Re: Training Qs: intervals, blowing up, fat...

On May 15, 7:15=A0am, Nobody<nob...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Wed, 14 May 2008 00:39:24 -0700 (PDT),
>
> "joseph.santanie...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
" <joseph.santanie...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >I was someplace over 250. I was allergic to looking at the scale at
> >that point, so I don't really know. Probably 260 or so. I'm 205 now.
> >If I were some kind of pro, I'd be 195.
>
> >At our club time trial I averaged 28km/h when I was fat, now I am over
> >40km/h.
>
> OK, thanks. That's quite remarkable, depending on your age.

I'm 38 now.

> When I retired (I got out early), I started riding and was only
> getting about 22km/h, over about 10 miles.

I was probably in the same range, perhaps slower due to hills. The
28km/h was pedal to the metal for a 10km time trial.

>
> 1.5 years later I hit a PB of 29.6 km/h, over a non-hilly 10 mi.
> course, out and back. Not racing, just pu****ng it. (still had to stop
> for traffic).

Stopping makes a big difference, and there is also a big difference
between pu****ng it a bit, and going all out.

> After losing down to 185lbs, I don't really work on speed, but
> normally I ride a slightly hilly course at 25.7 km/h.
>
> I had no trouble hitting 40km/h, but could not sustain it. I haven't
> tried it lately, but doubt I'd be much faster than that, even with
> 40-50lbs lighter. Most of the time I see 19 and 20mph on my
> speedometer, but due to turning around, navigating and stopping for
> traffic, it ends up significantly less.

My rides do not involve stopping, so that helps keep the average up.
Maybe you also ride hillier routes now that you are lighter.

> Maybe it's motivation? Now that I'm at goal, I'm not 'driven' as I
> was.

Or what the goal is. Is the goal to be not fat, or to be fast (and
being not fat is just a way of helping accomplish that?). For me it
was 2 goals. Not being fat for general health reasons and day to day
pleasantness, and to be fast. And if the goal is to just ride around,
have fun, and stay in shape, who cares if you aren't faster?


> Maybe my progressive resistance in hill climbing has been reduced,
> dragging less lbs.
>
> Or maybe it's that I'm 5 years older. Dunno. But overall, I feel I was
> faster two years ago. :(

If you want ot be faster, you can be faster. Age doesn't matter, as it
is safe to say probably nobody on this NG is anywhere near their full
potential physically.

But maybe you have an iron deficiency or something. No reason to think
so, but you never know.

Joseph