It's gone....

[Nanci]

I can sympathize. I've had that happen to me with running, too, going from always getting faster, setting PR's, winning my age group once, actually winning a women's masters once at a race, to now almost always coming in last. (I blame weight gain and MTBing taking all my attention for a couple years!)

Have you considered the possibility that you might have been over-training, or that, after your 159 mile ride, you needed a really good rest? It's easy to _say_ we understand periodization, where you go through phases of preparedness, building up to a peak, then coming back down, then building up again, but it's another thing to actually do it, because you feel like your fitness level should be constantly increasing, so it gets really hard to cut back or take days off or taper for a hard event or rest adequately after that event. (For example, I am doing what will be the hardest ride of my life next Sunday, a ride in Georgia over three mountain passes {the good riders are doing six!} for 50 miles, and I should be tapering this week, but oh no, I have planned rides of 60-80 miles for today and tomorrow because I can't stay off my bike and because I don't want to lose the long-ride-leads-to-weight-loss days.)

Or maybe there's something else going on that your doc hasn't found out yet, such as anemia, thyroid issues, who knows what. (I went to the doc once because I suspected I had a heart problem, {dangerous for the level of cave diving I was doing, but not really relevent to every-day living} and found out that not only did I have that, but a totally unsuspected lung defect, too! Nice!!)

Or maybe, at longer distances, are you getting adequate nutrition during the ride?

Just some things to think about, that you probably already thought of, but maybe not...There's nothing wrong with taking a break, though, and coming back refreshed.

Nanci

[betagirl]

Thanks guys for the ideas and well wishes. I have a good GI that I work pretty closely with. He already has an email from me. After the 159 mile ride, I took the whole week off the bike except for 1 recovery ride. Then I proceeded to ride RAGBRAI the following week, which was about 550 miles over 7 days. After that, I took a couple days off then cut back on my riding a bit. I use bike journal and I'm averaging about 2 rides a week now. I've stopped riding with my club altogether because there's no way I'd keep up and it'd just wear me down psychologically.

I know I need to get over the need to go fast, but you're right. It is hard once you can. I get so much enjoyment out of riding that to let this sap that out of me is stupid. But right now I'm just angry and want to know why

I'll let you know if my doc figures anything out. In the interim I'll do my best to stay in the saddle.

[doc]

Nanci and the others have really said it all so I'll just add one thought.

Hang in there, stay positive, refocus (temporarily) your biking goals so you can continue to enjoy, and I wish you a quick return to your normal self.