I started riding the bike back to work

Chris Cannon

Hello all. I had been riding the bike to work earlier in the season but took around two months off with the heat and laziness. This morning I decided that it was time to get back out there.

My major concerns were being in poor shape and not having enough energy to make it. To my surprise I was ok with the 8 mile ride in that for the most part is a gradual incline the last 3 miles. I made the trip in around 40 minutes.

I know this is a slow speed but it was my first day back. I best time was 28 minutes and it will take me some time to get there again. I got a little soft in the middle with the down time.

My question than becomes how long with riding 3-4 days a week can I expect to start seeing some things tighten up. I am also starting to watch what I eat and cut out the sodas.

Well except tonight. I am hoping to have one beer for Monday night football.

Java Junkie

Good for you! I go through pretty much the same thing every year. Once the snow starts flying I stop riding although this year I'm going to try riding through the snow. Your muscles including your heart have a great memory for this type of thing. Once you've established cycling, the body memorizes the muscles used and this allows you to maintain some of the power you had before the lay-off. Obviously this has limits. You'll find yourself reaching the 28 min sooner rather than later.

Everybody is different so any weight loss you may experience is completly up to you. You could notice some significant losses within a month.

JJ