Hey guys,
Just recently started biking into work and love the fact that I'm saving gas and getting some exercise. But sometimes I wonder about the exercise aspect... My commute is about a little over 4mi each way and it takes usually 20-25 minutes to either get to work or back home. There is about 137ft elevation gain going into work and I noticed it takes a few minutes more getting into work than it does coming home. At first I thought it was just me being sluggish in the mornings. I probably average about 9-10mph going in and 10-11mph coming back, so definitely not very fast. I'm carrying probably between 5-10lbs of stuff (change of clothes, bike tools/spare, wallet/keys/phone, bottle of water, lunch (on the way to work) in my backpack as well. This is on a Trek fitness bike.
I also noticed I've just been hungrier in general, and it's easy to kind of go overboard and "justify" bad eats because I "exercised." Especially on the weekends, when I don't really exercise at all. Obviously, the rule of "80% diet/20% exercise" comes to mind when I think weight loss and general nutrition/fitness. But just wanted to ask, for those of you who commute, if you struggle with this as well or if you have an action plan for diet and nutrition. Currently, after riding I try to eat a little something (I have a stock of protein bars at work) and or drink lots of water. The commute I have isn't that crazy either though - I'm just wondering if it's a good-enough exercise routine. Basically, I get at least 40-45 minutes of relatively intense exercise in spread across 2-times a day (although, a 10mph average seems a bit slow...). I've been using Runtastic to record my rides and noticed that my top speeds at times can get to around 22mph at the highest (especially on part of the off-street trail that is kind of a straightaway and decline) - this is probably the most *intense* part of both rides too, as I'm pushing in the highest gear. There are some slight "hills" (overpasses) closer to where my work is so I suppose I can try pushing harder to get up those especially in the morning. I'm definitely sweating when I get to work or get home.
I've had some issues with my cholesterol levels (borderline 200 and higher at times) and blood pressure 120-130/90 that concerns my doctor, as I'm 34. Also I think I'm a bit overweight (or at the high-end at least) for my height - been hovering around 150-152 at around 5'5 for a while. Got down to 145lbs when I used to join an early-morning workout group where we did a ton of plyometrics, aerobic, and cardio. I'd like to get back down to 140lb or less though. Do you guys think I'll be able to get there based on my current efforts? Any tips, strategies, or advice on really maximizing my ride without killing myself (especially in the mornings haha)?