[Closed] Returning to commuting - heart attack content

I've just restarted commuting again, once a week to start with, but twice this week and boy does it hurt! Mine's only 12.5 miles each way though...

So, you have my sympathy... although I wished I hadn't ridden in yesterday now, as the weather is sooo much nicer today.

Take it easier. Listen to your body, let it get used to the commute again gradually.

You wouldn't rag a car from cold would you? 🙂

i have this to come - 7 weeks off the bike by the time i get back .... my legs are noticably smaller but i am all over leaner and lighter so if anything its a good platform for the new season 😉

unfortunantly im doing relentless 4 days after i get back in a team of 4 !

running 2-10k every other day. walking 15k daily & working hard might have retained some fitness haha

Slow down a tad, its not a race 😉

Welcome back to commuting guys 🙂 Youll never regret it 🙂

Take it easier. Listen to your body

I was taking it easy..!

As for listening to my body, you could have heard the rasping 200 yards away...

Note to self: must track down asthma inhaler.

Move closer to work 🙂

My commute's only 2.5 miles each way, so it's a doddle.

my legs are noticably smaller but i am all over leaner and lighter

My legs are also smaller (though it's hard to tell - am stocky built), but my gut is a lot larger and I'm a whole lot heavier.

I've just restarted commuting again, once a week to start with, but twice this week and boy does it hurt!

Will try to do 3 or 4 days next week. Plan is to recover some base fitness over the next six weeks, and then re-introduce some harder efforts to regain some fitness.

Move closer to work

Have you seen where I work? 😉

Slow down a tad, its not a race

muhahahahhahahaaaaaaaaaaaa

I tried to slow down a tad, in the week before doing a half marathon recently just to give my legs something approximating a rest - it felt [b]ALL WRONG[/b]. I retained a 'stately' pace for all of 500m I reckon, then saw someone up ahead in the distance and went back to normal.

I think at the moment if I did 3 or 4 days a week I'd just collapse at the end of the week... I can feel it enough in my legs after yesterday as it is!

But it's definitely making a difference as I was twiddling with ease up some climbs in the Peak which I had really struggled on before... which is nice.

Don't think I've ever been off the bike for 2 months, mind you my commute is a wussy 5 miles.

I retained a 'stately' pace for all of 500m I reckon, then saw someone up ahead in the distance and went back to normal

On some mornings when I've felt REALLY tired I've actually jumped into a car as I know that if I get onto the bike thinking 'I'll take it easy' I'll see someone and launch it 😆

Commute racing rocks FACT.

I think at the moment if I did 3 or 4 days a week I'd just collapse at the end of the week

Nah, you'll be fine. Just build it up. Before I got off the bike, I was doing 5 days a week. Easy way to get the base miles in.

Commuting - the best secret training ever..!

Oh gods, I've got this to come when my knee has recovered. I've only been off my bike for two weeks and I really miss it. I didn't think I would miss it so much, but it's awful. I do so very much enjoy my bikes.

I added to the communting fun this morning by leaving an hour alter, which means the traffic is pretty bad. That always spices things up! That truck that stopped suddenly on teh roundabout almost had a Kev shaped hole in the side. Screeeeech!
😈

I've started driving to a village on the way to work, dumping the car and cycling the rest of the way - that's 12.5 miles each way and I really enjoy it.
It helps that it's slightly uphill on the way to work & down on the way back to the car...

So far I have just been doing it on Monday & Friday and then getting in a mid-week ride at Thetford too.

Not sure how the cold weather will affect my enthusiasm, especially once the clocks go back...

Not sure how the cold weather will affect my enthusiasm, especially once the clocks go back...

I had to have a word with myself this morning, but was instantly happy once I was out of the door and on the road.

But, we'll have to see what the dark brings in the winter months..!

Commuting - the best secret training ever..!

Pretty much all I do. Hit the North was, I think, my 7th ride of the year and the Kielder 100 was my tenth.

I do need to build up to it, and I will be able to ride in most days... I'm already knocking time off the commute. I think I had it down to 55 mins on the way in yesterday compared to just over the hour the other week.

My old commute used to be faster even though it was longer, then we moved house, a few miles closer to work, but managed to put a couple of hills in the way! D'oh.. first time I tried it singlespeed.. decided against that for the time being after I arrived at work and my legs refused to work!

mike.. you only have a 2.5 mile commute and you managed those? Ye gods!! If I manage to commute every day, at that rate I'll easily be able to beat you at the Kielder next year... yeah right! ;o)

It's because I'm awesome 😉

It is 2.5 miles [b]each way[/b]. But only during term-time.

Not sure how the cold weather will affect my enthusiasm, especially once the clocks go back.

get some good kit, warm tights and a commuting waterproof, and you'll be fine.

I find it helps to have a set of kit specifically for commuting then you never have any excuses like 'it's still wet/ muddy from last nights ride', 'i need to keep that clean for the weekend' etc.

tomthumb - I think the main issue is that I have to be out of the house by 6:30 at the latest, load up the car, drive down the A1 for just over an hour, park up car, get bike out and trundle off.....the ride takes me between 42 & 49 mins depending on wind/lethargy/traffic etc.

I have sufficient cold weather kit I think, although a specific waterproof for commuting might be a good idea......

My Cateye LD610 rear light has turned up today (thanks Merlin) so at least I will be a bit more visible....

im missing my commute of 20 mile round trip with hills. def kept the mileage up, as a busy family life tends to come before riding. really helped keep a good base. i live a real stones throw from work now. i guess i could leave 1hr early and get some miles in, but i have low dedication factor for anything that resembles training and is not fun/essential travel. embrace the commute and feel the pay off when your having fun in the hills.

I thought you were going to start a bit if running OMITN. That must have helped surely?

I meant to ask, how is Baby North?

when im in the uk its up at 5 out the door at 5.30 and arrive at work at 8 showered and breakfast/coffee made for 8.25.

home for 7.30 pm

love it 😀 cant wait for winter if the wind stays away - im boned .... least i can jump on a train when its windy - only 12 miles each way for that ....

I thought you were going to start a bit if running OMITN. That must have helped surely?

Too much stress/family stuff going on. But my mind has turned back to it in the last few days.

I'm thinking of introducing it into my life for when I'm not riding into work. But all in moderation.

I meant to ask, how is Baby North?

She's wonderful, Karin. Apple of my eye and all that (and the spitting image of me, poor girl..!).

I started running this week. Up at 5:30 on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and out for half an hour.

I'm doing the Couch to 5k plan for a couple of weeks to help my cycling legs turn into running legs without my multipurpose lungs ripping them apart, so just done 15km in total this week.

to help my cycling legs turn into running legs without my multipurpose lungs ripping them apart

Which neatly takes me back to Hit the North 2.0. Never have I been in so much pain as I was during and after the run at the start.

Couch to 5k sound slike a good place to start. Just as soon as I can get more than 3 hours sleep at a time and encourage my dearest darling daughter that day time is for awake, night time is for sleep....

Just as soon as I can get more than 3 hours sleep at a time and encourage my dearest darling daughter that day time is for awake, night time is for sleep....

Sometime in 2013 then?

I'm thinking of introducing it into my life for when I'm not riding into work. But all in moderation.

Lunchtime runs are a winner, if you've showers at work. Only having an hour will work in your favour in forcing you to build slowly, as even this time of the year I'm sat outside for a good 10 minutes trying to cool down.
Definitely helps the cycling if I'm consistent with it.

Gratz on the baby,hadn't realised she was actually keeping you awake now 🙂

I made sure I rode the bike every single day in the run up to my first kid arriving 7 weeks ago, I had a time bomb ticking in my head. My cycling carefree life was about to end.

In the 3 weeks I was off work, the lovely wife sent me out on the bike a few times so every time i was out was at full pelt, 2 races around a 22 mile circuit me and my mate try to beat each others time on, and 3 MTB rides, one of which was long and fast paced.

And still, when I came back to riding the commuting bike back into work I was astonishingly slow compared to my last week on it.
Still havent regained all the speed i had to work and back but almost there.

Its shocking how quickly you lose it!

Sometime in 2013 then?

At least. 🙂

When I asked someone who i ride with (and who is an excellent rider, having been part of a national BAR winning team back in the 1980s) what he did when kids came along, he replied "Gave up riding for five years".

Trying to avoid that. But I do need a smidgen more sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Lunchtime runs are a winner, if you've showers at work

That's what I'm thinking. And I'll avoid eating at lunchtime, too. Double win.

I ride more now that I did before the kids were born. Ten times this year so far!

My seven year old still sometimes get into our bed through the night; meaning I don't sleep properly.

Treat it as training and start entering 24 hours solo races?

I don't think my riding habits changed at all.

I don't think my riding habits changed at all.

I used to ride at least 6 days a week (commute 5, one evening ride, one weekend ride if not two).

Mrs North has just had a c-section and is finding getting up and down our precipitous stairs a problem. Don't think me disappearing will do her (or me) much good..!

Treat it as training and start entering 24 hours solo races?

Any excuse for a TD-1. Want one, want one, want one.

You silly arse, I thought you'd had a heart attack. Not that I care 😉

I've just started again too and I'm surprised how much it takes out of me, but then mine is 22 miles each way (and uphill on the way back home). I guess there's a day's work in between too, but I hope that 1 or 2 times a week will be, as someone else said, the greatest secret training weapon out there!

For my comedy commuting tale of today; have a read of [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/kerching-cashing-in-karma-the-cycle-junction-wheelock-a-public-thank-you ][b]this[/b][/url] thread...