Poor riding after rest week

[katieliz]

Hi all,

My first ride in a week was this morning, and I felt terrible! It was exactly the feeling I get when my body is telling me to take a rest week: sluggish, high heart rate on the easy parts, big muscle groups in the legs tiring out early, etc.

The problem is I just came off a rest week from both cycling and running. This wasn't a planned rest week - between weather and tendonitis in my foot I was forced to take the week off. My questions are these:

a) Has anyone else come off of a rest week with similar symptoms - did it mean you just weren't ready to come back?

b) Has anyone related diet to this feeling? My diet over the last week wasn't optimal but wasn't trash either. More "white" carbohydrates than usual, but not significantly less protein. No alcohol. Just enough water.

c) Is it just my inherent laziness shining through? Has anyone come off a rest similarly, but pushed through then started feeling better?

Many thanks in advance for any replies!

Katie

[chicagogal]

Took two consecutive weeks off this past winter for a family emergency. Came back and right off the bat did a hard intervals workout. Legs felt OK during, but could hardly stand afterward. Decided to suck it up and stick to my training schedule, so the next day I did a 50mi hilly ride which nearly killed me. Barely finished it, and could barely walk when I was done.

But after that ride I seemed to have gotten over the "too much rest hump". The next day was monday (my usual rest/active recovery day) and by tues I was feeling good and getting through my workouts with less pain.

So, long story short, keep at it if you can, and see how you feel in a a couple of days.

[TrekTheKaty]

"Rest" means more than not cycling and running. Did you have a stressful week? Did you get lots of sleep?

Diet will do it. Along with dehydration.

Sometimes it just takes a few workouts to get the blood pumping. Don't panic.

[kenyonchris]

My DH fell on his MTB and was forced to take a week off because of his bruised ribs. He went out with me on the road bike yesterday on a short (12 mile) flat (mostly) spin. He immediately dropped me, I had my Garmin, he didn't, I was watching and I was cruising along at 24 mph on the flat....dropped. I caught up to him and said something about I guess his ribs werent bothering him. He shook his head and said his ribs felt fine but the rest of him felt terrible, his legs, his back, energy, all that. The light changed and off we went, again I was dropped, this time on a small climb (I was still doing 17 mph at the top of the climb). When I caught up to him at the next light, I figured he was feeling better. He was still grousing about how he felt. Finally, after doing the lather, rinse, repeat several times, I finally got grumpy and said, "Well, if it makes you feel better, you have dropped me four times and I am having a good day!"

[lph]

This happens to me all the time. It feels like my exercise/rest cycle is set for weeks rather than days, i.e. I can go for a week or more feeling very energetic but getting little rest and poor sleep, finally I crash from lack of sleep and start taking it easy for a few days, then I find it very hard to get up and going again.

[TrekTheKaty]

My DH fell on his MTB and was forced to take a week off because of his bruised ribs. He went out with me on the road bike yesterday on a short (12 mile) flat (mostly) spin. He immediately dropped me, I had my Garmin, he didn't, I was watching and I was cruising along at 24 mph on the flat....dropped. I caught up to him and said something about I guess his ribs werent bothering him. He shook his head and said his ribs felt fine but the rest of him felt terrible, his legs, his back, energy, all that. The light changed and off we went, again I was dropped, this time on a small climb (I was still doing 17 mph at the top of the climb). When I caught up to him at the next light, I figured he was feeling better. He was still grousing about how he felt. Finally, after doing the lather, rinse, repeat several times, I finally got grumpy and said, "Well, if it makes you feel better, you have dropped me four times and I am having a good day!"

:D I've been looking for a riding buddy for my DH?! :D

Lather, rinse, repeat. You're hilarious! My DH tries to "slow it down for me" at least once a week." I can't seem to explain to him, he loses when he launches out of the stop light!

[kenyonchris]

:D I've been looking for a riding buddy for my DH?! :D

Lather, rinse, repeat. You're hilarious! My DH tries to "slow it down for me" at least once a week." I can't seem to explain to him, he loses when he launches out of the stop light!

LOL. We should get them together. It's the stoplight start that gets me too. No matter WHAT gear I am in, he gets a gap I can't close. He always looks so surprised when he finally looks around and I am behind him.
Having said that, on our hell rides in California, he would stop to rest halfway up the long, killer climbs. I might have started behind him, but I would slog past him and get there first. I embrace my inner tortoise!!