Did a mile today...This is my third time out...My legs and thighs just BURN when I ride...How long will this last...I can barely make it through the last part sometimes....But on the plus side it gets my heart rate going & my breathing a little harder..Yeah I'm out of shape...But I'm working on it !!!
Hey Dawn, I can't really answer your question because I've been biking pretty much all my life. But like anything new, you will get used to it. I promise! Meanwhile, try changing gears to make pedaling easier. Or slow down a bit. Before you know it, you'll be going on long bike rides and will hardly feel it.
Hubby seems to be done with working Saturdays for a while ... so I am thinking that we may be able to get out both days on many weekends. But we'll get in at least one ride per weekend for sure. Looking forward to this weekend and plan to add more miles on to what we did last weekend (ideally, in the same amount of time).
Yesterday went to spinning class. Boy, I sure like those toe cages and think I'm gonna ask for clipping bike shoes and pedals for my birthday, which is in a couple of weeks. Brandy, it looks like we have almost the same birthday; mine is 5/4.
Hi all-I got in a 12 mile ride with hubby this evening. It has been a beautiful, active day for me. I did an hour spinning class this morning, went to the batting cage for 15?? minutes, walked around the 4 mile block, and then went for the bike ride. The weather couldn't be more perfect than it was today. Kinda makes you sad to come inside.
Sherry-Pretty cool having birthdays so close. Growing up the month of May held about 15 extended family birthdays on 1 side of the family. It was wild. I still haven't bought my shoes and clips so I've added them to my birthday wish list.
Dawn-The only time my legs burn are on hills cuz its flat as can be where I live so I barely ever ride on them. Hang in there. Your body will adjust pretty quickly. You're off to a great start.
This morning hubby and I went 14.25 miles, which is .5 more, in the same amount of time as last week. So we're getting a bit faster. Of course, no rain and mud to deal with today, but it looks like another rain storm is coming in and we were going against a very strong wind as we rode towards the ocean.
Now that hubby seems to be done with working Saturdays, at least for a while, maybe we'll get back to riding both days. Typically we'll do one day on the river trail where we can go faster. That is what we did today. On the second day, we like to ride along the beach itself. The scenery is much nicer, but we have to deal with many more distractions such as tourists, pedestrians, strollers, little kids on bikes, dogs, etc. So we go slower and usually only get in about 10 miles in an hour. But it's fun, and a fun exercise is one that we will do!
It rained last night and the clouds were gone this morning. Was so clean and fresh that we were riding by 7:30. This time, we went to the beach and rode along the shore and the scenery was great. Today, could easily see Catalina Island which is about 26 miles off the coast. Could also see San Clemente Island in the clouds, which is about 50 miles. Due to the air quality (pollution and coastal haze), don't see Catalina too often and I've seen San Clemente only 1 or 2 times.
Sorry - busy week last week, which is too bad, because the weather was gorgeous! (And this weekend and today it isn't...)
"Did a mile today...This is my third time out...My legs and thighs just BURN when I ride...How long will this last...I can barely make it through the last part sometimes....But on the plus side it gets my heart rate going & my breathing a little harder..Yeah I'm out of shape...But I'm working on it !!!"
Biking is a little different than your other cardio/aerobic exercises that just wind you. Those are using your slow-twitch "endurance" muscles to just keep trudging along, and use fat stores and the like. Anerobic exercise (weight-lifting, building muscles, etc) uses fast-twitch "hard, quick work" muscles to do a lot of work all at once. Those tend to use sugar as a source of fuel. When you hear people say "feel the burn!", this is what they're talking about - your body stores some "quick fuel" reserves of sugar, and when you do this hard fast-twitch muscle exercise, your body releases that sugar for fuel, and it feels sore. If you can push through it, it will subside after a few minutes.
Since biking (outside) is less predictable than a stationary bike, it's different than your typical aerobic lots-of-breathing but not-much-strength exercises. When you get to hills, you're doing a lot of anerobic (strength) exercise. Your heart-rate may elevate, and you're breathing hard, but it's brute-strength more than aerobic.
When you lower the gears so the work on the pedals is easy, but you're spinning quickly, this gets your heart & lungs moving, and doing that aerobic activity.
When I was a kid, I used to ride EVERYWHERE in the highest gear possible, and yeah - if I hadn't ridden in a while, my legs hurt. My second time around (now) after 15 years off, I've been doing more reading on the subject, and have learned the "art" of gear-shifting, which has also had the nice side-effect of my chain not falling off every few feet.
The goal in gear shifting is to keep your cadence (pedaling rate) consistent. Keep it relatively easy, but even. Then when you get to a hill, you don't want to have to work your legs harder - you shift the gears lower so the work you're doing pushing on the pedals is the same, and your rate of pedalling is the same. The concept I had to get over is - YES, you WILL lose speed - you can't keep your speed up the same on a bike as though you were driving a car. When you go DOWN a big hill, and the pedalling gets too easy, then you shift up into the bigger gears, again, trying to keep the pedaling and work rate about the same as your flat-surface work & cadence.
It did hurt for a week or two, but I'm noticing I'm getting MUCH stronger, and every time I go out, it doesn't feel so bad. On Saturday, I wound up doing some off-roading down by the river, and up and down hills in the woods and on the roads. When I approached the hills, I got this sinking feeling - "Ugh... that one's going to SUCK!" but once I did it, it was like, "Well... that really wasn't that bad after all." I know a month ago when I first went out, I would've had to get off and walk up that same hill - so it shows I HAVE improved a lot! And like my friend said, "There's no shame in getting off the bike and walking it up over a big hill."
So keep at it! Remember - the burning is just your body burning sugar-stores. If it doesn't burn it, it'll just sit there and eventually go into long-term storage anyway - and that's what we're all trying to avoid at 3-fat-chicks. I know it's uncomfortable, and I know back when I was 250 lbs and had never done a day of exercise in my life (7 years ago) after 5 minutes on a treadmill my legs, lungs and chest hurt so bad, I thought I would die. But each time I pushed through it, and each day I did it, it got easier. It still amazes me remembering in the first week at the gym, my friend coming over, worried I'd have a heart-attack, and asking, "How long have you been on here? Have you been running hard?" "*pant* *gasp* 5 *wheeze* minutes! *pant* 2.3 *chug* miles *pant* an hour! *wheeze*"
We've all been there to some extent, and I know it's frustrating when you want to ride your bike as much as everyone else, but it hurts. I promise that if you keep at it, though, you'll get stronger and it will get easier! You won't bulk up like a body-builder, and you won't get thunder-thighs, but you will build nice, tight, strong muscle. And those fast-twitch muscles will help you on future hills, and will burn calories when even you're sitting on your butt! So they're definitely beneficial. (You're definitely doing aerobic fat-burning activity too, but biking is a strong combination of both).
Keep at it!
I rode my bike down by the river through the woods on Saturday. I don't remember the mileage (not much) and it wasn't a very productive ride, but now I know it's a fairly easy ride (despite the hills on the roads) to the bridge to go over the river to the other side and explore. It was a crummy day and rained later anyway, so it was good I didn't wander too far from home, but still got out for an hour or so.
My birthday was on the 20th. The bike-fairy didn't bring me anything. I ordered a gel butterfly seat and tried that (Saturday) but I actually like the saddle that came on my "comfort" hybrid bike better. It might have been an improvement over racing bikes or something that comes with a hard seat, but the one that came with my bike is a very soft foam & spring seat, and wide in the rear. The butterfly might have broken in, but it really wasn't as off-the-shelf comfortable as the other one, so I returned it.
In past years, my boyfriend & I would play some mini-golf and go to the batting cages for my birthday, but this year I got out of work too late, so it was dark, and too cold for outdoors at night. Also, I'd played a softball game Wednesday night at work, so I was sore from that. (More so than any of the 55 miles of biking or marching!) So, we played pool instead. We felt bad for the bar-bimbettes in their mini-skirt finest, because we were almost the only ones in the whole place (probably 20+ tables), and we didn't come in to drink. We just... played 5 games of pool. (And no, he didn't let me win because it was my birthday... we both won 2 games, and then he won in the final round). The problem was he hit too many balls in the pockets (including some of mine), and I didn't hit enough...
Hi guys-Haven't ridden in a few days, but hubby and I have a bike date tonight weather permitting. Yesterday really wanted to go, but forced myself to get some projects done that need to be delivered today. Thats out of the way now, but the weathers supposedly going real cold tonight. Cant wait till things even out temp. wise.
Janis-I visited your site yesterday and was somewhat dumbfounded by your dog. I have a aus. shep./chow/lab mix who looks SO much like your dog!!! The markings are a bit different, but colors and expressions are very much the same. Have never really seen another dog so similiar to my darling Fozzy before. Happy belated birthday! I've got one in a week, and pretty positive the bike fairy will be delivering shoes/clips/pedals. I'll let ya know.
Where'd ya'all go?? I had an awesome spin class yesterday and another scheduled for this morning. Haven't ridden outside in awhile-time and weather. Hope you are all out riding and having fun.
I'm around! But I was also wondering what happened to everyone else who joined in???
Sadly, we don't bike during the week. "Nowhere" to ride in our neighborhood. It's a typical suburban tract neighborhood with lots of cars, etc and we prefer to ride on trails that don't share with cars. Although hubby is not working Saturdays now, he's still working pretty long hours and often doesn't get home till after 8:00 or so. So no time to go somewhere to ride in the evening. But weekends are better than nothing!
I went to spin class yesterday. I enjoy that a bit more than other indoor cardio (really don't like indoor cardio ... blech). The one thing I don't like is the mirrors all around the room because I look particularly fat in there. Well, I guess that's incentive to keep going ... in the hopes that one day I won't look quite so fat in all those mirrors!
Hi Sherry-I dont particularly like riding on the roads around here, but have my entire life, so I still continue to do it. (Plus to get to any decent trail we need to drive about an hour)
Spin class is definetly my favorite indoor cardio although I enjoy cardio kickboxing too. My legs are killing after yesterdays class! (I actually like that feeling-twisted I know) I'd just rather have a great workout and feel it a bit the next day than have a lousy workout.
Its nice that hubby and you go out together. We sometimes go together, but I'm slower than him (He's an amateur triathlete!) I make him switch to his mountain bike to slow him down a bit. We do enjoy our rides together no matter where we end up going.
Well, have a good one, and hopefully we'll hear from some others again!
Just a quick look-in. I haven't been on the bike at all this week, and won't for at least another week. Cold, rainy weather, and also I'm away on business with no wheels. So I haven't deserted the thread, just had nothing to report. Brandy - I envy you your spin classes. I haven't been in a month and really miss it, but I have any number of good excuses... Mainly that I'm out of town so much.
Hey Brandy, do you feel like your spin classes help you with speed/endurance when you're really biking? Sometimes I feel like I am going so fast and effortlessly in class, even with fairly high tension, but when I really ride it's a lot tougher. Of course, we ride mountain bikes (saving for road bikes) so that might explain it. There are some people in the classes I take who race, so spin classes must help.
So your hubby is an amateur triathlete! Do you ever think about training with him and competing? That is a secret desire of mine -- to compete in a triathlon. The only problem for me is that I hate to run. But I love to bike and swim. Well, there is another problem: I am still out of shape though things are improving. Maybe as I get more fit I can think about it. How far is each segment of a triathlon?
Today hubby and I rode just over 15 miles in about an hour. For some reason, it was a tough ride for both of us. My theory: the cheeseburgers we had for dinner last night (I know, I know!). There were a few "bike gangs" on the river trail this morning, most of them passing us. What really shamed us was the "roller-blading gang"; although they were traveling in the opposite direction, I am pretty sure they were going faster than us. Sigh.
Today we rode bikes along the beach. Got a later start than last week and it sure was crowded. Lots of joggers and walkers. Hubby and I agreed that we need to get an earlier start to enjoy rides along the beach; was too much like an obstacle course today.
Another thing happened and this just annoyed the out of me. The trail along the beach is like a mini-street with a dashed yellow line down the center. There are signs all over the place announcing that rules of the road apply along with speed limits for bikes, right-of-way rules, etc.
So we were on a fairly narrow bridge heading south. The bridge is still somewhat under construction, which is why it's narrow. As we approached a small group of pedestrians heading north, one of the bike riders behind this group decided to pass them. To do so, she swerved into the southbound lane and practically caused a head-on collision with me. Did she yield to me and drop back behind the pedestrians even though she had time? NO!!! I had to slam on my brakes to avoid a collision. Nothing bad happened, I glared at her, and her boyfriend/hubby/brother/whatever yelled at her afterwards, but it's just so annoying.
OK, sorry for the rant, but I figured my biking-buddies would understand! Otherwise, it was a great ride. Then we had coffee and a cinnamon roll afterwards.
Hi gals. I'm having a rough day-I am a church organist. Went to work this morning as usual-played early service, stayed for bible class, played late service. Went to my truck to go home, and someone has smashed my window and stolen my purse. I am still in shock that someone would steal and vandalize in a church parking lot. So, got home, cancelled my personal credit/debit cards and then waited for hubby to get home to cancel all the joint things. As soon a Craig got home we called on the other cards so that was all taken care of within 2 hours of me finding the smashed window. I still can't believe it. I park out near the road and no one saw or heard anything. I hope they BURN for robbing and vandalizing in a CHURCH lot. Hopefully karma will come and bite them in the *ss. I had about $60 cash and a $25 gc card-so not terrible damage, but to replace my drivers license and insurance cards its gonna be a pain. (This will be my 4th drivers license in a year cuz I lost 2 of them in the fall!! The DMV is gonna get suspicious of me soon!) Needless to say I'm having a crappy day. I now am sitting here with a bottle of raspberry wine trying to relax. I'm sorry to rant, but I am still in shock and really in the anger stage of a stress situation.
Didn't go biking, but had a softball practice to work off some steam. I'm trying to relax and will focus on moving on tomorrow. I'm SO angry and I don't like feeling like this.
Sherry-I'm sorry you had such a bad encounter on your ride. Some people are just *ssholes! Yesterday it was brought up how I look for the good in everyone-well today may have been the end of that. I just don't get how some people feel entitled to things without working for them. I work so hard for everything I get, and I don't mind that till now that it has been so unfairly taken away.
Sorry to rant. I really need to get this out of my system. Thanks for listening.
Sorry to hear about your car/purse. I kind of chalk up when I started putting the weight back on to having gotten my car stolen. I just didn't want to go anywhere - I'd rather stay locked up inside lost in t.v. fantasy-land or I'd stay at work until really late with the idea in the back of my head that "at least the parking-garage (at work) had cameras and security-guards." I now live in a gated apartment complex, but I still can't say I feel completely at ease about leaving my car in the parking lot each night. (Yet I'm too cheap to rent a garage).
As far as my bike goes, it comes inside with me into my apartment. When I lock it up, I have the biggest, heaviest bike chain I could buy, and take half the bike with me, too. (Seat & anything removeable). I went to a shoe-store the other day, (one of those old-timey village shoe-shops that employs a bunch of elderly gentlemen shoe-salesmen) and the salesman working with me was trying to figure out what was sticking out of my back-pack. "Oh - it's your bike seat. You carry it around with you?" "I don't want it to get stolen..." "I didn't think of that." I probably wouldn't bother if it wasn't quick-release. But again, my experiences tell me I should be ready for it if/when it happens. My mom's bike was stolen right out of our garage in broad daylight when I was a kid. They left another bike there instead. We found out that one had been stolen earlier. So at least one person got their bike back... But the garage door was open, and such things happen.
People asked why I didn't have a car-alarm or security system on my Cherokee, too. I said, "Well, back in rural Western NY, snow was a bigger problem than car theft, so I never even really thought about it." I don't even see why they picked my car over other people's - it was the most bare-bones basic standard-shift model they came in. You'd think there were cooler cars than mine around...
My dad (also a church organist - BTW) tends to lock himself up way too much. He expressed concern over my personal safety while biking out alone too, but I don't think being agoraphobic like him is the answer, either.
I've been out of touch lately, just because I've been way too busy at work, finishing up a semester at school and trying to get in some biking when I can, as opposed to putzing on the computer in my free time. I went for a ride today and Friday, and managed to get to the gym (once, anyway) on Monday, so that's something, although I feel like I've been slacking and falling into old patterns.
(You're definitely doing aerobic fat-burning activity too, but biking is a strong combination of both).
out of me. The trail along the beach is like a mini-street with a dashed yellow line down the center. There are signs all over the place announcing that rules of the road apply along with speed limits for bikes, right-of-way rules, etc.
Otherwise, it was a great ride. Then we had coffee and a cinnamon roll afterwards. 
I kind of chalk up when I started putting the weight back on to having gotten my car stolen. I just didn't want to go anywhere - I'd rather stay locked up inside lost in t.v. fantasy-land or I'd stay at work until really late with the idea in the back of my head that "at least the parking-garage (at work) had cameras and security-guards." I now live in a gated apartment complex, but I still can't say I feel completely at ease about leaving my car in the parking lot each night. (Yet I'm too cheap to rent a garage).
They left another bike there instead. We found out that one had been stolen earlier. So at least one person got their bike back... But the garage door was open, and such things happen. 