Part of it is that I use these long rides as a metric to see if I'm still in shape. When I don't want to go for a ride, I'll think, "Well, are you tough old guy or aren't you?"
Another thing is that the long rides take a lot of time. 5-6 hours of not getting other things done, but also 5-6 hours of not sitting in a chair.
But the question of "will I be better off if I do one long ride every week?" is still unresolved for me.
If I were you, Al, I'd skip the 50-mile bike rides (which probably falls into the chronic cardio category, which recent studies show is not all that healthy), and substitute a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) routine one day each week, something like what Mark Sisson recommends here:
HIIT
High intensity day should be extremely exhausting. This is the day you’re going to dread, but luckily it’s only once a week! Make it count. If you find yourself looking forward to it, you’re either a sick individual or you’re going way too easy on yourself. The key here is metabolic conditioning – subjecting yourself to a steady barrage of multi-joint, compound exercises performed rapidly and with little rest to build muscular and anaerobic endurance. HIIT (high intensity interval training) day could be anything from a simple workout of ten sets of five pull-ups, ten push-ups, and fifteen squats, to the aforementioned Tabata intervals (sprints, burpees, squats, pull-ups, etc). For the most part, HIIT day workouts can be performed with little to no equipment (as in the
Endorphin Mainline, the
Prison Workout, or the
15 Minute Workout), but you can also put together an extremely solid metabolic conditioning routine using equipment, like the
sledgehammer, the
mace, or the
sandbag. Just do it hard, fast, and don’t let up for a second.
By the time you’re tired of (as opposed to “from”) those workouts, you should be able to come up with some interesting alternatives to keep you busy. Also, stay tuned for more updates from me – I plan on introducing new routines on a regular basis to avoid stagnation (nothing worse than getting bored with a workout).
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This is a fairly intense routine, but you're done with it in 15-30 minutes, so it doesn't take long. For the rest of the week, he recommends something like this:
Monday – Sprint
Tuesday – Lift Heavy Things
Wednesday – Move Slowly, Play or Rest
Thursday – HIIT
Friday – Move Slowly, Play or Rest
Saturday – Lift Heavy Things
Sunday – Move Slowly, Play or Rest
So, there are two days of lifting heavy things, and one day of sprinting (you could substitute a quick intense bike ride for the sprinting, if you want) but those routines can be accomplished in a small amount of time also. And then the other days are days where you move or play, but don't do any real heavy exertion exercises.
If you don't like Sisson's routine, there are many other similar ones online. I think the key is to incorporate at least a day of HIIT each week, a day or two of heavy lifting (which could be bodyweight exercises rather than lifting weights), and a day of sprinting or something similar. Skip the long bike rides, which are probably doing you more harm than good, in the long run (my opinion).
