Fried Legs!

[Squeaky]

It's been about 3 weeks since I started commuting to work. It's 20 miles each way so most of the time I alternate (bike am, drive pm & vice versa), and some days I do round trip. I don't bike 2 days a week, but I do ride horses on at least those days, so my recovery time is minimal.

Am I expecting too much by forcing my legs to get over it already? It's not like I didn't do any leg exercises before biking, so I don't feel like it should be taking this long to acclimate to a 20 mile ride. Maybe I'm not giving the sport proper credit...

Should I cut back to every other day to get ready for a century in a week and a half? Or, do you think it'll be enough to just not bike the 2 days prior? What would you do?

[Cassandra_Cain]

Hi Squeaky

Hmmmm, so let me ask....how much were you riding, in weekly miles, before you started commuting? and how many are you riding now?

If you increase too fast then it is going to be a problem w/recovery.

The bottom line remains though, if your legs are tired, then your body hasn't recovered yet. If it doesn't recover then you can't get stronger. So when my legs are tired/sore/hurting, I don't ride (save for super easy spinning maybe).

[Squeaky]

oh, um, oops. I started commuting immediately upon getting back into biking. So I'm doing the same mileage as day 1, with a couple of days recently doing round trip. I guess I do need a break, but it's soooo hard to stop, especially with the century looming. I feel like after that I can back off a little.

[Squeaky]

oh and, weekly miles started at 100 and after this weekend will be at 150.

[mimitabby]

Squeaky, it took me a long time to be able to comfortably ride 20 miles.

You have to build muscle. Riding horses, hiking use those muscles in different ways from turning pedals.

I think you are very ambitious!

[Cassandra_Cain]

mimi's point is well taken, it does take a while...

going from 100 to 150 is a big jump, like what, 50% higher?

I'd actually say to taper some before a century, unless you do them all the time...you want your body as fresh as possible.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Squeaky, are you saying that you get really tired from riding 20 miles, and yet you are going to attempt a century ten days from now? What's been your longest CONTINUOUS ride lately? (not morning/evening separate trips combined)

[Squeaky]

I feel like I'm doing okay after the 20 miles and that I could do more, but it's the continuous burn that I'm wondering if it will ever go away. The farthest mileage at one time is 30 . We're planning to do 50 this weekend, which I know is still a far cry from 100. Also, a majority of my rides have been on my mountain bike, either keeping up with the roadies or commuting. I've been on the new road bike twice and it hardly seemed like I was working at all.

I'm forcing myself not to ride today or tomorrow, and then I was thinking I'd hit it hard again this weekend and then taper off. If these 2 days off prove to be effective for Saturdays ride, then I'll do that prior to the century as well. Does that sound like an okay plan?

I probably should've decided a lot sooner than a month out that I wanted to get back into biking and do a century . On the bright side, if I fail, my husband is running sweep and he can pick up my parts along side the road.

[Cassandra_Cain]

squeaky - lol @ dh picking up parts!

Now, now, we really don't want that to be necessary!

Ok, so me personally, and it is hardly a rule or mandate, just what I do....I will do a century provided I am doing over 100 miles over a week *and* at least one ride over 60 miles.

If I couldn't do the above, then a century would not be in my plans.

Also I have to say, whatever event I would be doing, I would train on the bike that I plan to do the ride on. So if it were an off-road event, I'd ride the MTB, and vice-versa. Your body may be a bit shocked spending 6-7 hours on a bike for the century, a bike that you ride infrequently and nowhere near as long~

I used to subscribe to the 'it has to hurt'/'no pain no gain' school of thought. No more. If I am sore, then I don't ride or if I do, I'll go at a super easy, slow pace. You can't get better if you are still recovering

[Squeaky]

Thanks for all the great advice, I'm going to need it!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Squeaky, if you are going from 30 mile rides to a 100 mile century in one week, you are REALLY gonna have "fried legs"!

[RoadRaven]

Don't "THEY" say (whoever "THEY" are) that you should only increase the distance of your rides by 10% at a time?

Personally, I think if you are going to place these demands on your body, you need to make sure you build in recovery - so days off the bike is recovery... but you can also do "active recovery" which may still be commuting to work, but at much less intensity than usual so your HR stays in "Zone 1 and 2" - that is, where you can talk or sing comfortably, so it is raised hardly any more than if you were walking.

If you are commuting you are doing two rides a day - make sure you fuel yourself well, and I don't know what your work involves but make sure you are resting during the day (eg, feet up during lunch, or even lying on the floor)