05-01-2024, 12:38 PM
Just joined and thought I'd share some off the things I've learned... or think I've learned! Look forward to reading your feedback... Training, Tires, Saddles & Safety
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(05-01-2024, 12:38 PM)Qwerty Wrote: Just joined and thought I'd share some off the things I've learned... or think I've learned! Look forward to reading your feedback... Training, Tires, Saddles & Safety
(05-01-2024, 12:38 PM)Qwerty Wrote: Just joined and thought I'd share some off the things I've learned... or think I've learned! Look forward to reading your feedback... Training, Tires, Saddles & Safety
(05-01-2024, 12:38 PM)Qwerty Wrote: Just joined and thought I'd share some off the things I've learned... or think I've learned! Look forward to reading your feedback... Training, Tires, Saddles & Safety
(06-03-2024, 01:42 AM)Jesper Wrote: @enkei that's why I avoid the Dr's office; I'm afraid he/she will tell me to slow down at my age. I was hospitalized (at the hospital I work at!) for kidney failure due to dehydration a couple years ago during a 40 mile commute to work. Medical staff was freaking out that I was riding that far and then going to work for 9+ hrs. IV for a day and a half; jumped out of bed and rode away on my bike before they could stop me.
(06-03-2024, 01:42 AM)Jesper Wrote: @enkei that's why I avoid the Dr's office; I'm afraid he/she will tell me to slow down at my age. I was hospitalized (at the hospital I work at!) for kidney failure due to dehydration a couple years ago during a 40 mile commute to work. Medical staff was freaking out that I was riding that far and then going to work for 9+ hrs. IV for a day and a half; jumped out of bed and rode away on my bike before they could stop me.
@Amanda_W change saddle position. I actually do it while riding (front to back, I do not have a dropper post), but with my body moving position not the actual saddle. I will slide forward a little (1/4"- 3/8") and cycle a few miles and slide back for a few. I can feel a little difference and it spreads the work out a bit between muscle groups. I am still comfortable in either position whether riding high or in the drops. Moving the saddle up and works I guess but I like my leg angle to stay the same during the stroke to be consistent. A little forward or back does not seem to affect my leg angle enough for my stroke to feel odd. I like to be comfortable and I think sometimes the emphasis on adjusting your bike and/or riding style is more than what is needed for most riders. Ride in a position with the bike adjusted for your comfort. You cannot properly workout all the muscles by riding a bike. You need to be active in different ways. At work I always take the stairs; 2 at a time going up (no bouncing or rushed effort, just a slow steady press), 1 at a time going down (again slowly giving a little resistance against your weight). Occassionally, I will do 3 steps at a time, but tough on my shorter legs and injured hip). A little running and a lot of walking help round me out.
Today I did some LSD to calm down after a horrible week at work. Resigning from my job after 10 yrs this week! Looking forward to doing more LSD! LSD= Long Slow Distance; I attempt to maintain the same speed regardless of gear and terrain; no standing for the hills, just spinning at higher cadence to climb. Average speed 15mph. It works well for me for training on the short rolling hills in north Florida.
(06-06-2024, 01:55 PM)GirishH Wrote: @enkei, what's your average HR, and could you please provide some info on these HR zones? My resting HR is in the 30s-40s, while when I push myself, it goes up to the 180s or sometimes above, and I just "love" that feeling of my chest beating hard. Sadly, my style of long-distance biking rarely gives me that feeling, so it's during runs when I push myself. I am curious about the zones, though, as my Strava sometimes gives me that info, but I rarely pay attention to it.
(06-07-2024, 05:06 PM)Jesper Wrote: @GirishH well it has been said that laughter is the best medicine. You may very well be "torturing" your body; but sitting idle behind a steering wheel or desk is actually doing much more harm than riding a bike. Where I work I see people retire after being active due to their jobs which require standing and movement throughout the day. After retirement many pass on fairly quickly since they are no longer actively engaged on a physical and mental level. Cycling engages mind, body, and soul. My afterwork rides, be they 5 miles or more, are cathartic for me; I can feel that "evil sludge" slipping away. When I do not ride my body and mind are not releasing the "toxins of life" which build up. Since I tend to be somewhat asocial the solitude of biking lets my mind travel and my body release. I am certainly not implying that cycling is cure-all, but it is much better than doing nothing.
Seriously though, certain medical conditions do require proper treatment and monitoring, even then as @enkei has related, he is much better off being active than to be avoiding activities all together. At my work we see an increasing amount of adult onset diabetes, and with few exceptions doctors that I know of are not telling their patients to less active (being idle is often the cause of that ailment and others); but instead tell patients to be as active as they can. Most folks do not understand that their work often translates into hours of exercise; but one must consciously realize that fact in their minds to get the true benefit from their daily work activities.
A study done on some service workers tested their blood pressure, heart rates, blood sugar, O2 saturation, weight, etc. and broke them up into 2 groups. Both groups performed the same kind of work. One group was not told anything other than to go about their daily tasks. The other group was educated on the fact that every day they were walking X amount of miles, lifting X amount of weight, bending, reaching, and climbing which engaged certain muscle groups, all of which equated to doing the same thing in a gym for X amount of minutes. They were told to think of their jobs as exercise and not drudgery. Not long after both groups were rechecked for the same tests as before. Group 1's tests came back as nearly the same or even worse from their original readings. When the second group was checked they found that their numbers got better (lower blood pressure, lower weight, etc.) and when interviewed stated that they felt better with some able to reduce or eliminate their medications. Always be aware that even the most menial tasks are benficial if thought of as such, as opposed to being thought of as drudgery.
Stay active, think healthy, stay healthy!
(06-08-2024, 12:27 PM)enkei Wrote: Sage words, dear @Jesper. Good for the , mind, and body!
(06-07-2024, 01:34 AM)enkei Wrote:(06-06-2024, 01:55 PM)GirishH Wrote: @enkei, what's your average HR, and could you please provide some info on these HR zones? My resting HR is in the 30s-40s, while when I push myself, it goes up to the 180s or sometimes above, and I just "love" that feeling of my chest beating hard. Sadly, my style of long-distance biking rarely gives me that feeling, so it's during runs when I push myself. I am curious about the zones, though, as my Strava sometimes gives me that info, but I rarely pay attention to it.
Your resting HR is amazingly low! What do you mean by average HR?
You can find info about HR zones here. Zone 2 training has been quite fashionable lately, but I'm not sure if there's actually any solid science behind it. I only aim for what is my Zone 2 because it's in line with doctor's orders since I first developed AF.