Legs, or lack of them.

[Mick F]

Yes, I have two!

Last year, I'd been out and riding lots and lots and my total mileage was reasonable and "normal" for not having been off on a long tour. From Sept 2012 to the end of the year, I rarely rode more than 30miles in one single go. This was mainly because of the atrocious weather latterly, but also because of being busy domestically. Consequently, my legs seem to have disappeared. Weather was awful for the beginning of January, so first ride of the year wasn't until the 6th. That ride was 31miles. Next out was the 8th at 10miles, then yesterday (9th) I managed 28miles. Trouble is, that's about my limit! I came home worn out.

It would appear that I can ride easily and the easy bit is 20miles.
The hard bit is going further. All of a sudden, I'm knackered.
We all advise people to "get the miles in", but I never thought that I would have to eat my own words.

Wot's goin' on?

[Michael R]

Fitness goes very quickly. I had two months off in 2010 and found 30 mls felt like 50

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Last winter I put myself through 3 x 45 mins on the trainer a week for three months. It did pay off later with internal fitness.
This year its 2 x 60 minutes + a ride out doors of one and half to two and half hours.
Trouble is the 2hr 25 min ride last year is now taken 2hr 40min.
Part of this is cause its winter. the muscles have gone not the internals.
I intend to be fiter this year all ways.

[Whippet]

I've been busy working for last two months so am experiencing exactly the same, very slow! I have noticed that the fitness comes back with every ride, going to be a challenge keeping it up if it snows this weekend though.

[eileithyia]

Too much time off and too much crimbo pudding.....
Back in '07/'08 had best part of 3 months off, started off only being able to do a couple of miles...

[gaz]

.

[Brucey]

I find that if I have picked up a virus of any kind (more likely in the winter it seems), what I'm like afterwards is a pot luck job.

Sometimes I'm back to normal as soon as the main symptoms disappear, other times I'm not.

Some viruses have left me just 'drained' for months.

Some have done weird things to my metabolism, like leave me more vulnerable to bonking out for weeks or months afterwards. With one, I think somehow I was left in a state where I couldn't 'turn-on' my fat metabolism. Somewhere between forty minutes and an hour and a half into a ride, I'd bonk out catastrophically. Others in my club reported the exact same thing, again going on for weeks or months following a viral infection. Eventually it went away, but I couldn't say what if anything would make the healing process any faster.

I am strongly of the view that the medical profession has very little interest in illnesses that they cannot treat, don't understand, and don't produce outwardly dramatic or completely debilitating symptoms. You can be ill (say) with some virus that makes you feel as ill as if you had had a skinful the night before, (bad head, nausea, sleeping 14 hours a day etc) all day every day and they can essentially do stuff-all about it, and don't necessarily seem that interested either.

Hope your legs come back soon.

cheers

[meic]

I am strongly of the view that the medical profession has very little interest in illnesses that they cannot treat, don't understand, and don't produce outwardly dramatic or completely debilitating symptoms. You can be ill (say) with some virus that makes you feel as ill as if you had had a skinful the night before, (bad head, nausea, sleeping 14 hours a day etc) all day every day and they can essentially do stuff-all about it, and don't necessarily seem that interested either.

It does leave a nice niche for the drugs companies, vitamin suppliers and alternative therapists. They do make a distinction between medical care and ensuring health and well being.
Unfortunately it is very hard to decide whether you have cured a problem which is hard for the sufferer to even be sure exists. For the charlatans, it is easy to make the patient say they are feeling better after getting their placebo.
Also the body is pretty good at healing itself and leaving the professional to claim the credit.

[The Mechanic]

In January 2010 I was in hospital with pneumonia and pleurisy. It took most of 2010 to recover. I managed a 100km audax in June and I managed to finish a 200km audax in August but ended up ill again with a kidney infection that put me out for the rest of the year. I think the older you get the longer it takes to recover from anything. I think this may also apply to the rate at which fitness is lost, being quicker the older you are. I was out with the CTC mob last weekend for the first time since 15th December. I was pants and struggled to keep up on the hills.

[531colin]

................................ I think the older you get the longer it takes to recover from anything. I think this may also apply to the rate at which fitness is lost, being quicker the older you are.........................

I'm sorry to say I absolutely agree with you on both counts ....my fitness drops off alarmingly these days.........
And I would also add that the older you get, the LESS sense it makes to rush back into what are, for us, "normal" activities after a lay-off of any kind, doubly so for a lay-off caused by illness.......
....and injuries seem to go on for months, that I would have shrugged off in a week...........

[Audax67]

What I find is that part of me still expects to soar up the hills and gets mightily p'd off at the parts that soar like blocks of lead. But above all I would happily garotte those cheerful buggers who come out with "you're not getting any younger, you know" when I know damn well I'm just out of training. I hear it just about every time I mention a new touch of tendinitis or even a cramp, and it makes me go out and hurt myself every time. Then I come home and they say "you're not getting any younger, you know". Pass me the cheesewire.

[reohn2]

................................ I think the older you get the longer it takes to recover from anything. I think this may also apply to the rate at which fitness is lost, being quicker the older you are.........................

I'm sorry to say I absolutely agree with you on both counts ....my fitness drops off alarmingly these days.........
And I would also add that the older you get, the LESS sense it makes to rush back into what are, for us, "normal" activities after a lay-off of any kind, doubly so for a lay-off caused by illness.......
....and injuries seem to go on for months, that I would have shrugged off in a week...........

I agree.
Due to Mrs R2 being unwell we haven't ridden sice the 10th Nov 2012 and I've only ridden solo twice since then 55 and a 35miler.
I can't remember being totally off the bike for so long and I'll be watching myself very carefully when I do get to riding again,the only thing to be glad about is that it's been so wet and damp so I keep consoling myself that we haven't been missing much

[Mick F]

Hi guys, glad I'm not the only one then!
Brucey, you talk utter common sense, thanks.

It seemed strange to me, that for the first 20miles of a ride I was ok, and then suddenly I was worn out. I feel it's more to do with metabolism than out-and-out body fitness.

I had a rotten stinking cold from late on the 1st of Jan until the 5th or 6th. I'm basically over it now, just have a runny nose, but I'm feeling well - luckilly. Some folk round here had - and still have - it very bad indeed. The stinking cold most probably is the cause of my lack of legs.

I've just got back from a hilly 16mile ride. Feeling ok, so what I'm going to do, is take it in simple easy steps for the time being. Get out often and not to go at it like a bull at a gate. (like I often do!)

[stoobs]

I concur with the virus thing, too. Over the past couple of years, I've had the odd viral thing - nothing too serious in symptoms, such as mild runny nose, etc - but then I've been really tired, even having to get off once on a local hill which I've NEVER had to do. I took it a bit easier for a few days in each case, and eventually recovered. It's only after you're over it that you realise that you were ill!

[al_yrpal]

Legs, or apparent lack of them isn't really a problem for me. If you can ride 30 miles that's about 25 more than most members of the general public. In winter I limit my rides to a maximum of 25 miles, and I do a lot of 12 to 14 miles, but with significant hills thrown in. For me its all about maintaining basic fitness. In the middle of Feb I'll be out in the woods and hills on the MTB, that really ramps up fitness and stamina fast and is an ideal preparation for what I really cycle for, touring. I am not in a competitive mindset in any way at all. If someone sails past me it doesn't matter although its obviously does to some. Different people have different attitudes to speed and performance. If you get out on tour and are doing 45 miles + isn't that fine? Dump the Garmin!

Al