[Closed] How fit are you - and what are you doing about it?

I'm overweight but can cycle faster than people who are thinner & taller than me. Can you be fat and fit?! Who cares! Let's Ride!

I'm decently fit, but nothing more than that.

I could get fitter quite quickly, but I'm trying to lose weight so I'm trying to do less riding than I could do, but really dieting hard.

Then when (if!) I lose a decent amount of weight I'll go back to training more.

You don't have to spend hours doing mega miles by the way, you can improve a lot with short sessions. They can be fit in after kids bedtime or around work.

Can you be fat and fit?!

Yes, but only when it's flat. When it starts to go uphill you'll always be at a big disadvantage.

A lot fitter than the average person in the street

Less fit than the average person riding drop in sessions at the Velodrome

🙂

But enjoying a glass or 3 of wine on a school night !

Not very. And this week very little.

After starting riding seriously 2 years ago ... i was the fittest I have been since my early 20's in the summer ( i turned 50 in September ) ... but after two months off the bike I can really feel the slip in fitness....

so I'm back on it.... set up a turbo trainer in the garage .... plan is 2 evenings a week on it.... an evening out on mtb and longer (50 mile ) rides on weekends.... thats my plan for winter!

I can play squash for 80 mins with three of us rotating, one of the lads is an ex county star and still has the skills.
I can ride flat out for 30 mins found the local res which is just shy of 8 miles, that however makes my lungs ****ing hurt!
I have no idea how fit I am but I've noticed I'm out of breath on that fast ride more than I used to be.

I'm well overweight but (think I am) fitter than I should be (wtf!)

8x200m sprints on foot with 30s in between. Do that twice a week for a couple of months, you'll never be out of breath on the bike 🙂

Reasonably fit, but I'm only 22, and have been better at other stuff in the past than I am now (running being the main one). Next year I'm going to have a proper go at XC racing, after dabbling this year. I'm not rally sure how fit I need to be, but I figure nobody will be starting the first race of the season thinking they are going to be way too fast!

Trying to be more consistent with my riding this winter- 2 hard interval sessions, daily commute (5miles SS each way) and a weekend long ride (3 hours) should see me through I hope!

Pretty fit: this year I've managed a gold-standard time at a major Spanish (road) sportive, run a marathon, and a month ago finished a 100km running ultra... had a month off since then, now signed up to a gym to start training for the next 🙂

Best shape I've ever been in, which is probably a bit below enthusiast-cyclist-average but good enough for my purposes. I improve it by riding teh bieks, and a wee bit of directionless light weight work, but mostly I ride bikes despite the fitness benefits.

About as unfit as I've been in 6 years. Still above average I guess.

Fitter than I have ever been. 200 - 300 miles a week on the bike and all dayers are now a giggle instead of a chore.

Unfit, doing nothing about it, eating badly, drinking too much, high blood pressure, family history of heart attacks. Luckily I'm miserable as ****, so hopefully it will all be over soon.

Fitter than i was 2 yeas ago. Less fit than i was 5 yeas ago. Faster and stronger than i was 5 years ago.

35 and as fit and slim as I was 15 years ago when I used to play football 3 times a week. different kind of fit. lost about 10kg in the last year.
still not as fit as I'd like to be and only really conditioned for cycling so I'm trying a bit of squash, running and circuits on top.

What is 'fit' exactly? Apart from the obvious 'Whoaa, she's/he's fit' thing.

Reasonably fit i think.
46yrs old, 9 stone in weight at 5'2", resting heart rate of 45bpm according to my HRM. Cycle to work every day on SS bike etc.
According to my HRM my recovery time from exercise puts me in the highest bracket with a bpm of 57 5 minutes after a turbo session.
Not particularly fast although i can average 17.5mph over a 35 mile circuit.
Suppose that puts me in the 'middling' category on here.

Overweight a unfit... Ride my bike everyday though.
not getting anywhere because: love of pies > amount of exercise done

I've just eaten a toblerone and scoffed much of a bottle of red 🙂

Wonder why I am below average at velodrome ? 🙂

Fitter than most riders but not as fit as most racers....

Still fairly fit but beginning to panic as my hip is getting in the way of my riding, what am I doing about it? Thinking of turbo trainers

Apparently even thinking about exercise is beneficial - soi will think about it a bit more 🙂

Very unfit and trying to ride a lot. Uphill struggle

After the 20mph thread on here a while back, I went out to try and do a local 20 mile loop in under an hour. Averaged about 19.3 mph, but then I realised that waiting at traffic lights was enough to cost me at least 1 mph

'Feeling' fit, but noticeably weaker than the average younger club member.
Among my same age peers I'm in pretty good shape, just knocking 54.
Won an LVRC road race this year, constantly top 10. 3rd in age in a 3hour XC race. Laying 3rd/4th overall over 50 in the Central CX league.

Main aim now is to change the way I ride to prepare for the next 10 years as I still want to race into my 60's.
I lost a lot of weight after the cross finished last year, and intend to do the same again this year. I don't like to drop weight whilst I'm racing.

Oh, bought a power meter and started tagging onto Sunday club runs with Cat2 roadies instead of just riding on my lonesome if I can't get out on the mtb.

Very very unfit.3 years ago I was 10.5 stone and very quick.
Now nearly 15 stone due to shitty medications.
This makes the depression side of my bipolar a lot worse.

Comiserations iolo, that must be shit.

You cannot believe how shit
Thanks

not too bad, I manage a 14 mile ride 5 days a week, and a longer ride on a sunday, all this has been managed the last 3 yrs with a heart problem
also got down from 23 stone to 18.5 stone in the last 18 month.

mid table mediocrity here 🙂

I'm happy with it. Enjoy an all dayer, more trekking-touring than MTB, but definitely not roadie. Not competitive. Been gyming two or three times a week the last 18 months and have put muscle on and feel fit. My knees don't like running though which annoys me a bit. I'm certainly not getting younger though and lack of MTB time was obvious last time I took it out, no mojo on the rough stuff. I'd quite like to drop half a stone or maybe a bit more, just for vanity, but I'm happy. Realise I'm lucky healthwise so far to be able to keep at it. Intervals and spin classes when not on a real bike, TRX, squats and resistance machines for strength. Would like to do more multi dayer trips/rides next year if work and family allow.

Feeling fitter than I have in a long time, though in reality that probably puts me about average!

Trying to keep the intervals going midweek on the turbo, with either a couple of hours out on the SS or a short blast on the road bike. Longer, brisk ride at the weekend.

Seems to be working well enough without making the additional sacrifices I'd need if I were racing...

Resonable base, I can ride and not die...

What am I doing about it? Entered a 4 day race in January to kick my arse. Over in Perth for work this week and the road bike came with me.

Ruptured bicep tendon 2 months ago - gym stopped, biking stopped, didn't work for a month, gave up healthy food.

Went from 6ft 11.75st, reasonably bike fit and the makings of a 6 pack, to 12.75st, dreading my next strenuous bike ride and a beer gut.

Just about at the turning point of sorting it all out again though!

For cycling I feel fit enough to enjoy myself, but not so far up the scale to embarrass others!

However, looking around work, I feel a well above the average. I work on a drillship (ship with and oil rig on it's back), and [u]everybody[/u] here has to pass an offshore or seafarers medical, you could reasonably expect a higher standard.

I spend a hour a day in the gym, and normally I have the place to myself.

Fairly fit at the moment, sub 3 marathon, 1:20 half for running, ~4:50 for 70.3 and 11 hours for Ironmans. Aiming to knock over an hour off my IM time with a 15 hour weekly training schedule.

So fitter than quite a few, but still no-where near the fast guys, or girls!

Cheers, Rich

Got quite fit, lost 11lbs. Now work and weather combined have kept me off the bike, and I've put on 2.5lbs.

Still, I've just sorted my race diary to July next year with the YCwar and a Crit at http://www.abercyclefest.com and the bonty 24/12 solo as a goal, so will be back on it.

Very fit.

Set a pb in a 10m TT this summer. 4h for the three peaks, 51st in the national hill climb, regular price money at the local hill climbs and been 2nd at the last two CX.

Actually took the year off training for racing and just went out riding for fun. Because I wasn't bothered about tapering do races I did lots more riding and seem to be faster.

Plan is to keep fit over winter and hit the road racing in spring. Not had a BC licence before but would like to be a cat 3 by the end of the year.

I'm fit, I ride and trail run when not riding. Can't/don't want to do much more than I do and I like real ale & pies but also like a 32in waist and no belly... 😆

My fitness tend to peak in the spring and summer then recede as I instinctively take on a protective layer of winter blubber by not going out in the cold and pishing rain if I can help it, and staying in the house eating comfort food.

The aspect of my fitness that could be doing with being looked at is being less stiff and inflexible. Whilst I don't mind going out on the bike and chasing strava segments to the point where I am gasping for breath, the way my body complains when I do things like putting socks on suggests I need to be doing some kind of regular stretching regime that I have obviously neglected.

Fitter than average bloke on the street (for cycling) but not very fit.

Tell myself every year that I am going to make the time to get fitter, but never seem to manage it. Would like to get my IT bands sorted so I can start running again, but it takes a lot off time stretching and foam rolling that I never seem to have.

Really don't know how people find the time to fit riding in (enough to get properly fit) with work, getting stuff done around the house, spending time with partners, family & friends etc. And I don't have kids.
I barely find the time to maintain fitness, let alone improve it!

I'm fit enough to do what I want to do. I can ride all day road or off, I'm quicker than all but 1 of the people I normally ride with, and I can do anything 'outdoors-y' that I want to without it killing me the following day..

Used to 'train' reasonably hard, now I don't, so I've no delusion that I'll get slower over time, not particularly bothered, if I'm honest.

In running terms fit enough to be in the top 3 women at small parkruns and top 5% at big ones but not fit enough to get into the prizes at races where the proper fast people turn up in bigger numbers. Usually end up being my club's last scorer in team events.

Cyclingwise probably a bit less fit, although that could be because I end up comparing myself to men rather than women...

Damn fit, I get admiring glances wherever I go 😆

Not anywhere near as fit as I'd like, I'd say about average for a part time cyclist as that's what I've become 😐

Haven't been in the saddle for over a month now due to work, kids and social. Can't whinge as whilst I miss it life is pretty good right now but really need to sort it out as no time for other activities either. Here's looking forward to some clear, frosty, Autumn mornings - without doubt my favourite riding conditions 🙂

Not unfit but nowhere near fast enough !.Time trial pbs of 23 .23 for a 10 and 1.00.54 for a 25 would like to be under 22 mins and the hour next year.Now dieting im 6 ft 4 and 15 st 7 at the moment would like to get to 14 st 2 which will be a 10% drop from my starting point a couple of weeks ago

I'm perhaps not as fit as I was five years ago, but I'm certainly heading that way..
I seem to have turned a corner finally with an injury that's been bothering me for the last few years.. I think I could soon be on my way to becoming as fit as an average part time cyclist..

Sorting my diet would be a good step

Somewhere between weekend fit and race fit.

Just entered the Strathpuffer so will give myself a doing over the next 6 weeks in prep for that, I then focus on London marathon, then an Ironman in June and possibly another in August.

Top third in E1234 masters racing fit. Fast enough for top 10 in Cat4 racing and targeting sub 4:30 century. Now at the point where a training plan is required to go further. Road fitness benefits my off-road SS climbing, but I haven't raced an mtb race this year. The fittest I've ever been and the same weight I was 20 years ago (70 kg and 179cm).

From Strava last night

Ridden 1841 times by 624 people
Men
00:12:42
Wouter Sybrandy
Women
00:14:07
Maryka Sennema
My Best Effort
00:29:43

although to be fair I was on a steel MTB with draggy tires 😳

Probably about 3/10 on a fitness scale that I just invented. Appalled at how unfit and unhealthy I have become. According to BUPA I am borderline obese, I have brought it down a stone since though, have high bp and ragingly high chloresterol (latter is clearly genetic as I don't really touch red meat, cheese etc and don't drink in the week).

Can only manage a sedate 14mph average on a local 1 hour loop (in the summer so when it's not muddy), as I don't have the opportunity to ride / exercise much in the week, but have just started spinning again. They have a board which ranks everyone's positions according to power output - and yes, I am being destroyed by younger people at each session. Depressing.

All in all a pretty sorry story really, but then I was strictly non-sports at school. Envious of all those above who can get out regularly and get themselves fit.

Probably very fit for normal people, above average for cyclists. Ride most days and do it fast. No such thing as an easy ride for me.
I came about mid-pack in the three peaks this year with absolutely zero training. All I did was put a knobbly tyre on the back of my bike and took the lights off.

I could easily make myself fitter but simply can't be bothered. Enjoy food and drink too much. Some weekends I do absolutely f all exercise.
I remember in the past I would do a 70-80 mile sunday ride, then take my son out for another 20-30 miles, then go the velodrome for two hours. Tough cookie back then but did nothing with it.

I've absolutely no intention of changing things now.

I think I would come under the Chubby checker/slightly but not very fit category if there was one.

Fastest 10 mile TT this year (1st season)was 24:30 which given it was on the m62, i mean v718 isnt quick.

What am I doing? Riding my bikes more and running on the moors more and trying to lose weight. That's it.

It's taken me weeks of detailed analysis and thought to come up with this indepth intricate plan.

I am not a gifted athlete, but I reckon I am not far off as fit as I am going to get. To keep me motivated I am just looking to try different things. I have been mainly road riding/tting, but am starting running and returning to a bit more tame mtb stuff. I will start swimming again when I lose interest in timetrials.
I saw the other day I have >600 hours activities logged this year so far and over 10,000 miles.

@iamconfusedagain
Are you actually finding you are losing interest in TT's? I have only done one season and as much I have enjoyed it I find I am already losing interest. Especially now I am back on the MTB.

12 years ago was running 2:35 marathon, and was 3 stone lighter than I am now. Injury put pay to that. Im now swimming 12 to 15 miles a week with an easy bumbling pace of 7 minutes per 400m. So in swimming terms not far off my former running standard. But I feel no where near as fit.
At the moment riding the mtb 1 to 2 times a week too.

Pretty happy actually. I'm aiming for 3.5 marathon next year ( maybe) and maybe I haven't got the definition I had when I was ODing on gymnastics, but I've not got fat bits anywhere!!

Broke my back on Sept 1st. Just started work - doing the physio and walking for exercise. Having a first go on my road bike at the weekend, see how it goes...

Variable. Mostly riding twice a week and compete in the odd race/event and come mid-pack-ish - sometimes better. I have a habit of re-occurring bouts of CF/ME which tend to keep me off the bike for a while, then I recover with gentle graded exercise until i'm back to where i was.

I'm good again right now so might look at some of the Brass Monkey series this winter as i really enjoy races at around 4hrs in length.

I have just started climbing again too. Used to on-sight around F7a and trad up to about E4 up to around 2004, so it would be nice to get something of that back again. Just pulling on plastic now so need to get out to the crag to see where i'm at.

So, probably not too bad for a regular person, but some way off a regular cyclist. The key for me is to keep fittish, not to knacker myself which sets me back months and to keep entering races/events which force me to prepare properly and measure progress in a fun way.

Also like beer, wine, cheese, etc a little too much. 🙂

The past few months I feel the fittest I've ever been. Joined a gym in July and do a full body work out Tuesday/Thursday, ride 20 miles each way to work Monday/Wednesday Friday and also ride at the weekend so do a minimum of 150 miles a week.

Up until I joined the gym I was riding to work 3-5 days a week, and cutting it down to 3 with a rest day from riding has definitely made a difference. I've learned its not just about the miles.

Weight 68kg, age 46 and feel great.

Not very

Just had a bacon sandwich

I've no idea really. As others have said, fit enough to be able to do anything that I want to do bike-wise and to be honest, that's all I want to do. I have entered a few events and not finished last or been the slowest, so that's good enough for me. Riding is my only "real" exercise, aside from occasional walks/runs and very occasional swim.

I do eat and drink too much though, I suspect with a little self control and a bit of weight loss I could actually be quite a bit faster/fitter, but I don't think that's going to happen! 🙂

Just polishing off my second bacon roll so I must be twice as fit as you

Just polishing off my second bacon roll so I must be twice as fit as you

Chapeau, sir

95kg but fit enough, which is annoying as ive not the motivation to get down to say 78kg. I've got the power/weight that makes its ok uphills etc so I dont see a challenge in doing 100 miles or similar so theres no target to aim at!

Decided I want to get back into sailing where the power wont be so much use so anything over 78kg is dead weight. That should hopefully provide some winter motivation.

Fit enough to finish the hardest MTB race in the World 21st out of 120 in July 😉 8 of the hardest days of my life! Fit enough to get an Expert MTB license last year and a Cat 2 road this year without much effort or many races and fit enough to go out and run 5 miles at 7min/mile pace without trying (I dislike running a lot)
So at 35 6ft 1 and 90kgs fairly fit.

What am I doing about it? Excepting my ex-rugby playing physique will never go away and starting to broaden my activities away from just cycling, maybe Crossfit through the winter.

I assume we're talking sloely about cycling fitness here?
Even so, I'm not really sure how to quantify fitness. I do know my strengths and weaknesses though.
I probably ride between 10 and 20hrs per week (I have a lot less free time every second week) and this last year have spent a lot more time on the road bike to improve stamina for longer mtb rides, I'm at the point now where 80 miles on the road bike in the evening after a days work with no fuel is easy, and the only challenging thing about completing a century is coping with boredom at the slightly reduced pace required.
On the mtb my strengths have always been core strength and sprinting, being a well above average descender and jumper with increased endurance fitness I'm now able to enjoy longer rides much more.
Ideally I'd like to improve my climbing and take sprinting to another level but this would mean losing a couple of stone and a much more interval based training plan.
Don't really know why but I just find it incredibly hard to give it my all when doing intervals, I don't sleep enough and am never fully rested is my guess. and I like food and drink far too much to get down and stay at a proper climbers weight.

So, am I fit? Dunno is still my answer.

Fitter than some, not as fit as others. Mostly though just enjoying riding my bike. What am I doing about it? I plan to go on enjoying riding my bike.

i just had a pork pie for elevenses

and its only half ten.

What's the hardest mtb race in the world? 😯

What's the hardest mtb race in the world!

I guess Trans Rockies, although the Cape Epic, and Conquistadors would be up there as well

Never heard of them, will Google. Thanks

campkoala:

So, am I fit? Dunno is still my answer.

from your post, you sound fit.
is that what you wanted to hear?

This thread has been a good kick up the backside for me. Two years ago I stopped doing triathlons and ultra marathons and was keen to try AR as something different. Hence the interest in being a better MTBer. But the last twelve months have been pretty dire for various reasons so the fitness has dropped off, the weight gone on and only one MTB race to show for it. Endurance is still ok (4 hr rides no problem) but speed and strength gone and rhaps more importantly my flexibility.

So thanks for the nudge. First target weight and flexibility to Xmas and then up the speed work and intensity in the new year. A 6m 400m swim would be nice too! Time to get some events in the diary then there is no excuse!!!

Maybe I've missed something but 30-50km a day? For 1 week? In summer? Sounds a piece of pics to complete, well done tho.

Aren't those mental snow races far harder?

Thanks brakes, I'm still unconvinced myself tho

campkoala - Member

What's the hardest mtb race in the world?

Posted 15 minutes ago # Report-Post

The Swedish Chef - Member

What's the hardest mtb race in the world!

I guess Trans Rockies, although the Cape Epic, and Conquistadors would be up there as well

[url= http://www.ironbike.it/ ]Ironbike in Italy[/url] people from all over the globe who have raced every other big MTB stage race agree, it is the hardest. 390 miles over 8 days in the Alps, 32000m of climbing (More than the TdF does in 3weeks with rest days!

I would say I'm above average for a mountain biker but below average for a roadie. This is based on the fact that when I ride at a trail centre or something I usually end up overtaking a lot of people up hill, but if I ride with others on the road I struggle to keep up. My road average is only about 16-17mph (or lower if there's a head wind) and I don't really know what to do to improve it - any suggestions? Give me some good websites to have a read through 🙂

I do a bit of running but haven't for ages and I'm not very good at it. Can only run for about 15-20 mins non-stop before I feel like I'm going to die. Not that bothered tbh as I don't really enjoy running.

I try to lift weights 3-4x a week. One of these is a 5x5 session of squats, deadlifts, bench press and overhead press, the rest are dumbell exercises. Finally starting to see some progress on this, more definition in my arms and my legs are getting ripped 😀 When I get my own house I'll get a rack for the shed so I can do the proper 3x a week stronglifts programme 🙂