One of those days! Tired! Tired! Tired!

[Tangled Metal]

Yesterday was a real nightmare on my commute. Ride in took a bit longer and felt hard work even though it's not bad weather or strong wind.

The real nightmare for was the ride home. 10 minutes longer on a 26 to 28 minute commute. I just couldn't get any speed. At one point I was.doing 6mph on a stretch that I'd usually do 14mph. It felt hard work but I didn't feel tired.

Anyone else have a complete drop off in performance? I mean right off a cliff?

[Paulatic]

Maybe you're coming down with something's? Probably wake up full of cold tomorrow morning

[Tangled Metal]

All through summer I was taking 26 to 28 minutes and.occasionally 25 minutes. It would be consistent at 26 minutes something then I'd get a slow day at 28 minutes, perhaps a few slow days lasting a week. Then back to 26 minutes.

Over the last month I've been slowing down to 28 minutes pretty consistently. Occasionally I get a faster 26 minute run but on the whole it's been feeling a hard won 28 minutes.

So my question is what could be causing this drop off.in performance considering I'd kind of hit.a steady plateau over the summer indeed from early spring or earlier?

I'm wondering whether it's likely to be health related or mechanical. I've had a few dodgy guts (possibly IBS flare up) so perhaps I'm not getting the right nutrition. Alternatively worn cassette and chain.needing replacement, could that be a mechanical explanation?

I'm resistant to seeing the GP because I struggle with the idea that I'm wasting their time. Besides I'm not sure whether it's my bike maintenance giving resistance.

[meic]

It will not be the bike maintenance unless you totally lack mechanical sympathy.
I have had times like that and I stop the bike and spin each wheel thinking something must be binding, but they spin OK.

It is probably some sort of virus whose symptoms are just a severe lethargy and you come out of it in a few weeks. You could always book an appointment to see your doctor and by the time your appointment date arrives, you will be sprinting to the surgery on your bike.

[Tangled Metal]

I had a cold over the weekend and a week before. I got over them and whilst I I had them my times were within the what I'd expect,

It's like you do the same route for perhaps 3 years now, you get to.know your route well. That includes fast and slow times due to colds or lack.of them. It just.feels like the treacle I'm cycling through is beyond a cold or infection. Yesterday the only.new thing was upset stomach (led.to diarrhea, briefly then I was feeling better). I've had issues that were like IBS used to be (not as bad but I won't go into details). IBS never affected my performance in sport or energetic activity.

Anyone else have treacle cycling days? What caused yours?

I.considered that I'd been doing too much but even a 3 day commuting week and I'm similar right now. In the past on 5 day plus weekend ride weeks I actually felt great all week or at most a Wednesday dip followed by Thursday fast ride day.

It's just feeling different.and I.can't think what could be the cause.

[Phil_Chadwick]

It can just be that that's the 8th ride of the week, and if you pushed it hard earlier in the week and/or didn't eat as much as usual and/or are slightly under the weather you'll find there's nothing in the tank.

Take a day or two off. That's usually enough to sort it.

If you ever use a HRM you'll find there are days when it just won't go above 130 or somesuch. That's a sign to go home and put your feet up.

[eileithyia]

I would go with the virus theory as most likely.... maybe a post viral fatigue given the history of having had a cold over previous days, or maybe the cold is about to come back with a vengeance.
Having commuted for many years, I have had days where the body and brain just feel weary and the ride home becomes a plod and a chore.. taking far longer than usual... sometimes no obvious explanation that's just how it is.....

[Tangled Metal]

Average hr was about 20bpm lower than usual. It was like I couldn't get the legs turning round quick enough.

[Paulatic]

Sounding like post viral now to me.
I had a stinking cold last spring and for weeks after I was breathless at 100bpm. Most rides I set off on I cut short as I just wasn't liking it. it was 5 weeks before I could get to my usual HR (125) before being breathless.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Normally heart rate drop and same performance compared to probable slight viral infection and raised HR for me would be average over 3 hours =
74% of max good TO 84 % of max bad, with 80% of max normal.
The 74% =137, 84% = 156, max I set at 185 but this might be a bit low as I have never tested that well.

That's a diff of 19 BPM, but the lower value I was strong enough to use higher gears lower cadence same speed so I must of been fitter to do this, the higher value was probably a slight infection / virus but I felt perfect otherwise.
This year after coming off some long term meds my legs are stronger than they have been for years.

Over 10 hours (on bike) of a 12 h ride twice this year when I finished I had to lie down for 20 - 30 minutes then struggled to do 3.3 miles s up hill albeit to home.........I had to walk up some of those hills (3.3m) That's rubbish for me, normally about 15 - 20 miles further in same time and I can carry on. But HR is normal at average 130 something 71% of max.

It was like falling off a cliff but only after 150 miles, this is a first for me, even in the past when I have done 245 miles around devon in a day (double coast to coast devon), three years a go I cycled a total 775 miles total in three separate day rides and never felt like this at all, never have in anything I have done before either.

Suffered from gut problems since 82 trauma to gut and have suffered from what I now know is IBS colic etc.

Just recently suffered for 6 weeks which is a first for me, normally would be about two weeks with no idea what it was and no medication to calm it.

One ride suffering with no meds, one ride with meds but only a marginal improvement up to a point but end result was the same, falling off a cliff.

Your problem is more extreme to add ten minutes in half a hour and 6 mph is crawling.
Even a virus unless you feel ill as well wouldn't account for that?

GP's aren't normally that sympathetic to sports people but you probably need to see one if IIRC you say its come on over several months.

Chronic lack of nutrition / other I would guess, your IBS and diarrhoea could be it, suggest see your GP.

I am on buscopan digestive muscle relaxant, just come off today and am avoiding things that flare it up like the plague.
My IBS at worst is like someone's poking you in the gut with knitting needles and then kicking you too, buscopan relieves all this and the runs.

Good luck.
Edited - Yes you don't feel tired but cant turn the pedals.......................

Edited for really bad grammar

[ChrisF]

I had one of those today on our club ride. I was dropped big time. While riding (on my own, after being dropped) I felt that I've been getting slower generally recently.
So when I got home I looked at my Strava records (I have nearly 4 years of them). The site gives you (for each year) total km, total climb, number of rides, total time riding. Using this info, and http://www.bikecalculator.com, I worked out my average power for those four years. The results are somewhat worrying!

power.png (10.07 KiB) Viewed 1726 times

I have ignored one variable; in 2013 I retired and the years 2014-6 included a lot more touring (i.e. loaded bike) than before, but I didn't change my bike weight in the power calculation. So that could explain part of the big drop from 2013-4. But it is still declining rapidly. Is this data true, I ask myself? At the same rate of loss I'll be useless in 5 years (I'm 64 now. I weigh 60kg and this hasn't changed for ages) .

[Cyril Haearn]

Sometimes one has bad days or good days for no apparent reason. But often there is a reason to do with rest or food or drink or routine before the incident.

A wise person once said/wrote: only the mediocre are always on top form

[Mick F]

No doubt you'll be going down with something.

Happens to me quite often in the winter.
Bright as a button one day, and tired and lethargic the next.
I can ride and ride and ride some days, and other days find it very hard work. Usually it's me going down with (yet another) cold.

[djnotts]

@ChrisF, probably not, but gradual "decline" sounds a lot like me before formally diagnosed with COPD. It's very common - especially in males over 60 ish.

"An estimated three million people are affected by COPD in the UK. COPD is underdiagnosed. 60-85% of patients, mainly with mild-to-moderate disease, are thought to remain undiagnosed.[3]"

Perhaps surprisingly it kills near enough same numbers as lung cancer.

[samsbike]

My commuting speed has dropped and time increased by around 1.5-2mph and 10-15 mins respectively over a 17 miles, 80 minute commute.

TBH I have been struggling on the way back home as well, but that could be due to just pressure at work and general tiredness. I also have had a cold which just does not go away. Its not like a full blown cold but hits me as soon as I leave the house.