How Tired Are You After Riding?

[shootingstar]

My theory is that by working to just exactly under the "really stressing" exhaustion level, I can get the strength and endurance gains and not the breakdown stuff. A good chunk of that could be mental. I know that I've caught myself in a "they're faster than me" paceline thinking "I know I can't keep up with this, I know it" and... I ride differently and I'm breathing differently and it isn't as effective and ... I can't keep up. Sometimes I have succeeded in telling myself "Of course you can't keep up with them! YOu're just not this fast! But just have a really good mile or two and then you can drop off." And I was more efficient and breathing better and I could keep up. But I don't even try if I don't feel 100% and haven't been riding much.

+1 most certainly agree at riding just under the "really stressing" exhaustion level, so that you aren't wasted for the next 2-3 days. Of course, that's not totally possible on a self-loaded touring ride where you are under the gun to complete distance ...to make sure you have a place to eat and sleep by the end of each day!

Recently I've noticed myself yawning occasionally during a ride. I never did that during the f first, few years of cycling where I was cycling more mileage annually. Much of that is due to the fact I probably don't get enough sleep now. During the week when I have to wake up so early (4:30 am) for my work commute during the work week. Then the weekend s,I have annoying problem of getting my body NOT to naturally wakeup so early. (I don't need alarm clocks to wakeup. My body does condition itself to set wakeup times very naturally.)

I don't think I would make a much of randonneur, pulling in nights of riding in the dark. After 2-3 days of back-to-back cycling of 80-100 kms. per day, during a self-loaded touring ride, I want to fall into bed and nap for an hr. in the middle of the afternoon...even when it's blazing gorgeous sun out there.

However it helps, that I do some slow stretching a few hrs. after riding, it seems to prevent me from feeling too tired all over and relieves muscle tension, which partially causes feeling of depletion.

I seem to cycle-function best if I take 1 day off bike every 6-12 days of consecutive cycling where of those days, would be cycling 16-30 kms. for work commuting (latter distance was done when I lived in different city), with weekends of 40-80/100 kms. each day.