Went on my first ride today....

[fusnik11]

extremely fun, and extremely fast. It surprisees me how fast bikes go these days. The wife gets her Specilized Dolce Elite tomorrow and we will officially be a biker couple.

Any ideas on how I can get to the level of riding centuries soon? Fitness level pretty decent, can run 5 miles with no real problem at a 9 minute pace. (I know, very weak)

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

extremely fun, and extremely fast. It surprisees me how fast bikes go these days. The wife gets her Specilized Dolce Elite tomorrow and we will officially be a biker couple.

Any ideas on how I can get to the level of riding centuries soon? Fitness level pretty decent, can run 5 miles with no real problem at a 9 minute pace. (I know, very weak)

Increase mileage ten percent per week, ride often, and after a little bit of solo riding or with wife ride with groups.

[fusnik11]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Increase mileage ten percent per week, ride often, and after a little bit of solo riding or with wife ride with groups.

I need to find routes where I am constantly challenged. I climbed for the first 40 mins, all down hill coming home.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

I need to find routes where I am constantly challenged. I climbed for the first 40 mins, all down hill coming home.

You will need to measure your improvement so that you make proper strength and endurance gains. It's been done properly for over a century and you will not reinvent the sport.

[MikeWaters]

don't over do it. I did a metric century after having my bike for a week. I ended up with iliotibial fascitis and couldn't ride for a month or two afterward.

[SteelBlue]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

Fitness level pretty decent, can run 5 miles with no real problem at a 9 minute pace. (I know, very weak)

At your size that's pretty fast.

[fusnik11]

Originally Posted by Archaea

You will need to measure your improvement so that you make proper strength and endurance gains. It's been done properly for over a century and you will not reinvent the sport.

How is this accomplished?

My assumption is doing similar routes, keeping times, short sprints, keeping times, etc.....

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

How is this accomplished?

My assumption is doing similar routes, keeping times, short sprints, keeping times, etc.....

do you have a cyclocomputer?

If cost were no object, and you really wanted to measure your effort/progress, you would get a power tap.

Otherwise, make sure you have a cyclocomputer and a heart rate monitor.

Really, the best measure is whether you can hang with the slow guys in the club on the group ride. and then can you do work at the front on that ride. And then can you hang on the fast ride. And then can you race. etc.

Being able to ride with a local club is a good goal.

[Archaea]

Get Chris Carmichael's Book on cycling training.

There are three period to cycling training, base training which includes lots of long, slow distance, power training as the second period and peaking for speed at the end.

There are other types of training but just riding won't cut it.

[MikeWaters]

as archaea suggest, just build up base miles, come back when you have 1500 under your belt.