Cycling UK Forum

Rosie my 13 year old daughter is wanting to join me on the Audax ride at Caton in May, and and I badly need to fitten her up. She has basically had the entire winter off her bike. We have had a couple of weekends doing about 14 miles on the total flat along the promenade, and last weekend she managed 26 miles doing the Northern plain with me, but again that is basically flattish as well. After the Northern Plain she was pretty well wrung out. We ate every 10 miles and drank constantly. She sweats loads, far more than I do, so she drank about twice as much as I did, over a litre of water, plus tea as well. We averaged 11 mph, but it was a flat ride out.

Today, we are cycling the coast road to Bride Tea Rooms, this is hilly, not as bad as we will get on the Audax, but hilly enough to be a challenge for her. We are doing 16 miles there and back, so a long way for Rosie to boot. I don't want to put her off, but neither do I want her to think the 66 miles we have to do around the Bowland Fells are going to be easy, cos I know they will not be.

The Audax as AAA awards so its gonna be a toughie, not the easiest for her first, but I had to choose the nearest one to where we live as we are cycling there as well.

The light nights are coming.

Any thoughts on a fitting up plan? There is a route nearby which has a 14% long hill route on it, and is about 6 miles long in a loop, I was thinking of using this at night for us to do. Would it be too much? Not enough?


Thanks all.

Mary and Rosie

Don't sicken her off.

The fitness comes with cycling but it has to be enjoyable. One bad experience has led to any number of bikes going in the back of the garage and staying there.

A little but often to start with.
Gradually build it up but let her go at her pace. Don't leave her struggling up the hills.
If you can go out after school / tea then use the flat route but do some "interval" training.
Pick a lamp post or similar ahead and sprint for it. Rest and then do it again 10 minutes later. Make it fun.
Ask her if there is any route / destination she would like to do. Which is her favourite cafe? etc.
Now and again set a challenge between you. How far up a hill in one gear higher than last time? This can be used to measure progress.
Between you put together a challenging hardish route. This week set out to do part of it and next week another part. Then when feeling fitter start stringing the parts together.
(I have my entry ready for the same Audax, [my first], just need to post it.)

You don't have to be on a bike to get fit.

If you have limited time then you ensure that where there are chances to get some exercise you take them.

Take the stairs not the lift, walk instead of drive etc...

Well, today we did her favourite tea room at Bride. It was 16.8 miles there and the same back. We did 33 miles in total.

I shall say this, that for someone who has cycled so little over the winter months how well she managed this, like her mum she has great stamina

It was an A - b and b - A ride today, but we tackled some BIG hills in both directions, averaged 9.8 mph. The way there was easier of course, once we had scoffed fantastic home made soup and cake at the tea room, she was ready to tackle a longer way home, but I thought na, we will go the way we came. The hill home was a monster. At the top if this hill as it leaves Ramsey, there is a manor house called 'Rest and Be thankful', it was the horse changing house years ago, I can see why.

But she didnt walk once. She took regular stops for water though.

We were very lucky today, the weather was grand, I even got rid of the thermals, wore my 3/4 leggins and a t-shirt. rosie was in summer wear and even had sandels on. It was about 12 degrees I think. So a good training day out. She was wrung out once we got home and was very pleased for her Sunday Dinner!

I am going to encourage her to walk, or run during the evenings when Im still cycling home from work, see if this can gee her up a bit on the fitness front.

We have a long way to go before she is ready.

Me too for that matter!

Mary

...some sensible ideas there to build her up and it sounds like she is already making progress, instead of running after school as she gets home first why not let her ride out to meet you? If you think she is safe enough to be let out alone.

...some sensible ideas there to build her up and it sounds like she is already making progress, instead of running after school as she gets home first why not let her ride out to meet you? If you think she is safe enough to be let out alone..

.

Thats a brilliant idea Eileithyia ! The route I now use has been chosen due to its quietness and hills, and Rosie can take the 'long cut' which is totally rural and safer than the main road! Why didnt I think of that! doh.

As we look like a good week ahead weatherwise, that sounds like a grand idea.


Mary

may I suggest your daughter wears a heart rate monitor. 220 minus Her age = MHR.

effort should be MHR x 75% for a minute. then 65% for two minutes. repeat for 1/2 hour every other day. result, Happy Daughter who's Not over doing it.

As usual I'd recommend The Long Distance Cyclists' Handbook by Simon Doughty for all things to do with getting fit for long rides that aren't races. I'd say that you shouldn't follow the training plans religiously ( 'cos that might make them a chore) but there are plenty of hints tips and general guidelines from someone that really knows his stuff.

There is a substantial difference between your present riding distance and the distance you are planning on the day of the Audax.
When I did my first 200 k Audax I had a load of "alternative" routes planned. My idea was that I could afford to take a shortcut and miss out any one of the controls if I thought I was not going to make the overall distance.
Missing a control doesnt just shorten a ride it can also miss out the worst part of the ride.
With this safety net in mind I went round the course without being too worried about managing to complete it. I didnt feel the need to take any shortcuts until after the last checkpoint and then it was too late!
Most of my rides which are extending my limits will have some back-up plan like that to give me a mental crutch and enable me to do the whole ride without the anxiety.

All this is excellent advice for anybody trying to build up their fitness - mental and physical - for long distance cycling.

I'd go back to my earlier thread, don't sicken her off. Teenagers are autonomous people, sometimes quick to rebel against things imposed on them and they can abandon even pursuits they enjoy to demonstrate their independence. Also, if targets seem insurmountable to them, they may decide to aim elsewhere.

I am working up my distance in a similar way. I couldn't manage 10 miles without getting exhausted and getting aches and pains and it stayed that way for a fair amount of time.

Then, suddenly, in the past few weeks, my body has got used to the distance and I'm now up to 17miles at 12.5mph average with some reasonable hills and feeling relatively fine afterwards. Last night I did 10 miles at an average of 13.5mph. Five miles uphill (steep!) and the other five miles downhill and/or flat. It seems the ability curve has got steeper as I practice more, so patience has paid off. Three times a week for me at the moment. Mixing up the routes makes things more enjoyable and varied. But the distance is increasing at a faster rate now... I'll aim at 20 miles this weekend, if I get time... and so on...

Swimming, lots of it!

Nice and warm indoors and so can be done every day regardless of the weather.

Start off two days a week doing 10-15 25m lengths and work up to 30 x 25m 5 days a week, day off on the 6th day and a proper bike ride on the 7th. Plus cycle to the pool if the weather is good.