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How's your current levels of fitness ? How do you gauge it ? What changes ?
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nickcFull Member
Thing is like others on here, I used to be able to run a sub 40min 10k. Now I probably could, with training, get pretty near that again.
But
The training would hurt more, the recovery would take longer, and the training would be harder and injuries would be more likely. So balls to it. 😆
epicsteveFree MemberBest gauge for fitness for me is my running times plus performance on Strava segments (running and cycling). From them I can tell I’m the fittest I’ve been since records began (which to be honest isn’t saying much!) as I’m regularly improving my PB for 5K and 10% runs and also setting a lot of Strava PR’s, despite only just getting back into cycling again a couple of months ago.
Mostly it’s due to having lost a lot of weight (under 14 stone for the first time in decades – much of which has seen me over 16 and even 17 stone) as well as improved cardio fitness from running.
JackHammerFull MemberIf I can get up that first bit of cafall after the forest drive hut, then i’m doing ok. If not too many beers/fags/sweets, and not enough riding.
Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition
Latest Singletrack VideosFresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...BadlyWiredDogFull MemberEven if you’re not racing, being fitter can make riding more enjoyable. Don’t discount the ability to go further, faster, higher, feel less knackered and carry more kit.
I get that, but there’s a difference between being recreational riding fit, which I am, and race fit, which I’m not. Just chugging along is fine, but when I’m proper fit, it’s about being able to redline repeatedly and recover, sustain threshold levels of output for longer etc.
I guess that’s a bigger discussion about what you mean by ‘fitness’, but my original point, which still stands, is that just riding for pleasure regularly will give most people a level of functional riding fitness. If you want more than that, you need to train systematically for it or, at least, batter yourself in a more structural way ime etc
BadlyWiredDogFull MemberEven if you’re not racing, being fitter can make riding more enjoyable. Don’t discount the ability to go further, faster, higher, feel less knackered and carry more kit.
I get that, but there’s a difference between being recreational riding fit, which I am, and race fit, which I’m not. Just chugging along is fine, but when I’m proper fit, it’s about being able to redline repeatedly and recover, sustain threshold levels of output for longer etc.
I guess that’s a bigger discussion about what you mean by ‘fitness’, but my original point, which still stands, is that just riding for pleasure regularly will give most people a level of functional riding fitness. If you want more than that, you need to train systematically for it or, at least, batter yourself in a more structural way time etc.
[Edit: mouse click HIIT :-/ ]
yourguitarheroFree MemberI just look at strava. If I’m still getting lots of awards or PRs I’m doing ok. Don’t really know where the segments are so don’t aim for them.
Seem to get in the top 10-15% of segments as part of long rides, so must be doing something right since I don’t consciously train or eat for sports. 35 too, so not that young.Also…. Do I look like a fat **** in the mirror?
Another thing I use is.. “is my knee collapsing?” Had a bad accident a few years back on motorbike. If my legs aren’t strong my knee can collapse.
twinw4llFree MemberFit as a butchers dog, weight training 2-3 times a week, kickboxing, indoor climbing and biking at weekends.
How do i fit it in? only work a three day week because your health is your wealth.
I find it’s tough to keep a balance between strength and endurance and sometimes over train on the strength stuff which gives the endurance a bashing.
I’m 53 and intend to go down fighting.
The key to strength and fitness is maximum suffering when training.scotroutesFull Memberthere’s a difference between being recreational riding fit
, which I am,andrace fit, which I’m not.Just chugging alongFTFY
RorschachFree Member2 years ago I was getting top 10’s at National Xc races and podiums at Regional Cx
Now I’m 15.4kg heavier.I gauge my fitness by fact I’m f@:$%d for 2 days after I ride my bike.yunkiFree MemberI’m depressingly unfit at the moment
18 months ago I was towing the kids to school and back in the trailer every day, all weathers, which on a Wednesday was a good ten hilly miles with an extra 40 – 50kg
Then we bought a car
I just whinged about the ride back from the local shop 🙁
sirromjFull MemberBeen riding 10 years after practically no exercise from my teens through to thirties. Past couple of years have probably been at my fittest. Possibly was fitter last year, am unsure. Got more into HR monitoring this year, haven’t really got into intervals or hill repeats exactly, but taking ideas from that but just not the repetitiveness. Still judging my fitness as lacking, from looking at what others can do on Strava, and where I finish in the XC races I’ve done this year – in which the old adage “never judge a book by it’s cover” is often very well illustrated.
BreganteFull MemberStarted the year well after a lot of turbo work through November and December.
Broke my patellar in January which put me out of action until April. Got back to full fitness by mid June and had a decent summer.
Then in September a horse fly (?) bite on the leg led to cellulitis which put me off the bike until two weeks ago – when I was diagnosed with a kidney infection.
And somehow I’ve still managed to drop over a stone since June without actually trying…
scaredypantsFull MemberI’m currently about as fit as I’m going to get, realistically
51 and I’m quietly getting faster year on year over the last 15 yrs (which is how long I’ve been back on the bike)I don’t have more time to invest, don’t race so don’t do structured training; I just go out & do my rides (a lot on road these days, which might explain 1st sentence above)
However, while I may not get fitter, I think faster may be doable: I’ve given up the chocs and (most) cake due to being a bit on the diabetic end of things and I’ve lost quite a lot of weight. I think next year I may properly kick my own arse if the weight stays off.
Once I’m back riding after taking winter fairly easy, it’s all pretty stable plateau stuff though and I only really notice when I’m off form – weekend ride I had nothing in the legs; by Monday morning had nothing (left) in my guts 😳
ourmaninthenorthFull MemberI have never been so unfit. I don’t mean “since this time last year” or “compared with 15 years ago”. Literally never.
And, sadly, that state of affairs looks likely to continue for the foreseeable. Sometimes I wish I’d never gone to see that doctor….
Capt.KronosFree MemberSmashed up leg last year means I have only just been cleared to ride.
Then come down with Bronchitis.
Fitness is very much not happening at the moment!
seadog101Full MemberFor my age, and judging by people I see and work with, I’m fitter than most, but would still like to be a bit better.
I never judge my current level by anything I do on the bike, there’s just too many variables. Especially the trail conditions and weather.
I’m lucky enough to have both a WattBike and Concept2 rowing machine in the gym at work. both of these give me good measured repeatable results to go by. But, that said, even these are subject just how I’m feeling on the day. The Concept2 in particular, I find that I need to totally focus on technique to get the best out of it.
The C2 is great for motivation though, as your times can be posted online, and you can compare yourself to others in your age and weight bracket.
dirtydogFree MemberStrava, for me it adds interest to what would normally be mundane rides. It’s satisfying to beat PRs that I set 3 years ago and shows my current fitness levels are better than they’ve ever been. For me it’s a motivator/training tool, I make a point of not using it on social rides.
I don’t find it fun wheezing around a ride that you once positively bounded around…..when you are fitter,
I find it demoralising and frustrating.
wilburtFree MemberWeight
Comparison to regular riding mates
FTP in workouts.
Comparison to Strava timesI wouldnt use anyone of these things in isolation (except perhaps weight) as you can have bad days, be a bit run down or mentally fatiqued but collectively they give a ggood indication.
As an example after a tough year of training mostly leading my riding regular groups, setting new pb’s and increasing ftp in workouts the events are now over I had a virus a month ago and I’m klinging on the back of groups, little cups are rare and I had to manually drop my ftp for the last 5×5 mins workout.
I’m ok with this though as a couple of months taking it relativly easy will give me the mind set for next year.
iaincFull Memberscaredypants – Member
I’m currently about as fit as I’m going to get, realistically
51 and I’m quietly getting faster year on year over the last 15 yrs (which is how long I’ve been back on the bike)I don’t have more time to invest, don’t race so don’t do structured training; I just go out & do my rides (a lot on road these days, which might explain 1st sentence above)
However, while I may not get fitter, I think faster may be doable:
I could have written pretty much the identical words. Some big health problems late 14 have led to a bit of a re-evaluation, with some weight loss and diet clean up, which is helping bike and swim fitness, which has never been better really.
Hob-NobFree MemberEarly this year, great – had some good racing results & all was reasonably rosey, which was great as I wasn’t actually training that much.
Then I had a couple of big crashes almost back to back. Separated shoulder killed most of the summer riding for me. I would usually consistently do 600km a month, as a mix of commuting maybe twice a week & MTB other times. I think I did that in 3 months.
Late August I started riding properly – 600km in the Alps on the MTB in about 8 days, still riding like a fanny as i’m scared of hurting the shoulder, but starting to feel it again. Couple of reasonable top 10’s in races recently which is helping the confidence in the right direction.
The last month I’ve been battered from all directions of people being ill at work & home – about 10 days ago I gave in & caught a nasty chest infection, which has been great fun with asthma.
In the past I’ve done some reasonably structured turbo stuff throughout the winter, and gone for the FTP gains which no doubt worked. But, and it’s a big but, by the spring, as fit as I was, I had no interest in riding. Turbo life is soul destroyingly boring, doesn’t matter if its Zwift, Sufferfest, TrainerRoad etc, they all suck the life out of me.
So this year I’m going to start trail running again for the winter, I’ll commute on the nice days & ride MTB as much as I can at the weekends. In about a months time I’ll do an FTP test for the records, and I’ll have a go again in the spring & see what the difference is.
LSFree MemberI was considering starting a thread about fitness/age actually. My best guesstimate based on powermeter readings is that my cycling FTP currently 75% of what it was 15yrs ago when I was 20 years old, I am hoping that the lions share of the difference is due to me doing much less training now than I did back then but I wonder how much is due to age vs training – the only reference I could find on the internet was one indicating a 0.5% drop in ftp for every year over age of 35. I would appreciate any other experiences/info on this
I’m 39 and have been using a powermeter since the age of 27. My data shows that my FTP hasn’t dropped at all over that time. I did have a decent jump upwards (10% in 6 months) when I first got the meters but my best results haven’t dropped since.
Training has changed though, partly due to the powermeter giving me a better idea of what I need to work on, and partly due to age/life factors forcing me to alter things.
Purely based on race results I’m as fit as I’ve ever been, if not actually going better than I ever have.MarinFree MemberUp an down for me. Trained hard over winter had 3 weeks in Alps going enduro downhill and mountaineering. Took a while to recover work doesn’t help. As I age can still do it recovery just takes longer. Also have no strava heads in our gang. We ride for fun and to take the pee out of each other. We’re beating eveyone whose sat on the couch.
BadlyWiredDogFull MemberI’m 53 and intend to go down fighting.
The key to strength and fitness is maximum suffering when training.You should maybe have a read of ‘Fast After 50’, which kind of makes that point, it’s the power that goes as you get older, you can keep the trundling endurance stuff, but it’s the intensity you need, so HIIT, lots of climbing, short, sharp suffering etc.
But the one thing I’ve found is that I need to be a bit more mindful of recovery, not so much after long rides or runs, but after intense intervals etc. If you’re just ‘training’ but not in a structured way, it’s easy to forget about easy weeks and days, which is where you actually make the gains in fitness and strength.
weeksyFull MemberDoing the rest/recovery days is hard though…. I set off in Watopia today doing a 1.4w/kg roughly ride, managed that for 2 laps of the Flat, then lap 3 i thought i’d test myself a bit and sat at 2.3-2.4 which is about as good as it gets for me and pretty close to FTP. All of this after my heaviest 11 days in history. I’m on 255km now in 11 days… Which for me is proper crazy…. i’d guess double most months if not more…. It’s also been harder/faster….
The sodding irritatin thing though, the scales are still not dropping.
wilburtFree MemberShort term we’ll have good and bad days but its worth storing somewhere in your brain that maintaining muscle through your 40’s and 50’s is key to good health in later life (should you survive 🙂 )
leftyboyFree Member51 and broken at the moment so my fitness is poor, year on year I don’t drop much it just gets more unpleasant! Up until I wrecked my shoulder and neck I was able to keep up on the weekly night ride doing 25+ miles at an average of ~11mph with 80% being off road, I’m the slow one at the start but able to push hard towards the end of the ride as we head to the pub! I’m the oldest of the group I ride with and the youngest is 40 and I am usually quicker over the whole ride than he is!
When I can ride again it’s going to be horrible for about 6 weeks and then I’ll be able to hang off the back of the group and use the pace to gain some fitness.
canopyFree MemberStrava here too. a great motivator for various reasons. its not just about KOMs & peer level competition. if you ride the same places semi-regularly its awesome to see a progression trend in your past times. yes some days you feel crappy, or get stuck behind horses, or sheep, or are out with slower friends. its also great for finding new “segments” to ride. that thing about getting hung up on times? i still have times up some tracks from 2014 i did on the bike before my last bike (which had V-brakes!) which are faster! (i think because i did them earlier on the day, not part way around a loop..) forgot about it. worry about you first.
me sharing my strava rides on facebook has brought two old friends into the fold, they’ve gone out and bought bikes specifically because they knew they could ride with me.
(stravas not all good, its mapping is shite when you’re in the wilderness and inconsistent about whether it uses google or OSM, and it doesnt have an MTB tide type, and numerous other little things)
what have i done?
– i’ve made sure not to avoid climbs, i’ve put them in at good points in routes when possible
– i’ve used the HRM to watch my lactate threshold so i’m not overdoing it on climbs (for me i back off if i spend too long over it, thats around 160 bpm for me)
– i follow pattern of flapjack approx 30 mins before climbs. first climb of the day is a ‘fasted’ one though. i only have coffee before setting out.
– i use a camelbak with hydration tablets in
– try to maintain high cadence / easy gearing whenever possibleas far as my fitness goes. i’m 40. in january after getting new bike i was doing what now seems small (one climb, one descent and some inbetween) 6-8 mile loops weekly, til about march when i had an off.. after getting back on it again and be regularly on it and am doing 15-20 mile rides, with 3 to 4 ups and descents and barely noticing it the next day. i’m now regularly in the top 3rd times on many segments and in the top 10/20 on some. and it feels like the quantocks is getting smaller.
so..
– i can now ride for hours on end
– my legs (and rest of me) aren’t dead in the following days
– i’m stopping less on tough climbs
– i’m getting faster both up and down
– my weight hasn’t changed for shit. people say i look like i’ve lost weight.
– still can’t keep up with a group of 50+ year olds i sometimes ride with fitness wiseif i can maintain the amount i’m riding (weather mostly) i’ll be loving the spring. my goal is to increase cadence/ground speed generally, so i can cover more ground (ups) in shorter times.. as right now thats the only way i can see forwards.
on rained off days i’ve got a cheapy exercise bike at home which i’ll spin on for an hour while watching a documentary or bike vid etc… better than nowt right?
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