Well, I'm fairly new to cycling myself, so I can't give you very much specific experiencial adice on that point. But I am a fairly avid runner, and I can tell you in more general terms what I do know.
Firstly, just get out and practice/train -- in this case, just ride. There is something to be said for schedules, but tha is not important as actually DOING it. The best training schedule won't help you if you can't keep it. That said, if you can find a good schedule (what qualifies as good is a very individual thing) and keep to it, it will definitely help you. Make sure you leave days for recovery (recovery can be a slow, easy ride, I usually take at least 1 day off a week).
Secondly, make sure you don't overdo it, but don't be afraid of putting forth a good effort. I often find that if I push myself too hard in running, I will injure myself (usually something small like swollen knees, mild shin splints, or minor muscle tears), and this will impede my progress. There is also a "runner's depression" that I have seen some people get when they work too hard-- they become depressed and apathetic, their mind's way of telling them to slow down. On the other hand, I have seen people use this as an excuse not to work hard, which is also an important thing to do. It is up to you to find this balance. I figure that this is fairly consistent across any endurance sport, so should apply to cycling.
Thirdly, be sure you do things that will motivate you. Many people take this to mean "reward yourself with the junk food you've been denying yourself." There are two problems with this -- (1) if you have the willpower to completely avoid all junk food, more power to you, but I have rarely seen someon who can accomplish this without giving in, doing more harm than good; moderation is the key if you are intent on watching wht you eat (2) junk food is not a good reward, because, if you have been withholding it, this may do more harm than you want, but again, this depends on how serious you are and how much you are watching what you eat. Some suggestions for motivating yourself: (1) as many people have already said, set goals (2) keep a log of your progress, this can be a siple slip of paper you write your mileages and times on, or something more complicated like a computerized system. I personally use We Endure -- it's one of the easiest and simplest computer logging systems I've found (and it's free), but you need to find what works best for you. This is also where you should keep track of your goals, as wlel as measure your progress towards them. (3) join a group of people with the same kind of abilities and goals, as I know a couple people suggested already. Best place is usually a cycling club (which I myself have yet to find.....).
Lastly, it's usually not an ahlete's first thought, but learn about your sport. Learn some of the techniques that people suggest (you'll rarely find a single technique for anything-- try anything that sounds good to you until you find one that works well). The goal is not to get you to overthink during your rides, but rather find a set of techniques that you're comfortable with that work well for you, and practice them until you don't hae to think about it. Keep in mind that often, your body will naturally find its own optimal technique-- if you feel a movement is unnatural, that may be because it is (but don't throw away the exprience of others just because it feels wierd at first).
I've foind that my best improvements when running is when I concentrated on very simple things such as keeping my eyes up (which, when I was in HS track, decreased my training mile time more than a minute).
I know this is a lot, and do tend to overexplain myself, but there should be a few clear points you can hang on to that should help you considerably starting out. And as you become more exprienced and put more miles on, much of this will become second nature to you, and chances are you'll discard other parts of it based on how you work best.
Quoted post said:I just want to ask a why are my hamstrings very tight towards the end of my ride.
I'm following CoachCarl's 20-40mile program for building base miles. It doesn't matter whether I spin or labour but dull ache to more intense ache bothers me.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
As for stiff legs, again, I don't have a lot of experience with cycling, and I don't want to attempt to answer a more medically inclined question that I'm unfamiliar with (cycling leg motion and muscular use is significantly different from running when you get into this kind of topic), besides to say that it will help to make sure you're drinking plenty of fluids DURING the ride (not jsut before and after), and I find that drinking diluted gatorade works well for me (but this may not be the solution-- I'll let more experienced riders handle that). But what I can tell you is how to let your legs recover the best. First, make sure you stretch well both before and after your rides, make sure you have a proper warm-up and cool down (as tempting as it is, for me anyways, springting out from your garage or car and coming back in as hard as you can isn't usually the best thing -- give yourself a bit of a lead-in and lead out). If your legs are bothering you after the ride, ice them (15 mins on, 15 mins off, repeat) in the evening, and it will probably help to walk around a bit if you can instead of sitting down at a desk or a computer all night after a ride. Also make sure you drink plenty of water and are eating at least nominally healthy foods (the healthier, the better, although that is definitely a very individual thing).
If there's anything else I (or anyone else) can help with, let us know.
And don't worry about not having the latest/best gear. I ride a GMC Denali road bike I got from Wal-Mart (it was cheap and wans't a complete peice of junk like a lot of supermarket bikes) wearing my shimano MTB clipless pedals and MTB shoes. I have a Bell brand cycling computer I got at Spors Authority for $5 that I jury-rigged to fit on the thick part of my handlebar on the far inside, and I wear a Bell MTB helmet, intead of a "proper" road bke helmet (is there a difference, besides a slight one in style?). I do however, in my defense, have a proper pair of cycling shorts and a jersey ($55, including shipping, nowhere near the aforementioned $500).
