Post ride fatigue

[willdubery]

I'd like some advice from you guys if possible. I'm a bit of a newbie to cycling. Having been commuting to and from work 6 miles each way for about a year and I am just starting to venture in to longer riding. Have never been the fittest person despite doing lots and lots of sports. Regular build, 84kg and 6 ft 2.

Last week I did a 40 mile cycle. I do around 1 of these a week whilst also cycling to and from work every day. I roughly do around 100 miles a week. I tried to go out the next day for a warm down ride and couldn't even pedal. Aware I may be pushing over training I didn't cycle for about 5 days. Have just tried to go out again today and can still barely move my legs. Managed about 10km. Nothing.

So pretty sure those are signs of over training but would like a second opinion anyway.

My questions are these: if I am over training on such small workloads how can I ever improve? How much longer do I need to leave before I can get back on the bike again? Are there other ways to speed up recovery other than resting?

[Slick]

I got some good advice here.

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=106819

As usual, there was more than one factor involved, and I'm really starting to reap the benefits now. I may be wrong, but I also feel that it may be darkest before the dawn.

[willdubery]

Thank you Slick. Feel it is probably low blood sugar and not eating enough. I'm trying to lose weight at the same time so I'm probably just not eating enough at all. I hope its that anyway. I've never had a problem with this before.

May just leave it for another week and see how I feel.

[Slick]

Quite possibly. I swapped different food stuffs and feel it helped. They also tell me that a rest day is as good as a training day if you do it right. Sleep quality is also a factor. It could also just have been a bad couple of rides, as we all can get a bad couple of days. Loosing weight and trying to up your mileage, can be a tough balance to strike. Probably best not to be too hard on yourself and listen to what your legs are telling you. Good luck.

[531colin]

6' 2" and 84Kg......why are you trying to lose weight?
"couldn't even pedal"...."barely move my legs".....why? Jelly legs? or stiff and sore muscles? or no energy? or sore joints?
Doing 12 miles a day commuting should give you an excellent base fitness.....but you need to do a 40 mile ride a lot slower than a 6 mile commute

[Smudgerii]

6'2" 84kg and want to lose weight...

5'7" 82kg and can't afford to lose weight. numbers like waist size are more important than weight, it's the shape you are and the shape you are in that matter. I was taught that it is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise to get the balance for a healthy lifestyle.

[Audax67]

One of the old pundits - Richard Ballantine or Joe Friel, maybe - once wrote that you can push yourself to about 3 times your normal training distance if you have to. Riding six miles twice a day isn't the same as riding 12 miles once a day, since you have a big recovery period between stints, so I'm not entirely surprised that your legs are catastrophized after a 40-miler, which is 'way beyond the 3x limit.

Your muscles will take 2 or 3 days to get back to normal flexibility and even then will probably hurt a bit when you get back on. When I started cycling seriously again back in 1997 I sought out mostly flat routes and gradually increased distance up to 200 km. I then joined a club. The first 100k I did with them wasn't fast, but it went over as many cols as they could squeeze in. By the time I went to bed my quads felt like wood, and stayed that way for four days.

So don't worry about it. Forget about losing weight for now, just eat as usual and take along energy bars and a couple of bananas when you ride, and drink a lot of water on and off the bike. I find that a gentle walk a couple of hours after riding, or even the next day, helps a lot. Over time - probably quickly enough - you will build the resilience you need and start increasing your distance.

Oh, and forget about stuff like stretching exercises for now. A bad stretch of a freshly-hammered muscle can cause damage that'll take longer to heal than simple recovery will.

[DaveP]

Lots of good advice here
I guess you aren't trying to lose much weight. Would watching your weight be a better term? Either way, if you are controlling your calorie intake it does make it more important to ensure that you fuel up properly for longer rides. A good portion of pasta the night before had its adherents! and just in case take along a couple of energy bars for emergencies. Running out of fuel is unpleasant and thoroughly demoralising. Something as simple as a boiled sweet can get you out of the depths quite quickly and the energy bar will get you home. I find that breakfast bars from the supermarket are adequate and cheaper and more palatable than the sports versions. Feel free to disagree!

However, your current problem is post ride. Did this 40miler differ from previous occasions? More climbs? Ride faster?
If you've been doing 100 miles a week for a year a 40 mile distance shouldn't raise overtraining concerns unless you've been really going for it in some way.

[bigjim]

I'm 6'2" and 96kg. I carry very little fat. I don't put on or lose weight and have more or less the same diet as my slim wife. You seem too light to me and would think you are short of proper fueling for your rides. I ride about 100 to 150 miles a week. I also run, swim and work out at the gym 3 times a week. Still don't lose weight. I wish I could as those hills would be easier. If you have insufficient fuel in your stomach the body goes looking for it elsewhere.

[Vorpal]

I'm trying to lose weight at the same time so I'm probably just not eating enough at all.

Why are you trying to lose weight? Do you have a goal? What is your current diet? Do you eat healthy foods?

Frankly, unless you have a very slim build, it doesn't seem like you need to lose weight?

Also, many people taking up exercise find that actually gain weight. The reason for this is that muscle weighs more than fat.

Eating healthily is more important that eating less, especially if you are exercising.

[TrevA]

There seems to be something wrong here. I did a 60 miler yesterday and can feel a bit of stiffness/soreness in the legs, but not enough to stop me riding. It will be gone by tomorrow.
You certainly shouldn't be still feeling it after a week.

I average about 130 miles a week and commute 8.5 miles each way. I don't need energy bars on a long ride, a cup of tea and a couple of slices of toast is enough plus a large bottle of water or high five zero drink. BTW I'm 6 ft 2 and 110 kg.

Are you doing 40 miles non-stop? If so, I'd recommend calling in to a cafe half way round your ride.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Muscles repair them selves in 5 days, any longer and pain means something else like tendon / ligaments / inflammation / damage.
Pulling a tendon etc,takes six weeks to repair.
Inflammation would need stretching via GP & physiotherapy.

I have pulled something in my foot and my ankle is swelling daily at end of day, probably be off bike for some time as its over two weeks to date.

If you normally ride 100 a week you will tire at end of week commuting.
Diet losing weight you might well not be getting enough food even to get through a lazy day.

Sounds like you have run yourself down with not enough nutrition, if you are eating well then you shouldn't be feeling like that.
If you are not in pain and you still feel weak I would see your GP.

Over training if you are very fit will be a stiffness and pain next day and then some damage might occur, the trick is rest days of one or two after a hard ride or a few days consecutive training.

Weak after five days rest at such a shortish 40 miler ride means not fit enough or nutrition or something you need to see your GP about.

Age?
Cycling speed for six miles?