Overdoing It and Mental Fatigue

Christopher Harrison came up with the following;:

Quoted message said:

I was out training on Saturday and, ever since, don't seem to have the
"umph" to do anything non-trivial on my bike. The thing is, physically,
I don't feel particularly spent... As such, does anyone have any
experience or knowledge on "mental fatigue" -- does it really exist, or
is it just an excuse for laziness?! If it is a problem, what can one do
to get back in the groove?

Quoted message said:

Any thoughts? I don't want to have to take too long a break before
continuing training; now, or if/when it happens again.

Getting the correct amount of rest is doing just as much for your training
regime as getting in 000's of feet in climbing. Maybe your mind is telling
you to take a short rest, you just aren't listening to it properly. 🙂

When I was training hard or for a particular event I sometimes also did
similar things, a real hard ride one day, then it might take a couple of
days or more to 'feel' like it again. Some people just push through it and
maybe it works for them, but when I tried to make myself carry on it screwed
me up big stylee ... jelly legs, lack of breath etc until I stopped and
rested for a few days before pushing it hard again. Sessions of interval
training should be interspersed with a few days of relatively light
exercise/training, with a hard ride maybe taking the place of an interval
session.

If you start training and your mind is telling you to stop then I'd suggest
you try to listen to it for a while and rest.

If it _is_ simply you telling yourself you can't be arsed to carry on,
rather than your body needing rest, then maybe you need something different
to aim for for a while to regain motivation.

--
Paul ...
(8(|) Homer Rules ..... Doh !!!

Christopher Harrison said:

Any thoughts? I don't want to have to take too long a break before
continuing training; now, or if/when it happens again.

Take some days off. Listen to your body.

You want to make every 4th week an easy week anyway, so call this
a rest week 🙂

--
Arthur Clune

A dose of testosterone can apparently do wonders.

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

On a serious note, feeling "stale" happens to lots of people in regular
training. Sometimes, you just can't be arsed to go out and batter
yourself again.

I have found that a change is as good as a rest in these circumstances
- have you considered trying riding a mountainbike in the woods, going
for a run, swimming, basically anything to change your routine.

Cheers
Bronzie

Another thought, if you are doing all your rides solo, it can be
mentally very tough.

Yesterday I did a 92 mile solo ride into the Chilterns - I enjoyed it
up to a point, but it still felt like really hard work. When I'm out
riding with the club, or on a chaingang ride, the miles fly by,
especially if you spice things up with a little thro' and off.

Mentally you will be focused on riding on the wheel in front, or if
just taking it easy, riding side by side chatting.

If you've never tried the local cycling club, maybe now is a good time.

Ask yourself the following whenever your performance falters:

1) Am I too hot/cold?
2) Have I had enough rest?
3) Have I had enough carbohydrate/fat/salt/potassium/water?
4) Am I going uphill?
5) Do I need a toilet?

Chances are you are too hot; take a cool shower!

I never managed to cycle successfully when attempting to lose weight and
rode really well on days after I'd had lots of cake for tea the day
before.

It takes about 48 hours to replenish glycogen stores after exercise
(more if you restrict your energy input)

I'd suggest a couple of days off the bike, eating and drinking anything
you fancy. Listen to your body; eat real food™ and drink milk
shake/fruit juice/water/whatever you fancy. Avoid alcohol for now
though.

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

I like this group 🙂 Thanks guys -- I feel strangely re-motivated!
Perhaps tomorrow, or the weekend, holds something special in store...

Christopher Harrison said:

Hi,

I was out training on Saturday and, ever since, don't seem to have the
"umph" to do anything non-trivial on my bike. The thing is, physically,
I don't feel particularly spent... As such, does anyone have any
experience or knowledge on "mental fatigue" -- does it really exist, or
is it just an excuse for laziness?! If it is a problem, what can one do
to get back in the groove?

Let me give further details; in case they are of any use... My route on
Saturday was only 45 miles; however, it contained two hard climbs (750
feet, at about a 15% gradient) and one moderate climb (same elevation,
but about 6%). The total ascent was something like 3,000 feet; I felt
like a bit of a sprint near the end, too. It took me about 2:20,
keeping my heart rate in zones 3 and 4 (average 3.5), burning a total
of 3,000 calories (after having consumed about 350kcal of breakfast).
It was a very blustery day and I had to battle the wind all the way --
which, as I'm sure you'll all empathise with, is very frustrating! The
traffic didn't help either.
After the ride, I was neither wobbly, nor did my legs feel like
concrete! At most, about a quarter of that spent energy was replaced
(I'm trying to lose body fat, as well as train); however, I have eaten
sensibly since and have accounted for my resting metabolism... I didn't
get the greatest night's sleep on Saturday (the irking of the wind had
rather broiled me up!); but I slept reasonably last night and felt
quite perky this morning.
On Sunday evening, I tried to do some interval training: I managed just
6 minutes before giving-up! Like I say, I wasn't physically incapable;
I just didn't have the get-up-and-go to do it, or persist... This
morning, cycling to work wasn't a problem (it's only 1.5 miles -- my
grandma could manage that); but at lunch, I always like to go for a
good ride. Same problem: physically, I could have managed (about 10
miles; including an 800 foot climb at about 12%); but I just couldn't
be bothered to put the energy in!

I don't particularly feel as though I have overdone it, in the sense
that my body doesn't feel spent or over-exerted. I haven't felt hungry
or faint, so presumably the energy expenditure wasn't the problem,
either... The only thing I can thus think of is the concentration put
in to get up those hills, keep my heart pumping hard enough, overcome
the wind and avoid the traffic has, psychologically speaking, tired me
out.

Any thoughts? I don't want to have to take too long a break before
continuing training; now, or if/when it happens again.

Many thanks 🙂
Christopher Harrison

Christopher Harrison said:

Any thoughts? I don't want to have to take too long a break before
continuing training; now, or if/when it happens again.

I can only echo what the others said. Give yourself a few days off and
you'll come back stronger than ever.

d.

Helen Deborah Vecht said:

I never managed to cycle successfully when attempting to lose weight and
rode really well on days after I'd had lots of cake for tea the day
before.

It takes about 48 hours to replenish glycogen stores after exercise
(more if you restrict your energy input)

I'd suggest a couple of days off the bike, eating and drinking anything
you fancy. Listen to your body; eat real food™ and drink milk
shake/fruit juice/water/whatever you fancy. Avoid alcohol for now
though.

The only way I managed to do that successfully was to divorce
performance and weight loss.

I also took a leaf out of the lent book and decreed that Sunday's were
'eat anything' days. Does wonders for the general well being if you are
partially starved (which is the only way to reduce weight apart from
surgery).

...d

davek said:

Christopher Harrison said:

Any thoughts? I don't want to have to take too long a break before
continuing training; now, or if/when it happens again.

I can only echo what the others said. Give yourself a few days off and
you'll come back stronger than ever.

Also go out and do something fun away from the bike. Maybe the OP is
too focused on his training and needs something else to occupy his mind.

--
Andy Leighton => [email hidden]
"The Lord is my shepherd, but we still lost the sheep dog trials"
- Robert Rankin, _They Came And Ate Us_

Christopher Harrison said:

Hi,

I was out training on Saturday and, ever since, don't seem to have the
"umph" to do anything non-trivial on my bike. The thing is, physically,
I don't feel particularly spent... As such, does anyone have any
experience or knowledge on "mental fatigue" -- does it really exist, or
is it just an excuse for laziness?! If it is a problem, what can one do
to get back in the groove?

Lie down until you get completely fed up with it.

"David Martin" <[email hidden]> of http://groups.google.com

Quoted message said:

I also took a leaf out of the lent book and decreed that Sunday's were
'eat anything' days. Does wonders for the general well being if you are
partially starved (which is the only way to reduce weight apart from
surgery).

That worked for me too. Did wonders for sticking to my diet the rest of the
week, knowing that on Sundays I could eat all the otherwise forbidden foods.
--
Steph Peters
Chorlton Wanderers Cycling Group
Monthly slow and easy rides from South Manchester
http://www.sandbenders.demon.co.uk/cycling/chwan.htm

Yes, I've done this in the past and it is very successful. You don't
feel quite so guilty 😉

Steph Peters said:

"David Martin" <[email hidden]> of http://groups.google.com

Quoted message said:

I also took a leaf out of the lent book and decreed that Sunday's were
'eat anything' days. Does wonders for the general well being if you are
partially starved (which is the only way to reduce weight apart from
surgery).

That worked for me too. Did wonders for sticking to my diet the rest of the
week, knowing that on Sundays I could eat all the otherwise forbidden foods.
--
Steph Peters
Chorlton Wanderers Cycling Group
Monthly slow and easy rides from South Manchester
http://www.sandbenders.demon.co.uk/cycling/chwan.htm

You were doing the best part of 20mph into a wind with 1000m of
climbing. It's no wonder you're flogged, no matter how good you are.

I'm 56 years of age and not a good athlete but have been cycling since
I was a kid, and fitness-cycling for 25 years.

I'll tell you how to get really fit.

Go out and cycle a reasonable distance, never pushing yourself at all,
for 20 days on the trot. Like 20-30 miles at a pace you find
effortless. That really works and you won't be flogged. I learnt that
from bike touring which I've been doing for years. Cycletouring we do
50-70m/day for 6-16 days, averaging 12mph. After that one is savagely
fit, believe it or not.
The reason it works, I think, is that you convert your muscle into
fatigue resistant muscle like heart or diaphragm by repeated exercise.
It's not anything to do with strength.

Christopher Harrison said:

Hi,

I was out training on Saturday and, ever since, don't seem to have the
"umph" to do anything non-trivial on my bike. The thing is, physically,
I don't feel particularly spent... As such, does anyone have any
experience or knowledge on "mental fatigue" -- does it really exist, or
is it just an excuse for laziness?! If it is a problem, what can one do
to get back in the groove?

Quoted message said:

Many thanks 🙂
Christopher Harrison

I had to check the name of this newsgroup I'm reading this post in, and
yes, it is ...."uk.rec.cycling".

Am I correct that the "rec" bit is short for "recreational"?

Am I wrong in suggesting that this post and many of the replies might
be better discussed in a racing group? Does "recreational" no longer
imply "enjoyable leasure activity"?

What are you training for? Are you primarily a commuter, tourer, racer,
or something else?

I've been through the training for increasing the pain and
self-punishment threshold thing and woke up suddenly one day and
realisied that I had completely sacrificed my pleasure and love for
cycling in return for the short-lived high and kudos of competition and
winning the odd time trial.

I quit and have only recently got back into it with a grim
determination that I will only cycle for fun and pleasure. Pain is only
to be tolerated in very small doses and is to be endured only as a
means to increase fitness to maximise the fun.

Recreational cycling is it's own reward, there is no supreme
motivational effort required. The prospect of pedalling a nice bike in
pleasant surroundings, the freedom to roam outside the narrow confines
of the herd,and at times, battling with adverse weather, but most of
all enjoying the physical fitness that even moderate biking brings, is
why I cycle.

I cycle because I like it, and I do it when the urge becomes
irresistable, which is often. There are times when the urge seems to
disappear so I wait till it comes back....which it does. I don't count
miles cycled or feet climbed. I do have a HRM that I rarely use and
then only for amusement. I pretty well eat what I want and have no
concerns about calorie intake/expenditure.

Am I an oddity?

Does anyone else cycle for pure pleasure?

I have no problem with young spunks who need an outlet for their excess
hormones and need a short burst of masochistic activity to exhaust
themselves with, but that is not recreational cycling.

brigodon [email protected] said:

Am I wrong in suggesting that this post and many of the replies might
be better discussed in a racing group? Does "recreational" no longer
imply "enjoyable leasure activity"?

Do you think that cycle racers don't ever enjoy themselves?

Quoted message said:

I've been through the training for increasing the pain and
self-punishment threshold thing and woke up suddenly one day and
realisied that I had completely sacrificed my pleasure and love for
cycling in return for the short-lived high and kudos of competition and
winning the odd time trial.

I quit and have only recently got back into it with a grim
determination that I will only cycle for fun and pleasure.

Probably right for /you/ to quit if it was such a downer, but if it's
"grim" then you've failed at the first fence!
I don't race, don't really want to, but to suggest it's wrong for
everyone strikes me as a bit OTT. There were times on our recent tour
when I wasn't having much fun (mainly the heat), but that's not a reason
to drop touring completely.

Quoted message said:

I have no problem with young spunks who need an outlet for their excess
hormones and need a short burst of masochistic activity to exhaust
themselves with, but that is not recreational cycling.

It might not be /your/ chosen recreation, but it is nonetheless
recreational cycling.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

brigodon [email protected] wrote on 01/08/2006 08:55 +0100:

Quoted message said:

I had to check the name of this newsgroup I'm reading this post in, and
yes, it is ...."uk.rec.cycling".

Am I correct that the "rec" bit is short for "recreational"?

Am I wrong in suggesting that this post and many of the replies might
be better discussed in a racing group? Does "recreational" no longer
imply "enjoyable leasure activity"?

I am correct in saying the "uk" bit is short for "United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland" and if I am not mistaken you are
posting from New Zealand. But you too are welcome here.

NNTP-Posting-Host: 202.169.220.57
inetnum: 202.169.192.0 - 202.169.223.255
netname: WORLDNET
descr: WORLDNET NZ LIMITED
descr: INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER
descr: AUCKLAND
country: NZ

--
Tony

"Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using
his intelligence; he is just using his memory."
- Leonardo da Vinci

in message <[email hidden]>,

Christopher Harrison (') said:

I was out training on Saturday and, ever since, don't seem to have the
"umph" to do anything non-trivial on my bike. The thing is, physically,
I don't feel particularly spent... As such, does anyone have any
experience or knowledge on "mental fatigue" -- does it really exist, or
is it just an excuse for laziness?! If it is a problem, what can one do
to get back in the groove?

Let me give further details; in case they are of any use... My route on
Saturday was only 45 miles; however, it contained two hard climbs (750
feet, at about a 15% gradient) and one moderate climb (same elevation,
but about 6%). The total ascent was something like 3,000 feet; I felt
like a bit of a sprint near the end, too. It took me about 2:20,
keeping my heart rate in zones 3 and 4 (average 3.5), burning a total
of 3,000 calories (after having consumed about 350kcal of breakfast).
It was a very blustery day and I had to battle the wind all the way --
which, as I'm sure you'll all empathise with, is very frustrating! The
traffic didn't help either.

What was the weather like? Is it possible you had some degree of
sunstroke? Is it possible you seriously overheated? Did you drink enough
liquid?

I would have thought for 45 miles at that intensity, in hot weather, the
standard two bidons one tends to carry may not be enough.

I find sunstroke makes me feel very dopey and disinclined to physical
effort for several days.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; All in all you're just another nick in the ball
-- Think Droid

in message <[email hidden]>,

brigodon [email protected] (') said:

Am I wrong in suggesting that this post and many of the replies might
be better discussed in a racing group?  Does "recreational" no longer
imply "enjoyable leasure activity"?

[snip]

Quoted message said:

I quit and have only recently got back into it with a grim
determination that I will only cycle for fun and pleasure. Pain is only
to be tolerated in very small doses and is to be endured only as a
means to increase fitness to maximise the fun.

Don't know about you, but I race for fun and pleasure. I don't win, and I
am frequently lanterne rouge, but I enjoy it. Oh, I got the 'most
improved' trophy last year for my time trialling.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Windows 95:
You, you, you! You make a grown man cry...
M. Jagger/K. Richards

Quoted message said:

Go out and cycle a reasonable distance, never pushing yourself at all,
for 20 days on the trot. Like 20-30 miles at a pace you find
effortless. That really works and you won't be flogged. I learnt that
from bike touring which I've been doing for years. Cycletouring we do
50-70m/day for 6-16 days, averaging 12mph. After that one is savagely
fit, believe it or not.

Yes, but. If you want to get fast, you need to do some speed work as
well.

--
Arthur Clune