Mamil Puns

I am noticing that many medicos have had picked up cycling especially during the pandemic.

So, I picked up riding again after 30 years at the start of the pandemic and I've been going pretty hard for the last couple of months, but I am constantly getting whooshed by the MAMILs on the trail all going like 10kph faster than I am, and while I'm huffing and puffing up the hills and forced to stand up to get enough power, I watch them glide up the hills sitting down like it's nothing.

Now, I've done the Niagara run one way and I just did a bit over 200km on Saturday up and around Lake Simcoe, so it's not like I'm a total slouch. I get that I'm 48 years old, carrying around 80kg and riding a hybrid, but man, why can't I seem to crack 14km/h on the regular?

So basically, does anyone have some tips and tricks for an old dude who's looking to improve a bit so he stops getting totally smoked by the gaggle of lycra-clad machine men?

Sorry for wall o' text, but I want to be thorough.

I took up cycling way too late in life. Six years ago I was obese and losing hope that I would ever get fit again. I'm in much better shape now, but I find recently that I sometimes feel very fatigued after a solid week's effort. I'm almost 50 and I'm wondering if I need to make changes. I suspect my diet might be to blame. Or a change in fitness regimen. I bike two to three times a week, usually 20 to 50km per ride (1 to 2 hours steady activity).

I have added some moderate resistance training recently, to keep my upper body in better condition. I have increased my protein intake to compensate, but made no other significant changes in diet.

Earlier in the month I jacked up my shoulder playing with my son, so I had to take a couple weeks off from exercising. After those two weeks were up I felt refreshed enough to do a century. And I did, setting a number of personal bests along the way. But the following week I started feeling tired. Yesterday was the worst, I felt almost as bad as I did when I was fat. I did 20km and my time was okay, but it felt like real work. Today started out the same, but once I got going I actually felt great again, and shaved a full four minutes off my best time for a favourite 45km route.

In previous years I pretty much ate what I wanted (mostly healthy stuff though, no junk like candy and very few salty snacks), drank beer almost daily, and still lost weight and felt good. That doesn't seem to work for me any more.

I've tried talking to my doctor. He doesn't exercise and hasn't got a clue. Does anybody have resources they can recommend to help me regain some of my energy? Or do I need to face the fact that I am old now?

Hey guys, I’m new to biking around Perth and I took my new bike out for a maiden voyage from Embleton down the train line to Optus this morning.

A few things:

I’m looking in time to commute from Embleton to Balcatta. Is there a “google maps” type app for the bike routes of Perth? It seems a winding complex course to keep on bike paths without using Reid Hwy and was keen for an app or GPS references map with all the bikes routes?

For the larger man starting to cycle what’s the deal with cycling clothes? I’m keen for some more stream line high viz bits (not Lycra) but XXL at the store is way too small. Do any brands for riding run big?

At what level of cycling would you recommend trying to reach out and ride with others on the weekend?

TIA

Following on from my post here;

https://www.reddit.com/r/Velo/comments/hsswi4/training_for_a_time_limited_mamil/

I did a CP5 and CP20 test, getting 385W and 291W respectively.

FTP est. 276W (3.3 W/kg) a bit south of where i thought it would be, but gives me something to work to to get to that 4 W/kg.

I currently have a CTL of 64 and TSB of -4, and have plateaued for a week or so and ready for the next training block

My current power profile and power curve are below

https://preview.redd.it/29roxpuve6f51.jpg?width=631&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d045b817cba89f4435f5bed52bf5e02dd009f9e

https://preview.redd.it/7rv6k8f0f6f51.png?width=1222&format=png&auto=webp&s=bbd20459041e8f03e0392653406e4b09d815f9de

According to the Extended CP model of Golden Cheetah my FTP should be around 300 W, and there is quite a dip though the Z5 and Z4 regions pf the power curve compared to the 'model'.

So relative to my hour (Z5 and Z4), my 5 min (Z6) power is strong, so i feel i need to focus on training the longer stuff to get my sustainable power up in the Z5 and Z4 regions.

I have decided to do turbo work on two days a week and outside rides for a further 2 days, which will be reduced when the weather gets bad, an example as below.

- Monday: Turbo 1-1.5 hours sweet spot internals (e.g. 4 x 15-20 min repeats at 90-95% FTP)

- Wednesday: 2 -3 hours ride, endurance (Z2) with the last hour at tempo (Z3)

- Friday: Turbo 1-1.5 hours over / under FTP internals (105% FTP / 95% FTP)

- Saturday: 2 -3 hours ride, hilly endurance ride with climbs (5-10 mins) at FTP

What are people thoughts on what the power profile and curve is indicating about my current fitness and my interpretation onto the proposed training?

Through my life i have cycled among other sports, with big periods of non exercise getting fat and unfit.

Now appoaching 40 and the lock down i have been able to string together some good consistent 10 weeks of riding, circa 3 rides of total 7-8 hours a week, longer rides and hill reps. This has been great and starting being able to power up hills at a pace without too much breathing out my arse, and on the flats being fast and 'keeping on top of the gear'.

I hope to continue as lockdown ends and autumn begins, but not sure where to go with training.

I am 191cm and 83kg, and have noticed not very much change in weight over the 3 months but i have in body composition, as i have started taking protein supplements, one thing i have never done before.

I think should be able to get down to 80kg.

I haven't done a ftp test (20min) in years but would say i am around ftp 290W, giving around 3.5w/kg, which is something i want to improve on.

I am never going to be a front of the pack racer nor have i ever been in a bike race (other than time trials), but i do have a number of goals

• go sub 20 mins for a 10 mile time trial, sub 1 hour for 25 miles.
• ftp 4 W/kg.
• loose weight
• beat certain times on hill climbs local to me.
• have fun.

My recent training has been a bit kitchen sink with hill reps that kill me and spirited riding, and not very much Z2 and the easier stuff, though i am riding upto 100km / 3.5hr rides. I ride with hrm and power meter.

So my main question is how best to use the time (7-8 hours) to the most benefit over three rides into 2021.

Is Z2 really that useful with limited time available?

how best to loose weight but making sure i have enough energy for rides.

I'm not sure me having a seizure at the wheel is going to make you any safer on the roads, folks.

The TDU arrives and every knucklehead on a 10 speed decides he's Bradley Wiggins. I live on Lobethal road. I'm used to the noise a group of cyclists make yelling conversation at each other at 6 am (to be fair i'm also used to motorbikes screaming past the house at all hours). I am also used to the routine of picking discarded gel packs and banana peels out of my front yard every week before my dogs eat them but it is always so much worse this time of the year. Add to that the frankly terrifying amount of riders slogging up the hill 75kms under the speed limit, swerving across the single lanes because they have over estimated their fitness and can't hold their line and you have, by far the worst month of the year to be a hills resident. I can't wait for this to be over for another year.

Looks interesting, anyone planning to watch?

"Fitter, faster and clad in lycra: the middle-aged men racing against stereotypes"

I reckon so :D