I love biking...

1074 Views 37 Replies 13 Participants Last post by niemsco, Feb 26, 2008

Tithers

Discussion Starter · Feb 25, 2008

But WHY does a 4.5 hour ride sound DREADFUL to me?<br><br>
I was HAPPY when I "only" had to do 4.5 hours training for IMFL.<br><br>
Oh well-I told sheldon to turn on the furnace...he said he was only lighting the pilot light<img alt="sad2.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad2.gif"><br><br>
Gotta get the winter weight off!

21 - 38 of 38 Posts

niemsco

· #21 · Feb 25, 2008

I would do 4+ hours on the computrainer all year around (and I will <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">), I get a much better benefit and its a tougher ride to do than when I'm on the road. Besides theres too many accidents around here, someone was just killed north side of Chicago yesterday on a group ride. I saw two people hit last season while I was running. I only like to ride outdoors when I'm visiting my parents in Wisconsin and there are farm roads, not crazy chicagoan drivers.<br><br>
I don't care whether one is riding outside or not as long as you don't skip your LR.

4boysmom

· #22 · Feb 25, 2008

niemsco--the first three broken bones our kids had (two arms and a leg) all happened not on the play ground but in the living room. Also, three sets of stitches were required because of falls in the living room. So you're not safe where ever you are. Sure, there are roads that I won't run/ride because of heavy traffic. But I'm not going to sit on a trainer or run on a dreadmill just because I might get hit. I get far too much enjoyment out of being outside. I'll take the risk.

niemsco

· #23 · Feb 25, 2008

That's great! Not that your kids got hurt, but you get out on the road. I just don't feel the same way about it. I'll get out on the road don't get me wrong, you can't keep up your technical skills on a trainer, but when I do I typically start around 4 or 4:30 am so no one is around and it will be on Sunday. I've got a real bright lite on the front. and two on the back (helmet and seat). I really don't mind sitting on the trainer for 4-5 hours... maybe I'm a freak...

Tithers

Discussion Starter · #24 · Feb 25, 2008

...I'm sorry for whining...I've got less hours on the bike now. I should keep my mouth shut.<br><br>
u

Stitcher

· #25 · Feb 25, 2008

he he he he...<br>
kinda hard to know what to say sometimes, huh?

luv2tri

· #26 · Feb 25, 2008

Niemsco - You are not a freak to be careful of riding w/ cars in and around Chicago. I have learned to be a bike path girl for just that reason. The truckers around here don't care, and since everyone and thier kid is on a cell phone in the car, I would just rather take myself out of that equation if I can. besides - Illinois is notorious for bad roads, so guess how much time & $$$ they spend on the shoulder of the road - if there even is a shoulder......<br><br>
I know some good trails if you need 'em - then again - they are saying 4-8 inches again tonight <img alt="sad2.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad2.gif"><img alt="sad2.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad2.gif"><img alt="sad2.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad2.gif"> I need summer.<br><br>
BTW - this is also a good time for everyone to remember to wear a road ID or something similar if you do venture outside!!!

See less See more

LookiLoo

· #27 · Feb 25, 2008

I've actually been looking more seriously at the endurance spinervals because I am a chicken sh!t in on the roads around here. As it is, the only time I feel relatively safe is on Sunday mornings very early, and that's if I load up my bike and drive to some country roads. I live in the Raleigh area so we don't have the traffic that Chicago has, but it's bad enough and there are enough people that don't understand bicycling laws that it scares me to be out there too much (also, driving and cell phones do not mix people! <img alt="mad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/mad.gif"> ).<br><br>
It's interesting - of the 3 sports, I think I like bicycling the least b/c of the fear factor - I've seen or heard of too many car/bike crashes it's turned me into a wimp out there! I won't do all trainer workouts as I realize the value of training on the roads, but I'm certainly on the trainer a lot more than I ever thought I would be.

See less See more

wyrillco

· #28 · Feb 25, 2008

After my first outdoor ride last year, I got done and went to bend my arms and wanted to cry!! OUCH!<br><br>
So now I do a mental check constantly to see if my elbows are locked. I do it without even realizing, and I suspect I need upper body strength to help this. I'm such a upper body wuss.

wyrillco

· #29 · Feb 25, 2008

Road riding scares me too. I have finally found some roads that are ok to ride on, not too much traffic at the right time of day. But you'll never see me crusing along a major highway at rush hour. I'm way to chicken.

QuixoticNotions

· #30 · Feb 25, 2008

I NEVER ride on roads unless it's an organized group ride (like events) and there's lots of people around me. Scares me way, way, way too much.<br>
I go to specialized areas. (paved trails, or the "roads" around Stone Mountain that don't see much traffic and are closed to vehicle traffic one-way for part of it.

QuixoticNotions

· #31 · Feb 25, 2008

<img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif"> Tithers is being punished.

niemsco

· #32 · Feb 26, 2008

The potholes are ridiculous right now. I've lived her my entire life and I've never seen it this bad. Yes I could use some suggestions on trails that would be great! The thing on trails is you have to be careful not to run someone over. I run on the Greenbay trail, which follows the Metra up the Kenosha line, and there are always cyclists hammering on that, I'm always on the lookout. But that trail only goes so far until you have to get back on the road. If I could find a decent say 10 mile or whatever loop I could go around and around that would be worth it. Thanks!

Heather H

· #33 · Feb 26, 2008

Riding on the roads in Houston is just about suicide too. I'm scared to drive a car around here, let alone ride my bike! I usually drive about an hour to go biking, even then I make sure to be in a group, too many crazy drivers even on the outskirts. So I do a lot of organized rides with police at each intersection. They're fun and definitely safer. There is a trail about 45 min away and I can get a 20 mile ride there, so I do that some too.<br><br>
Where I used to live I could roll my bike out of the house and go anywhere from 5 to over 50 miles (probably more) no problem, lots of reasonably safe low traffic roads to bike on. I miss that.

Tithers

Discussion Starter · #34 · Feb 26, 2008

Mr T gets nervous on biking days. He likes when I ride the boring silver comet trail or stone mountain...only safe places to ride.<br><br>
Luckily...I didn't get chased down or have to use my pepper spray in Cartersville this weekend!

QuixoticNotions

· #35 · Feb 26, 2008

SCT isn't boring. <img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif"> (Okay, so I just like it because it's no hills and I go much faster. shh)

niemsco

· #36 · Feb 26, 2008

wow... I just saw this.. What happened? After all this encouragement you got out of it? IMLP bike course is tough! You'll thank yourself race day. I have only ridden it on my comptrainer, and geez its hilly. The CT though simulates pretty close to actual courses that I've been on however. I did IMLP last weekend, its two loops, I did one and some change, and I was done... I guess you are pretty far out though from the race though.

Tithers

Discussion Starter · #37 · Feb 26, 2008

Niem-I dunno-ask my coach. He doesn't want to burn me out.<br><br>
I wanna get my milage up so I can lose a beer keg or 2. Sherry is fluffy...fluffy = less speed. Sherry wants a cheap piece of plastic.<br><br>
I shoulda learned last week when I posted my odd triathlon dream where CS made me run back to back 31 milers...and bandit the ING marathon.<br><br>
For that I was made to take 2 days off<img alt="uhoh2.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/uhoh2.gif"><br><br>
I need a filter!

niemsco

· #38 · Feb 26, 2008

I hear you. Burn out can ruin it all. I think IMLP is like 14 or 15 weeks out? 4:30 bike was probably the wrong time to begin with. I just hit that at week 10 or 9 for IMAZ.

21 - 38 of 38 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.