I am having a problem regarding commuting in that I can cycle to work on Monday and feel good and have lots of energy, then when I get up on Tuesday it feels like I still have some residue tiredness in my legs from the Monday. This means that the Tuesday commute feels somewhat harder than the Monday, especially on the hills. When it comes to Wednesday sometimes I wake up feeling so tired that I give up and take the car. Once I have done this I will get up on Thursday morning and feel good again; Friday will feel less good; Saturday I will get my weekly shopping on the bike then spend half the afternoon in bed when I get a wave of exhaustion. And so on. Is there anything I can do to help my body recover overnight or have I got to just accept this?
My commute is about 24 miles round trip and if I go to the bridge club in the evening that is another 4 miles round trip. I eat about 4-5 times/day and try to keep my diet healthy (meat/veg/complex carbs) so it is not clear why I keep losing energy.
I go out with the cycling club on Sunday mornings whenever possible for a 35-40 mile ride and I notice that when I do this I often feel like [censored] Monday morning even though the ride itself didn't seem that difficult, so I am baffled as to what is happening here. It is really annoying as with the excellent weather we have been having recently it is the ideal time to commute to work every day, but it seems I'm not quite up to it.
"Adam Lea" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Adam
See a doctor and get yourself checked out. You should feel so wiped out with the sort of mileages that you are doing unless you are commuting at time trial pace.
"Adam Lea" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Adam
See a doctor and get yourself checked out. You should feel so wiped out with the sort of mileages that you are doing unless you are commuting at time trial pace.
He shouldn't feel wiped out but I certainly feel a lot fresher and stronger if I haven't ridden for a few days.
Mind you this is only on the ride itself I don't feel tired afterwards.
Firstly, rest is an important part of getting fitter. Even competitive cyclists will have a regular rest day in their training plans. Always worthwhile getting a general checkover by your doc to see if there's any underlying health issue that means the tiredness you are feeling is an undue feeling of tiredness. Probably isn't but it's worth a check. It may be that even though you are trying to eat healthily you aren't, and may not be eating enough, or missing out 'something'. Keeping a food diary of what you eat over the course of a week can be a useful thing to do as it can throw up light on whether your diet is as healthy as you think it is. Example: are you having *enough* protein after riding to aid recovery?
And so on. Is there anything I can do to help my body recover overnight or have I got to just accept this?
You could just take the cycling a bit easier: take some more time and your body will get less hammered. If you are over-doing things then you're possibly doing harm rather than building up. Slow off and see if that helps, if it does then /gradually/ build towards your current speed, as you really can have too much of a good thing.
Quoted message said:
My commute is about 24 miles round trip and if I go to the bridge club in the evening that is another 4 miles round trip. I eat about 4-5 times/day and try to keep my diet healthy (meat/veg/complex carbs) so it is not clear why I keep losing energy.
There's more to muscular output than havaing the fuel available: over use does come back to haunt them. Over use won't show up straight away.
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/
"Adam Lea" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
My commute is about 24 miles round trip and if I go to the bridge club in the evening that is another 4 miles round trip. I eat about 4-5 times/day and try to keep my diet healthy (meat/veg/complex carbs) so it is not clear why I keep losing energy.
Are you getting a really good nights sleep every night? I experience something similar when I'm generally tired.
Last week all was well, bed at 9:30 then up at 7:00 to do chores and leave by 9:00. Then over the weekend I was up late chatting to friends which has messed up my sleeping pattern and I'm now finding any distance a bit of a struggle. Although it's not that noisy round here, normally the only way I'll get a full nights sleep is with earplugs in which may be a psychological thing.
I am having a problem regarding commuting in that I can cycle to work on Monday and feel good and have lots of energy, then when I get up on Tuesday it feels like I still have some residue tiredness in my legs from the Monday. This means that the Tuesday commute feels somewhat harder than the Monday, especially on the hills. When it comes to Wednesday sometimes I wake up feeling so tired that I give up and take the car. Once I have done this I will get up on Thursday morning and feel good again; Friday will feel less good; Saturday I will get my weekly shopping on the bike then spend half the afternoon in bed when I get a wave of exhaustion. And so on. Is there anything I can do to help my body recover overnight or have I got to just accept this?
My commute is about 24 miles round trip and if I go to the bridge club in the evening that is another 4 miles round trip. I eat about 4-5 times/day and try to keep my diet healthy (meat/veg/complex carbs) so it is not clear why I keep losing energy.
I go out with the cycling club on Sunday mornings whenever possible for a 35-40 mile ride and I notice that when I do this I often feel like [censored] Monday morning even though the ride itself didn't seem that difficult, so I am baffled as to what is happening here. It is really annoying as with the excellent weather we have been having recently it is the ideal time to commute to work every day, but it seems I'm not quite up to it.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
If you are not used to it that is a fair distance to do every day - I know it used to be the length of my cycle commute. Start by cycling on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (or if that proves too much too Tuesdays and Thursdays instead) Take the car the other days. When you are comfortable doing the alternate days, then add in the gaps but keep a weekend rest until you are easily doing the whole week. Take care of your nutrition - plenty of pasta after a ride is good - and make sure you drink adequately on the way in and back. Finally have a banana or something to eat about half to an hour before you set out home and make sure you have a good breakfast with a bit of a gap for your digestion before you set off in the morning.
One of the things I find puts people new back to cycling off more than anything is trying to do too much too soon. The body starts to build up an aversion to it which then makes it difficult to summon up the motivation to get the bike out. So take it easy and build up slowly.
HTH
-- Tony
"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way." - Bertrand Russell
I am having a problem regarding commuting in that I can cycle to work on Monday and feel good and have lots of energy, then when I get up on Tuesday it feels like I still have some residue tiredness in my legs from the Monday. This means that the Tuesday commute feels somewhat harder than the Monday, especially on the hills. When it comes to Wednesday sometimes I wake up feeling so tired that I give up and take the car.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Adam
If you don't recover you could have a iron deficiency
On Sun, 22 Apr 2007 11:02:17 +0200, M-gineering <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
Adam Lea said:
I am having a problem regarding commuting in that I can cycle to work on Monday and feel good and have lots of energy, then when I get up on Tuesday it feels like I still have some residue tiredness in my legs from the Monday. This means that the Tuesday commute feels somewhat harder than the Monday, especially on the hills. When it comes to Wednesday sometimes I wake up feeling so tired that I give up and take the car.
As M-gineering has already said, an iron deficiency is possible, or even mild anaemia.
The most worrying thing seems to be the need to actually go to bed for 'half the afternoon' (2-3 hours?) because you feel exhausted. That's a long time for a day time nap!
I would certainly agree that you should see your doctor, but it may well be that her/his attitude when you say you are tired after a 24 mile trip is 'well, what do you expect' (some doctors really aren't much good!). OTOH they should get some basic blood tests done.
You didn't mention how old you are, although if you're less than 65 that shouldn't be a problem. (Of course there are a lot of people over 65 for whom 24 miles a day isn't a problem).
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] (Ziggy) writes: |> |> You didn't mention how old you are, although if you're less than 65 that |> shouldn't be a problem. (Of course there are a lot of people over 65 for whom 24 |> miles a day isn't a problem).
24 miles a day for me would be a problem, but it would be more of the time spent, because it would take almost two hours. Two hours of moderate exercise shouldn't do that. If the OP is pushing things too hard, then that is the cause, and the solution is to ride a bit more slowly.
If he is NOT pushing things too hard, then it needs checking out.
"Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
If you are not used to it that is a fair distance to do every day - I know it used to be the length of my cycle commute. Start by cycling on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (or if that proves too much too Tuesdays and Thursdays instead) Take the car the other days. When you are comfortable doing the alternate days, then add in the gaps but keep a weekend rest until you are easily doing the whole week. Take care of your nutrition - plenty of pasta after a ride is good - and make sure you drink adequately on the way in and back. Finally have a banana or something to eat about half to an hour before you set out home and make sure you have a good breakfast with a bit of a gap for your digestion before you set off in the morning.
I have been doing this for over a year now. I have been trying to move up from 3x/week to 5x/week for some time now but keep coming across this barrier.
I have been out with the cycling club this morning doing 30 miles at 15.5mph average. Seemed nice and easy at the time but now, 6 hours later the generall, overall tiredness is setting in fast, despite the fact that I was perfectly alright immediatly after the ride.
"Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
If you are not used to it that is a fair distance to do every day - I know it used to be the length of my cycle commute. Start by cycling on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (or if that proves too much too Tuesdays and Thursdays instead) Take the car the other days. When you are comfortable doing the alternate days, then add in the gaps but keep a weekend rest until you are easily doing the whole week. Take care of your nutrition - plenty of pasta after a ride is good - and make sure you drink adequately on the way in and back. Finally have a banana or something to eat about half to an hour before you set out home and make sure you have a good breakfast with a bit of a gap for your digestion before you set off in the morning.
I have been doing this for over a year now. I have been trying to move up from 3x/week to 5x/week for some time now but keep coming across this barrier.
I have been out with the cycling club this morning doing 30 miles at 15.5mph average. Seemed nice and easy at the time but now, 6 hours later the generall, overall tiredness is setting in fast, despite the fact that I was perfectly alright immediatly after the ride.
You should definitely see your doctor in that case. Although you produced a lot of energy this morning you should not be responding like this now. Together with what you said originally it does sound as if something is not quite right with your metabolism.
You need to get checked out with a raft of blood tests for such things as anaemia and diabetes.
I am having a problem regarding commuting in that I can cycle to work on Monday and feel good and have lots of energy, then when I get up on Tuesday it feels like I still have some residue tiredness in my legs from the Monday. This means that the Tuesday commute feels somewhat harder than the Monday, especially on the hills. When it comes to Wednesday sometimes I wake up feeling so tired that I give up and take the car.
Funny, that. You can easily reach 35mph on a small-wheeled folder, you claim, but you can't ride to work 3 days running. Yet when I commuted by bike (about the same distance), I could do it 5 days running, go out on Sunday with the local CTC, and start again on Monday, but I was only reaching about 20mph. You'd think a super-Lance like you could keep going a bit longer? -- David Damerell <[email hidden]> Distortion Field! Today is Stilday, April - a weekend.
I am having a problem regarding commuting in that I can cycle to work on Monday and feel good and have lots of energy, then when I get up on Tuesday it feels like I still have some residue tiredness in my legs from the Monday. This means that the Tuesday commute feels somewhat harder than the Monday, especially on the hills. When it comes to Wednesday sometimes I wake up feeling so tired that I give up and take the car.
Funny, that. You can easily reach 35mph on a small-wheeled folder, you claim, but you can't ride to work 3 days running. Yet when I commuted by bike (about the same distance), I could do it 5 days running, go out on Sunday with the local CTC, and start again on Monday, but I was only reaching about 20mph. You'd think a super-Lance like you could keep going a bit longer?
Although the OP has obviously made a mistake with his timings, your clever [censored] comments only show a lack of understanding of human physiology.
The OP clearly has a problem that is not related to his muscular performance. He complains of overall fatigue, NOT muscular tiredness.
So he can achieve whatever speed he is capable of for a ride but then suffers after effects.
I hope he has made an appointment to see his doctor.
This is interesting. In the past I would have said more recovery between rides, build up gradually etc but I have been in a similar situation myself and it was not caused by lack of fitness; I have been tired (ie needing 12 hours sleep a night, still feeling tired and then needing another 3 hours kip in the day time type tired) since November. It means I go to bed really early (8-9pm) and cant go out or do anything at weekends. I have no life excpt work and sleep at the moment. I did two SR Series last year but felt 'normal' until November/ December and it wasn't until January that it became really bad. My recent job change in March now means a commute of 26 miles round trip but I haven't actually been able to do it much by bike as I am too tired - the morning ride wipes me out for the rest of the day. It is definitely NOT muscular or fitness related as until this started I was fit and used to daily commuting and audax at weekends. This is something else. I have had various medical appointments and blood tests. I would not like to dismiss the OP's problems as lack of fitness or recovery becasue of my own situation which is not cuased by that, so I agree that it may be worth getting checked out by the GP- though this in reality this means many appointments and harrassing them till they spend some NHS money on tests, rather than just accepting one appointment where they tell you to rest which is what I did at first - I have been 'resting;' on and off since November and have done no real cycling at all for five weeks and it has not helped. My hopes of qualifying and doing PBP are now on hold until this is resolved and it has already taken since November, if I include the appointments where I was told to rest and eat well (Anyone who knows me at all, knows I already do this), so I would strongly advise you to act on this now if you think it is somthing that may require medical attention - it may take a long time to identify the cause and thus to treat it.
Funny, that. You can easily reach 35mph on a small-wheeled folder,
That's what happens when you use the default computer wheel size setting on a small wheeled bike ;-)
Maybe his LBS is using the tactic of putting the wheel size up 2mm every time he brings it in for a service, and it's needed a lot of work recently? -- David Damerell <[email hidden]> Distortion Field! Today is Stilday, April - a weekend.
"David Damerell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Funny, that. You can easily reach 35mph on a small-wheeled folder, you claim, but you can't ride to work 3 days running. Yet when I commuted by bike (about the same distance), I could do it 5 days running, go out on Sunday with the local CTC, and start again on Monday, but I was only reaching about 20mph. You'd think a super-Lance like you could keep going a bit longer?
The 35mph quoted is the fastest I can go downhill pedalling hard in top gear (where did I say easily reach?). My typical cruising speed is typically between 10 and 20mph and I average around 15mph on my commutes.
Since you can manage to cycle 20+ miles/day every day without any ill effects perhaps you can give me some suggestions on how to aid overnight recovery. After all, what you claim to have done is what I am trying to work up too.
This is interesting. In the past I would have said more recovery between rides, build up gradually etc but I have been in a similar situation myself and it was not caused by lack of fitness; I have been tired (ie needing 12 hours sleep a night, still feeling tired and then needing another 3 hours kip in the day time type tired) since November. It means I go to bed really early (8-9pm) and cant go out or do anything at weekends. I have no life excpt work and sleep at the moment. I did two SR Series last year but felt 'normal' until November/ December and it wasn't until January that it became really bad. My recent job change in March now means a commute of 26 miles round trip but I haven't actually been able to do it much by bike as I am too tired - the morning ride wipes me out for the rest of the day. It is definitely NOT muscular or fitness related as until this started I was fit and used to daily commuting and audax at weekends. This is something else. I have had various medical appointments and blood tests. I would not like to dismiss the OP's problems as lack of fitness or recovery becasue of my own situation which is not cuased by that, so I agree that it may be worth getting checked out by the GP- though this in reality this means many appointments and harrassing them till they spend some NHS money on tests, rather than just accepting one appointment where they tell you to rest which is what I did at first - I have been 'resting;' on and off since November and have done no real cycling at all for five weeks and it has not helped. My hopes of qualifying and doing PBP are now on hold until this is resolved and it has already taken since November, if I include the appointments where I was told to rest and eat well (Anyone who knows me at all, knows I already do this), so I would strongly advise you to act on this now if you think it is somthing that may require medical attention - it may take a long time to identify the cause and thus to treat it.
That must be highly frustrating. I have a similar condition that lasts two or three weeks at a time - complete fatigue and sleepiness, no energy, but no symptoms of illness. It comes on every few months and is extremely frustrating. I sleep 10 to 12 hours each night during these periods and then wake up spaced out and shattered, feeling like I've had no sleep at all. I am also satisfied that it is not exercise related.
