Ready for an audax?

"Skunk" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am 43, overweight and have been cycling for two years. I
am trying to get my fitness up and lose the spare tyre
that Tetleys supplied me with. I thought going on an audax
or going out for runs with a club might help as I would be
pushing myself, but I don't want to go and not be up to
it, and embarrass myself into the bargain. I cycle daily
to and from work. I have a dawes giro 500 road bike. The
weather was great today. I did a 50 mile cycle on my own
at an average of 15 miles per hour(on bike time only i.e.
my speedo time doesn't run when the bike is staionery.). A
flattish run though it was breezy. I don't feel absolutely
knackered now I'm back but I don't feel like doing it all
over again. I took three breaks of about 5 mins each and
was really ready for the second. Am I up to it, or am I
dreaming?

Do you have a beard, it's essential for Audax.

Skunk said:

I am 43, overweight and have been cycling for two years. I
am trying to get my fitness up and lose the spare tyre
that Tetleys supplied me with. I thought going on an audax
or going out for runs with a club might help as I would be
pushing myself, but I don't want to go and not be up to
it, and embarrass myself into the bargain. I cycle daily
to and from work. I have a dawes giro 500 road bike. The
weather was great today. I did a 50 mile cycle on my own
at an average of 15 miles per hour(on bike time only i.e.
my speedo time doesn't run when the bike is staionery.). A
flattish run though it was breezy. I don't feel absolutely
knackered now I'm back but I don't feel like doing it all
over again. I took three breaks of about 5 mins each and
was really ready for the second. Am I up to it, or am I
dreaming?

Have you thought of joining the local CTC rides? They
typically do 40-60 miles at your sort of speeds and riding
with a group makes the time go quickly

Tony

"Skunk" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am 43, overweight and have been cycling for two years. I
am trying to get my fitness up and lose the spare tyre
that Tetleys supplied me with. I thought going on an audax
or going out for runs with a club might help as I would be
pushing myself, but I don't want to go and not be up to
it, and embarrass myself into the bargain. I cycle daily
to and from work. I have a dawes giro 500 road bike. The
weather was great today. I did a 50 mile cycle on my own
at an average of 15 miles per hour(on bike time only i.e.
my speedo time doesn't run when the bike is staionery.). A
flattish run though it was breezy. I don't feel absolutely
knackered now I'm back but I don't feel like doing it all
over again. I took three breaks of about 5 mins each and
was really ready for the second. Am I up to it, or am I
dreaming?

--

"I took three breaks of about 5 mins each " Luxury !

Graham

Quoted message said:

The weather was great today. I did a 50 mile cycle on my
own at an average of 15 miles per hour(on bike time only
i.e. my speedo time doesn't run when the bike is
staionery.).

Speaking as someone in a similar position, I think you may
well ready for Audax, if that's what you want to do -
though the suggestion to find a local CTC ride to join
sounds like a very good idea too. I've recently started
riding on a Sunday morning with a local club - they're not
a particularly competitive club (it's a club rule that
they go at the pace of the slowest person in the group -
within reason) but their rides are a bit more ambitious
than the local CTC. I did try riding with a different club
that is *very* competitive, and though I enjoyed the
challenge, it took me three days to recover, which is not
quite what I'm after.

My limit at the moment when I go out on my own is around 70
miles at similar speed to you, and I'm doing my first Audax
next weekend (100km). I don't have a beard but I am a member
of Camra (I wonder if a venn diagram of Camra members and
Audaxers would show a significant overlap between the two
groups - I suspect it would).

d.

"Skunk" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am 43, overweight and have been cycling for two years. I
am trying to get my fitness up and lose the spare tyre
that Tetleys supplied me with.

<snip>

Last year, at 41 I completed the e2e, solo in March. It took
me 10 days and I was doing approx 100 miles per day. Overdid
it slightly the first day (130 miles) and suffered during
the ride following a really bad nights sleep, including
about 10 mins lying on the road, waiting for an attack of
all over body cramp to pass (thank god it was a quiet
stretch in the Scottish highlands)...however, I had
recovered sufficiently by the second day to continue and by
the fourth day was having no problem at all. By the time I
finished I'd got the flattest stomach I'd ever had ;-
)...unfortunately, nature takes its course and it's back :-
(..still, at least I know I can... Dave.

"Skunk" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am 43, overweight and have been cycling for two years. I
am trying to get my fitness up and lose the spare tyre
that Tetleys supplied me with. I thought going on an audax
or going out for runs with a club might help as I would be
pushing myself, but I don't want to go and not be up to
it, and embarrass myself into the bargain. I cycle daily
to and from work. I have a dawes giro 500 road bike. The
weather was great today. I did a 50 mile cycle on my own
at an average of 15 miles per hour(on bike time only i.e.
my speedo time doesn't run when the bike is staionery.). A
flattish run though it was breezy. I don't feel absolutely
knackered now I'm back but I don't feel like doing it all
over again. I took three breaks of about 5 mins each and
was really ready for the second. Am I up to it, or am I
dreaming?

I would say so, try a flat 100km to start with, see
how you go.

Skunk <[email hidden]> wrote:

: Am I up to it, or am I dreaming?

Perfectly up to it. You did 50 miles. 100km = 66 miles, so
you'd cope with a 100km Audax with no problems at all (since
you'd end up having at least one cafe stop in that time).

Once you'd done that then you'd be ready to go for a 200km.
Choose one without AAA points to start with (ie not
stupidly hilly).

Go for it.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune clune.orgclune.orgOpen ↗ "Technolibertarians make a
philosophy out of a personality defect"
- Paulina Borsook

"MSeries" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Skunk" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am 43, overweight and have been cycling for two years.
I am trying to get my fitness up and lose the spare tyre
that Tetleys supplied me with. I thought going on an
audax or going out for runs with a club might help as I
would be pushing myself, but I don't want to go and not
be up to it, and embarrass myself into the bargain. I
cycle daily to and from work. I have a dawes giro 500
road bike. The weather was great today. I did a 50 mile
cycle on my own at an average of 15 miles per hour(on
bike time only i.e. my speedo time doesn't run when the
bike is staionery.). A flattish run though it was
breezy. I don't feel absolutely knackered now I'm back
but I don't feel like doing it all over again. I took
three breaks of about 5 mins each and was really ready
for the second. Am I up to it, or am I dreaming?

I would say so, try a flat 100km to start with, see
how you go.

or even the IOW tomorrow! (not flat)

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement.
I think I will look at the suggestion of a local ctc ride. I am presuming I will find them on the net.
Cheers again.

Skunk said:

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement. I think I
will look at the suggestion of a local ctc ride. I am
presuming I will find them on the net. Cheers again.

ctc.org.ukctc.org.ukOpen ↗ Select "Go Biking with the CTC" from
the menu across the top and then Local Groups and the rest
is obvious. Many have websites with run lists etc otherwise
there are contact details to find out more.

Tony