This is how I discovered the joy of long-distance cycling

In the last two years, thanks to a major change in my life and the consequent adaptation to times and rhythms, I have lost the habit of cycling long distances.

Even when I found the time and desire to do it again, my body and head didn’t seem to respond. But the problem was not what I thought.

Long ones aren’t for me anymore

I’ve always loved long bike rides. In a group, but also and above all alone, when the weather is good and there are no return times other than sunset. Riding a bike with the idea of ​​spending five or six hours in the saddle has always been something that puts me at peace with the world. It’s a moment of renewal and luxury, but it’s also an essential part of preparation when you decide to tackle some competing obligations.

Also due to the lack of these commitments, I recently had the impression that being on the bike for more than three hours was no longer for me. Even when I left with the desire and idea to stay away longer, I ended up coming back early, exhausted, not very motivated, and full of pain.

“Running long distances is no longer for me, I find it mentally and physically exhausting.” – I said this to a friend recently, convinced of it.

To pedal more, you have to pedal less

I thought it was a matter of motivation, and poor mental focus, so since I didn’t “need” to do long runs, since I didn’t have specific competitive goals, I ended up getting the impression that I was almost wasting time.

I also had a belief that I had triggered a vicious cycle. If I was always taking short trips, I would never be able to accumulate enough kilometers to get back to taking long trips. I thought that to pedal more there was only one solution: to pedal more.

Recently, perhaps the season is bad, perhaps I am aware that after forty, training in the gym is necessary to maintain good physical condition, and I started working on strengthening the muscles again through “dry” exercises several times a week. . Not only the legs, but also the abdominal muscles and upper body.

After overcoming the hurdle of the first sessions, in which fatigue seemed to only lead to widespread pain, I finally started to feel stronger, especially with respect to my core and upper body, but also with regard to the stability of my lower extremity joints.

Starting from the foundations

On my last few bike rides, I’ve started to notice that “stretching” is becoming more natural to me. The ‘desire’ to sit in the saddle seems to have returned and I have recently been able to enjoy five hour rides again without problems. And without pain.

What I thought was a motivation issue that could only be solved by pedaling, turned out to be a different problem. What I lacked was the physical foundation needed to not “suffer” from the hours in the saddle.

I’ve always had a bulky frame and lots of power and obviously in the past this meant that pedaling for long periods wasn’t an issue for me. Over the years, I have actually been able to verify how beneficial “on the ground” prep work can be to improve performance on the bike. It is clear that with age, muscle strength naturally decreases, and this means that working to maintain it is no longer just an “extra,” but has become a basic requirement.
An aspect that many cyclists often tend to underestimate…

Which program is best for me?

The program I follow is not specific to cycling, it is general toning exercises to which I add some more specific series. However, it was more than enough to see a significant difference.

Obviously, each cyclist’s needs vary based on characteristics, starting point and goals. Our advice is to always rely on professional trainers, even for programs that can be done at home if, like me, you are not a fan of the gym.

We have discussed the topic of training in the gym from a technical point of view several times in our articles, but experiencing the benefits on your skin has a different effect.
A cyclist would generally prefer to ride an additional bike rather than an alternative activity, but through my personal experience, I hope I have demonstrated the very close relationship that exists between how much and how well we pedal and the physical structure that underlies our gesture.

If you are under the impression that pedaling for a long time requires a lot of effort, and causes aches and pains, rather than continuing and increasing kilometres, try asking yourself if the problem is not something else…

If you have questions or are curious about training in the gym, here you will find many interesting answers.
In the article below you will find tips and some useful exercises for strength training at home.

Strength training at home: top 3 exercises for cyclists