Back in Shape with Cycling. Easy !

Years of rather sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy habits have been stacking under your belt. Does your health feels older than your age ?  You wish to win back some fitness, you'd like to feel better and losing some weight would be great too !... Sounds familiar ?  

Now, you wonder: "Yeah, but how ?"

5 Steps:

1. Pick a goal and routine.
- Make it fun, keep it fun.  
- Pick an EASY goal but STICK to it !
- Go from slow and short, to longer before aiming for faster.
- Do join a club or a group, but stick to your goals.
- Plan your routine around times that you'll be able to manage weekly.
- Set a weekly goal and a monthly goal with some allowance.
- Log all your rides with strava or another app.  It runs on your phone and it's free so no excuse.  This log will show you how you progress and it'll show you that you progress.

A good start if you're out of shape is for example : 1-2 rides weekly, 60 km weekly min. goal, 150 km monthly min. goal. Tue, Thu or Sun.  That'll gives some allowance miss some days and is a great start to win back your fitness.


2. Learn as much as you can about fitness and good nutrition.

- Read about fitness and cycling (eg. links below) 
- Learn why some food are better than others
- Define your own manageable boundaries and try to replace a bit of the bad stuff with healthier choices.
- Make sure you understand what your body needs. Keep in mind hydration and energy needs, before, during and after rides.  Avoid bonking and make sure you recovery needs are covered (with the healthy stuffs).
- Keep most of your riding aerobic.  you'll burn more, enjoy more and suffer less.  You will improve, gain endurance faster and lose weight.


3. Adapt your schedule as you progress and work on skills

- After 6-8 weeks respecting your initial routine.  Update your goals or make some small changes.
- Read up and practice pedalling technique, hill climbing, tweak you bike fit, try on cleats, share tips with your group/friends.
- Move up the pack and do a fair share of pulling.  
- Try a ride or part of a ride with a faster group.
- Continue to very gradually step up your routine.  After several months you should be able to aim for 2-3 rides per week. 100 km weekly. 300 km monthly. 


4. Don't push to hard too fast !!!

- If you are too enthusiast and push too hard too soon.  You'll likely burn out your motivation and risk injury.  
- If you can't stick to your routine, change it. Perhaps your initial goals were over estimated. 
- Aim primarily for developing endurance. Forget about speed improvements this will come naturally with better endurance.
- Once you know you can keep up with your routine and weekly or monthly goals.  Now, pick a yearly goal !

5.  Sign-up for an Event !

- There are many type of events in cycling.  Pick up one which fit well your typical weekly riding distance. eg. 60km initially. You know you'll enjoy it and that'll set a good initial benchmark.
- Organize your own event.  Such as discovery rides with friends or your own solo ride challenges.


To Summarize:

Follow those five easy steps.  Clean-up your bike and start this week !  
- Pick a goal and a routine.
- Learn about fitness and nutrition.
- Adapt progressively your goals and work on skills.
- Don't push to hard too fast. But STICK to your plan !
- Sign-up for an event.

Don't forget to keep your bike in top condition.  A road bike should be smooth to ride and it's not a music instrument.  Ride safe !


References and useful reading:

Health and Fitness
http://www.philmaffetone.com/dr-phil-s-books

Endurance
http://www.coach-hughes.com/resources/base_training.html

Nutrition
http://m.bicycling.com/training-nutrition

Cycling Technique 
http://www.cycling-inform.com
( check out the youtube channel)

Healthy Food
http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php