a "body Geometry riva". I know I've only been out for 6 cycles so far and just over 100km in total saddle distance, but I really hope I adjust to the saddle as its going to prevent me from enjoying or looking forward to getting on the bike.

Cardio wise, I felt fine throughout the trip. Recovery time feels really good. The quads are a little sore but that's something I know will get better with time.

If anyone has any suggestions regarding the saddle issue, then please let me know.

Kav0777

Well, apart from padded shorts & cream there's not much else you can do. Your bum will toughen up eventually but it will take more than a week or two. I also got an allez when I started out and initially found the saddle uncomfortable, but now I find it very comfy, so much so that I put it on my newer bike. I guess i just got used to it.

If I've read your posts correctly you've gone out 6 time in 8 days, maybe you should ease off on the frequency of the spins and let your bum recover a bit.

Four of a kind

Kav0777 wrote: »

Well, apart from padded shorts & cream there's not much else you can do. Your bum will toughen up eventually but it will take more than a week or two. I also got an allez when I started out and initially found the saddle uncomfortable, but now I find it very comfy, so much so that I put it on my newer bike. I guess i just got used to it.

If I've read your posts correctly you've gone out 6 time in 8 days, maybe you should ease off on the frequency of the spins and let your bum recover a bit.

Correct. I didn't go out today due to that fact. I'll do an hour tomorrow and then leave it until monday.

Hopefully it improves, which I'm sure it will. Thanks.

Four of a kind

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/156239581

Had a nice 20km cycle today that was the same route I did this day last week. The elapsed time on connect is showing the same as "time" at 1h 25min, which isn't accurate as it was only 1h 12mins moving time on strava http://app.strava.com/rides/4977432

Other cycles on connect showed different moving times to total time so maybe its something I did with the garmin edge? If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Anyways, back to the cycle. I didn't have as an uncomfortable a spin as I was expecting with the saddle. I was full sure it would be as sore as ever but I'm please to say it wasn't.

The route is a gentle climb for about 4km after which then goes uphill downhill fairly frequently. The quads were burning for the first 15 mins or so, even though the cadence was up around 75+ most of the initial climb.

Now the climb may not seem too hectic for more stronger cyclists but for me its tough going. Another 3 stops had to be had on the way up and another 2/3 over the course of the route.

All in all I completed it 2 mins faster than last week which is a small but nonetheless improvement.

I'm going to give the weekend a full break so as to allow the nether regions to fully recuperate.

Next week the plan is to get out for 4 cycles each a minimum of 20km. This will be tough going for me but as long as I feel comfortable then its all part of the process for me.

I'm enjoying the cycling a lot and plan to really get into it for the longer evening and hopefully if we get a decent summer I'll be able to take full advantage of the weather and increase my one day distance.

Four of a kind

Week 2:

Cycles: 3
Distance: 64.28 km
Time: 4h 08mins
Avg Speed: 15.5 km/h
Avg HR: 148

Speed was down slightly for the past week, but I hope to improve it this week. Overall I'm happy with my progress and will continue to train as best I can.

nilhg

Four of a kind wrote: »

Week 2:

Cycles: 3
Distance: 64.28 km
Time: 4h 08mins
Avg Speed: 15.5 km/h
Avg HR: 148

Speed was down slightly for the past week, but I hope to improve it this week. Overall I'm happy with my progress and will continue to train as best I can.

I found weeks 2 and 3 the hardest, everything hurts and you don't seem to be improving at all but stick at it it does get better, I found that while I couldnt cycle much faster my rate of recovery on the bike improved greatly, no more stopping and getting off to get my breath back.

Four of a kind

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/157321575

Todays cycle was a nice 24km spin to Ballinafad, where I had a banana and drink to refresh. The legs didn't feel as tired as previous times and the saddle certainly didn't hurt as much either.

A couple of steady inclines along the route provided a some decent returning speeds along a few stretches. Recorded my fastest max speed so far @48km/h. Nothing great in comparisons, but still had me buzzing for a while afterwards.

This route along with the Kiltycreighton 20km mountain cycle will hopefully become part of my weekly schedule for the upcoming months, or until I get bored of it

Lost my pedal magnet for my cadence sensor somewhere along the route, which is a nuance, but I've ordered a replacement one so hopefully will have it back soon.

Found the biggest improvement in my fitness during this spin, most notability was I'd only 1 real stop at the half way stage. The other stop was when I noticed my cadence reading wasn't working.

Was really happy with today's cycle and would like to try and increase my next spin by 10%, so hopefully about 27km for the next spin.

Four of a kind

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/157898714

Longest cycle so far! I planned out a route around Castlebaldwin which completely zapped my will to live at a few stages during the second half of the spin.

I set off and after 5km I somehow managed to flip the chain off the front part. With no idea how to properly go about fixing it, I managed to get it back on with little effort. Would like to know possible reasons why it came off in the first place, so as to prevent this from happening again.

Anyways, I had a mini food break after circa 20km in Castlebaldwin, which consisted of some precooked pasta and a banana. I can fully understand how important it is to fuel up prior to leaving and also along the route. I don't know how good the pasta idea was, but I figured it would give me a quick boost, while the banana would give me a slowly release of energy. If anyone has any other food recommendations, then I'd like to know.

I had a big bowl of porridge with muesli and hour before I left along with a hard boiled egg so I felt that was sufficient.

The second half of the route really got to me in the form of some steep hills(for me anyways). It resulted in me having to walk up two of them as I was completely exhausted.

If anyone that's reading this would care to have a look at the route above and maybe comment on whether these climbs are a little to difficult for my stage of cycling then that would be great. It might be that they're not steep enough! :eek:

I'm getting used to swallowing a couple of flies and also the occasional dog that seems to lie in wait for me before thundering towards me as if he's going to clothesline me off the bike! But thankfully its only the chase they seem to enjoy and not my leg so far!

The saddle really is easing itself the past few spins, and although it started to hurt a little towards the last 10km, it definitely has improved and for that I'm delighted.

I figure I'd be well able for a longer distance over more flattish route at this stage, but I'm going to keep training the way I have been doing and let the fitness take care of things for me.


Distance: 43.11 km
Time: 2:17:39
Avg Speed: 18.8 km/h
Elevation Gain: 488 m
Calories: 1,751 C
Details
Max Speed: 45.4 km/h
Avg HR: 151 bpm
Max HR: 186 bpm

Lumen

Your HR profile looks a bit spiky. Are you coasting down hills?

Try to not to stop on a hill, ever, no matter how long or steep, and keep pedalling down the other side.

Be patient. Another 100 of those cycles and you'll be flying. :pac:

Four of a kind

Lumen wrote: »

Your HR profile looks a bit spiky. Are you coasting down hills?

Try to not to stop on a hill, ever, no matter how long or steep, and keep pedalling down the other side.

Be patient. Another 100 of those cycles and you'll be flying. :pac:

Yeah I was coasting down most of the hills as I needed the break. As for not stopping on the way up ever, well I don't think I'm capable of doing that on those few hills on that route yet, due to fitness level.

TheBlaaMan

Four of a kind wrote: »

Yeah I was coasting down most of the hills as I needed the break. As for not stopping on the way up ever, well I don't think I'm capable of doing that on those few hills on that route yet, due to fitness level.

You may be picking a route with a fair bit of elevation gain, and perhaps want to consider something a bit flatter from time to time. A reasonable "rule of thumb" that I think holds true(ish) is that a 1m height gain for 100m travelled is a mid-point, above which it could be regarded as "hilly". So, 488m gained in 43km is above that point.

As I said, its a rule-of-thumb for me, so each to their own....;)

Four of a kind

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

You may be picking a route with a fair bit of elevation gain, and perhaps want to consider something a bit flatter from time to time. A reasonable "rule of thumb" that I think holds true(ish) is that a 1m height gain for 100m travelled is a mid-point, above which it could be regarded as "hilly". So, 488m gained in 43km is above that point.

As I said, its a rule-of-thumb for me, so each to their own....;)

So as a general guide, for every kilometer I cycle I should roughly climb 10meters? So for 45km = 450 meters

TheBlaaMan

Four of a kind wrote: »

So as a general guide, for every kilometer I cycle I should roughly climb 10meters? So for 45km = 450 meters

I'm not saying you should do anything, simply that for regular routes in my area, that sort of calculation gives me a (very) rough estimate of which side of an arbitrary easy/tough devide the spin falls.......I'd certainly regard a 50km spin with 700m of climbing as pretty demanding, conversely a 50km spin with 250m climbing as 'relatively flat'.

It was a crude attempt to put your recent work and your expectations into some perspective.

Four of a kind

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/158458551

Went for a flat 20km cycle today which was my first cycle with spd shoes. A little tense at first but once I got the hang of things they were fine. Really made a difference on a few slight inclines.

I need to get a pair of shoe covers as my toes were nearly frost bitten with the wind/rain during the spin. Really uncomfortable so it was.

Any suggestions on a pair?

Four of a kind

Week 3:

Cycles: 3
Distance: 87.84km
Time: 4h 30mins
Avg Speed: 19.5 km/h
Avg HR: 154

Happy with my weeks progress. Average speed up slightly on previous week as well as total distance. Everything slowly coming together for me.

Four of a kind

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/159516264

Second club outing today and I was in way better physical condition than I was two weeks ago for the same route.

There were only 2 of us for the intermediate group. Myself and a 62yr old chap using a mountain bike. A gentleman to the last and really taught me a few good rules of thumb. Enjoyed the cycle immensely with him and for a man who had an operation on his back, hip and knee he certainly didn't show any signs of not pulling his weight.

The spin was a loop from Boyle out to Ballyfarnon, through Keadue and Cootehall before coming home via Lough key. 43km in total and a really great route in my opinion. Only 300m of elevation gain meant it wasn't taxing compared to some of the routes I've been putting myself through alone.

I can really see the benefits of cycling with someone else. Time and distance seems to fly by.

I had a slight niggle with the balls and sides of my feet, which I can probably blame on the new cycling shoes. It felt sore, like a cramp almost on the sides of my feet. I suppose, like the saddle I've have to adapt to things. It was only my second cycle using cleats so just another teething issue to overcome with time.


Glad to report that the saddle soreness has more or less evaporated and I seem to have slowly toughened up down there!

Four of a kind

Wednesday's cycle:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/160733274

This spin was a bit of a disaster as I got my first puncture after hammering over a few loose chippings on the way into Castlebaldwin.

I set about fixing the back puncture, but due to never changing one before I didn't set about it the correct way. Ended up been help by a fellow club member who came along and showed me the proper way to take off/inspect/fix the puncture using the repair kit. Ended up having a great laugh over this and we then cycled back towards Boyle on an alternative route than planned. But due to time constraints I had to call for a life home in Corrigeen Row as I had an appointment up in Roscommon and couldn't miss it. So the back 15km was a race against time on my behalf which really zapped all the energy out of me.

First puncture after 3 weeks of cycling was shortly followed later on by first speeding ticket after 15 years of driving! Not a great day overall, but a great learning experience!


Saturday's cycle:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/161078629

This this 43km spin today with a mate and really enjoyed it, as the day was gorgeous. Really looking forward the the long evenings and getting out for a few more of these routes. This route is a nice one as its not taxing and one I'll use to build up the base miles as the weeks go by hopefully.

Four of a kind

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/161507089

Had a nice relaxing 28km cycle today in gorgeous weather conditions. My aim was to just go out and loosen out the legs while trying to keep the heart rate around 140bpm. I didn't want to try and push myself today as I plan on going out again tomorrow for the 3rd consecutive day.

Very please to see even though I was taking it easy I still got the avg speed up to 20km. A nice break in the middle to enjoy the scenery and a snack at cavetown lake was had as well.

Four of a kind

Week 4:

Cycles: 4
Distance: 149.74km
Time: 7h 01mins
Avg Speed: 21.3 km/h
Avg HR: 156

busyliving

Well done mate, you are certainly making improvements and in such a short space of time...

When I started back into cycling before Xmas, I was mountain biking, and got a road bike in January...On an average spin I'm up to 27km/hr average speed which if you told me January I would have laughed at you.

The more miles you get in you, the more confident you get and the better your body is for it, I did my first 100km cycle last week and it was tough but wasn't as hard as my first 40km.

Best of luck with the rest of your journey this year, look forward to reading more on your progress

Four of a kind

busyliving wrote: »

Well done mate, you are certainly making improvements and in such a short space of time...

When I started back into cycling before Xmas, I was mountain biking, and got a road bike in January...On an average spin I'm up to 27km/hr average speed which if you told me January I would have laughed at you.

The more miles you get in you, the more confident you get and the better your body is for it, I did my first 100km cycle last week and it was tough but wasn't as hard as my first 40km.

Best of luck with the rest of your journey this year, look forward to reading more on your progress

Cheers dude. Yeah I'm loving been able to at least do some for of aerobic exercise again while the back hopefully mends itself.

Thanks for the words!

Four of a kind

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/161891126

Longest spin to date today! Clocked in at 50.61km with an average speed of 21.9 km/h.

I stopped off at the cousins house along the way for an hour to have a chat, which I know was too long.

Again the weather was just superb and cruising along nice country roads with the sun on the back is just a great feeling.

Initially I had intended on doing a 60km route, but the hours break meant that the sun was fading and I didn't want to be coming back to Boyle along the Carrick road with diminishing light. Also a 20km increase from my previous longest cycle would probably have been a tad too much. So 50km was just perfect.

My fitness has come along was in such a short time(approx 24 days since I first cycled). I can see how much my confidence and speed on the bike has also increased.

Today was also my third consecutive day out cycling so a well deserved break tomorrow should see me nice and refreshed for Wednesday.

Those home made Gilli energy bars that I made really do give an extra punch.

I've also noticed that the quality of my sleeps during the night are beyond good. Not only do I melt into the bed when I call it a night after cycling that day, but come morning time I'm like the Undertaker on WWE wrestling when he gets up off the mat all full of energy and ready to fight!

Four of a kind

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/162480254

Longest spin beaten! 53km today in another glorious day of weather. Route was from my house to Boyle, over to Carrick on Shannon and then I cut across to Elphin before making my way home via the Roscommon road.

However, once I got home I noticed that my lower back was quite sore and stiff. I don't know if this is due to the angle on the bike(I don't use the drops) or just the amount of time I've been on the bike lately. Either way Im hoping that its just a little niggle and nothing that will set me back(excuse the pun). I'm slightly concerned over it, but that's a result of having a ruptured disc already.

A few days off the bike either way will have to be had I think. Last thing I want to do is annoy a possible injury.....

My fitness has drastically improved. Those short little steady inclines that used to zapp the breath out of me and burn my quads no longer bother me as much. My average speed is increase slightly as well and my rest period time is dropping.

That's two half centuries in three days....if you told me that a month ago I'd have laughed out loud and thought you were on crack!

Lumen

Four of a kind wrote: »

However, once I got home I noticed that my lower back was quite sore and stiff. I don't know if this is due to the angle on the bike(I don't use the drops) or just the amount of time I've been on the bike lately. Either way Im hoping that its just a little niggle and nothing that will set me back(excuse the pun). I'm slightly concerned over it, but that's a result of having a ruptured disc already.

A few days off the bike either way will have to be had I think. Last thing I want to do is annoy a possible injury.....

Feel free to ignore this advice as it's very personal, but I would ignore back pain at your peril. You should aim to finish a ride with tired legs but no back or joint pain.

There is good and bad stress. In my experience cycling creates bad stress for the back, and the only way to counter this is to strengthen the back through off-the-bike exercises of some sort.

Rest allows the body to repair damage, but as your legs get stronger you will only put more stress on your back.

Four of a kind

Lumen wrote: »

Feel free to ignore this advice as it's very personal, but I would ignore back pain at your peril. You should aim to finish a ride with tired legs but no back or joint pain.

There is good and bad stress. In my experience cycling creates bad stress for the back, and the only way to counter this is to strengthen the back through off-the-bike exercises of some sort.

Rest allows the body to repair damage, but as your legs get stronger you will only put more stress on your back.

I've no intention of ignoring back pain. I didn't feel sore while on the bike, its just when I finished my cycle and got off it that it felt really stiff and sore.

So today its been your typical lower back pain type symptom which has caused my great worry as the pain I went through 6 months ago was unbearable due to a ruptured disc.

So I'm guessing that since I've had no pain from then until now, that either my legs have increased in strength and put pressure on the back or I've to work hard on strengthening up my back muscles if I'm to continue cycling as much.

Either way, I've to wait until I see how bad this pain is going to get. Hopefully its just a niggle and doesn't develop into the sciatic pain down the left leg like last time.

The next day or two will defo see what the story is. Fingers crossed

Four of a kind

Week 5:

Cycles: 2
Distance: 104.16km
Time: 4h 45mins
Avg Speed: 21.9 km/h
Avg HR: 152

Had a very high/low week this week. I only got 2 cycles in due to a back problem which I described above, which resulted in my not getting out since Wednesday.

The positive side of the week was that in the 2 spins I did go out for I hit the 50km mark on both of them which is a nice achievement for me. I had planned on getting 2 other 20k/30k cycles in this week as well.

My back has definitely improved the past two days and I should be fine to hop back on the saddle come Tuesday.

In the mean time I'm doing some light core stretches and exercises to try and kick start that side of things.

I definitely think the back was sore due to the time in the saddle combined with the lack of core stability around the mid-section. This will have to be worked on from now on, and I shall be looking to do some pilates work asap.

Onwards and upwards as they say.

Four of a kind

March Review

Cycles: 15
Distance: 471.38km
Time: 24h 06mins
Elevation: 3,824 m
Avg Speed: 19.6 km/h
Avg HR: 154 bpm
Avg Cadence: 83 rpm
Calories: 20,217 C

Extremely happy with my first month cycling. Gone from strength to strength and only had a few bad days there during the week, but nothing that can't be worked on hopefully.

My goals that I set out before I did my first spin were:


1. Join up with local cycling club and go for weekly cycle with them (doing that as soon as I have a few spins under my arse)
Did this and got my CI licence sorted.
2. Do at least one Sportif (I would love to complete the ROK in July - but probably not realistic at this time for me)
I plan on doing the 80km leg of the Tour de Connemara end of May
3. Try and cycle at least 3 days every week minimum.
On track so far
4. Lose 15kg of bodyweight by 31st December from my current weight which is 100.1kg
I've lost 10kg since 29 Feb and that's purely from cycling. My diet hasn't really changed much yet. So I'm delighted to be burning off the calories.
5. Slowly get back to eating as clean as possible
6. Complete a 100km spin
7. Complete a 100mile spin
8. Cycle 2000km by the end of the year - This works out at around 45km per week which is a realistic target that I can achieve.
Have nearly 25% of this target reached after a month so I'm looking forward to bursting this goal before the end of July!

So as long as my back doesn't give me too many more problems, I'll be well on course to completing all of the above targets well ahead of schedule.

Four of a kind

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/176169930

Well its been a long time off the saddle for me with the back injury. About 5 weeks I think, which is a real pity since I was doing so well for myself.

Anyways, I finally said today was the day to hop back on it the bike and just start off at the bottom again. So I did a short 6k cycle. I didn't want to go any longer for the first time as I wanted to see how my back felt after the light stretch.

So far, all ok and it feels good to be out again, even if its only a light trot...its still better than what I was doing.

I've been doing light core work and stretches the past few weeks in order to strengthen up the muscles around the core. This I hope will help prevent possible back strain down the line.

Looking back on the weeks I was flying it on the bike, I wasn't doing any core work so maybe as a result of my legs getting stronger it started to place some strain on the lower back etc.... I don't know really.

Onwards and upwords as they say

I had big plans to do the Tour de Connemara 80km spin end of the month, but unless I am 100% back to normal and get enough milage in before then, I'll have to let it pass. But I would really love to be able to take part in my first sportif

Four of a kind

Quick question lads. Based on my above entries and also my time off the bike through injury, do ye think I'd be able to do the 80k route in connemara on the 27th of this month? It's 19 days away, but id like to get an idea if it would be reachable for me after 5 weeks off.?

nilhg

Four of a kind wrote: »

Quick question lads. Based on my above entries and also my time off the bike through injury, do ye think I'd be able to do the 80k route in connemara on the 27th of this month? It's 19 days away, but id like to get an idea if it would be reachable for me after 5 weeks off.?

Newbie talking here so treat with the appropriate caution but my feeling is that if you can get back up to where you were doing 50km+ in the next few weeks you'll be OK on the 80km course, I'm reasonably familiar with most of those roads and there are no really bad hills there so as long as the wind doesn't blow too much you should be fine. Being out with a group does make the whole experience a bit easier, gets the old adrenaline flowing.

You'll have a better idea once you get a few spins under your belt, if you kept the weight off while you were off the bike it probably will come back quicker than you thought.

Four of a kind

nilhg wrote: »

Newbie talking here so treat with the appropriate caution but my feeling is that if you can get back up to where you were doing 50km+ in the next few weeks you'll be OK on the 80km course, I'm reasonably familiar with most of those roads and there are no really bad hills there so as long as the wind doesn't blow too much you should be fine. Being out with a group does make the whole experience a bit easier, gets the old adrenaline flowing.

You'll have a better idea once you get a few spins under your belt, if you kept the weight off while you were off the bike it probably will come back quicker than you thought.

Cheers dude. Will see how I get on in the next 10 days and make a decision on whether to register or not then. Thanks.

Four of a kind

20km Spin last Friday: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/177481615

36km Spin yesterday: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/178774351

Feel great after getting in the last two cycles. The 20km spin was to make sure that the back wasn't going to give me problems if I was cycling for an hour. So after that went well, due to to really rotten weather over the weekend I decided not to head out.

Yesterday's spin was a slightly longer run over to Carrick on Shannon. The wind on the return leg was a real struggle. I enjoyed a lovely tailwind for most of the way over, but forgot that I'd be cycling into it on the way home. Needless to say after the initial 10 mins of swearing I got used to it and plodded home.

Rest day I think today, although I might venture out this evening for a short 10km if the legs feel loose enough.

Four of a kind

Longest spin to date a 58km loop: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/181555457

Shoulders and backside felt a little sore towards the last 20km of this spin but all was fine the following day. Felt I was kinda hitting that so called mental wall with about 10km left as well, which I know is bound to happen as some stage. Fitness wise I felt really good and if it wasn't for the mental side of things I'd be well able for a lot more distance.

However, I know in my heart and soul the 80km route in Connemara this Sunday wouldn't be an enjoyable spin for me at this stage as I feel I've to get a lot more miles on the saddle in before I can really start to loosen up while continuing to build up my core strength.

It would have been nice to do the Connemara sportif but I don't want to cause any undue strain to myself as its just not worth been off the bike again for a long period.

Four of a kind

22km cycle in the glorious heat: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/182525532

Got my fastest speed on the bike to date - 57km/h on a nice piece of the road. Didn't get up off the saddle so maybe I could have squeezed another 5kkm/h if I did.

Happy enough with the last few spins. The 100km milestone looks like a pipe dream at the moment. I could manage it but not with the chance of straining the lower back in the process.

I'm going to keep up the light core work and stretches and eventually will get the lower back good and strong.

:pac:

Four of a kind

36km cycle today: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/183541983

1 stop which for me is a big improvement on that distance.

Four of a kind

26km spin today: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/186340082

Found it tough enough for some reason today. Steady incline for the first 4km or that really opened the lungs up early, but felt good to vary the type of routes I'm taking.

Four of a kind

20km today: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/193061223

Using Euro's as a bad excuse the past two weeks not to cycle

Four of a kind

26km cycle yesterday around Lough Key:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/193617407

Four of a kind

38km today: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/194260609

First time I sampled the drafting technique and while I found it tough to keep up with my mate it certainly is something which I can see the benefits for when on longer cycles.

RossieMan

good to see a cyclist from the same area as myself.

have just started cycling properly, just been out on 3 spins the last 3 days and have gone about 75km, longest spin being just over 36 km.

havn't ventured over the Carrick road just yet, may do it in the next couple of weeks.

nice to read about someone doing well in their cycling, and i may even try some of the routes you've taken, i won't post back unless i beat them obviously.

Four of a kind

RossieMan wrote: »

good to see a cyclist from the same area as myself.

have just started cycling properly, just been out on 3 spins the last 3 days and have gone about 75km, longest spin being just over 36 km.

havn't ventured over the Carrick road just yet, may do it in the next couple of weeks.

nice to read about someone doing well in their cycling, and i may even try some of the routes you've taken, i won't post back unless i beat them obviously.

Good man. I'll be blue in the face trying to beat the the locals here with their strava segments mate. I'm just trying to get back a reasonable level of fitness as well as improving my core strength to help future back problems.

Are you from Roscommon town?

RossieMan

Four of a kind wrote: »

Good man. I'll be blue in the face trying to beat the the locals here with their strava segments mate. I'm just trying to get back a reasonable level of fitness as well as improving my core strength to help future back problems.

Are you from Roscommon town?

i've recently just quit the local GAA team, so cycling is a great way to try and keep fit.

i've actually seen some of the local routes on strava, not done any just yet, more confidence required.

i'm actually from just outside Boyle myself, the roads aren't so kind on the old behind but it's the wind i really find the problem.

Probably will join the Curlieu Crusiers in the next couple of weeks, don't want to make a show of myself just yet.

Four of a kind

RossieMan wrote: »

i've recently just quit the local GAA team, so cycling is a great way to try and keep fit.

i've actually seen some of the local routes on strava, not done any just yet, more confidence required.

i'm actually from just outside Boyle myself, the roads aren't so kind on the old behind but it's the wind i really find the problem.

Probably will join the Curlieu Crusiers in the next couple of weeks, don't want to make a show of myself just yet.

Ah right. Well I joined them back in Feb and went with them on my 4th ever cycle which I was abit worried about(fitness wise), as I hadn't trained in a year with my injury and I was well able for the intermediate route(40km).

So if you've just quit GAA training you'll have zero worries when it comes to the fitness side of things mate. Believe me.

Curliew wheelers is fairly active this time of year so you should join up for sure.