How Tired Are You After Riding?

[Geonz]

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. That's the advantage of *not* racing - I can set my schedule. So people think I'm faster than I am, because when I ride all out it's on *my* peak day, not some race day that somebody else picked
If I'm exhausted, usually it's been hot, or I haven't had enough sleep.

[indysteel]

Lately, I'm tired most of the time. This is our third year on daylight savings time, and it has really messed with my sleep patterns. Or I should say that it really messes with my cats sleep patterns, who then really mess with me. They typically start acting up around 5 each morning so I more or less lose the last 1 1/2 hours of sleep.

Typically, I ride hard on Tuesdays and Thursday for 25 miles. I ride long--60-75 miles--on Saturday and again on Sunday. Depending on the group, those might be a fast clip or a kinder, gentler pace, but lately it seems like it's more the former than the latter. I usually do a slow recovery 20-mile ride on Monday and/or Wednesday depending on the weather. I fit yoga in when I can, and I usually take Friday off.

Anyway, by the time I get home in the evening, do some chores and eat, I'm beat. It's not ususual for me to fall asleep on my couch by 9 or 9:30. I really need to just get in my bed but it's become a bad habit. I'm usually okay Saturday afternoon and evening to do something productive or fun, but by Sunday afternoon, I almost always take a nap for an hour or two. After the Horsey Hundred this weekend in Kentucky, I'm pulling back for a week or two to give my body some rest. I also need to drink more water. I think I'm chronically dehydrated.

[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.

[wackyjacky1]

How tired am I? See my pathetic, sympathy-seeking thread in the Newbie forum. Heck, I got exhausted just reading li10up's workout schedule.

Seriously, though, some days I react the same way (just want to flop down on the couch and stay there forever) and other days I have lots of energy leftover after a ride. I haven't yet figured out the why's of that, though; it seems quite random.

[sundial]

So you are working out 6 days a week at a high intensity? No wonder you are pooped. You may need to back off a little and factor in another day of rest. Rest will bring gains, not losses. Otherwise you could be on the fast track to overtraining.

[Geonz]

wow,y'all are reminding me of my deep appreciation for my lifestyle that allows me to get a good night's sleep just about all the time.
when I was a schoolteacher, it was late-nighters and then recovery on the weekends and holidays. (Snow days were sleep days.) Heck, that had been true my whole entire life. I was one of those people who could get by on 3-4 hours of sleep on the short term - less if I had to.
Snork... unemployment meant I could sleep. I believe riding the bike kept me from simply drifting into depression. I started riding more - and doing more, which shocked me, because getting focused wtihout deadlines was simply a notness for the first 40 years of my life. I made an educational website, added to it regularly, got a freelance writing job and kept up with it (despite no clear deadlines!!!)...
And now that I"m back working full time, I"ve worked hard to keep that sleep and exercise thing happening. I am *much* more effective and functional. I am notorious for being able to ride *forever* - but I b'lieve it's mainly because I *do* get enough sleep and eat and drink kinda sorta sometimes right.
...but still prone to distraction. Back to that software project, now!!!

[Tuckervill]

I agree with the mental game, too. I have a severe dread of squat thrusts and jumping jacks, but I know if I just start doing them, they'll be over in no time, and I'll wonder what I was stressing over.

I didn't have that kind of mental tenacity when I was younger.

Karen

[sundial]

Bootcamp is fun and I took it for awhile last summer. Then I strained my good knee on the carpeted floor. Cripes! End of Season 1.

[Tuckervill]

I am lucky to be able to sleep when I want, too. That's a biggie. I go to sleep around 10:00 and sleep until the birds wake me at dawn. I'm always up by 7:00, but Saturday morning I slept until 7:20. Very unusual. But no alarm clock ever if I can help it.

(I'm thankful for my husband and my choices which allow my life to be so good!)

I've made sleep a priority in my life. I think that helps.

Karen