Helping the body cope with building the miles

Gambatte

Going from being a pleasure cyclist to a commuter has massively pushed up my mileage. It also means that I don’t follow the usual exercise advice of ‘give your muscles a day to relax’, its 5 days on the trot (and then on Sunday, 3 hours MTBing at Sherwood pines…..)

So whilst my legs are getting used to the new demands are their any hints or tips to speed the process or reduce the aches and pains? Techniques, dietary supplements etc. (failing that old wives tails, witch doctor/snakeoil remedies, spells or chants )

BentMikey

Sleep more, and be sure to go slow on a couple of days of commute. I know, that's nearly impossible, but it's important. Not just slow, but super slow.

Also eat more intelligently, depending on how far your commute is?

Gambatte

Already sleeping more. Thats made easier due to the fact of Mrs Gambatte having No3 on the way, always tired.

I'll try the slow technique tho'

I've already adjusted my attitude when riding in. At the start I tended to be chasing times (only commuting once or twice a week). Now I'm just keeping it steady, using red lights and downhills as potential 'recovery periods'.

I know I am getting better, especially CV wise.

Commute mileage last week was 150 miles

BentMikey

That's some distance!!! I would for sure be drinking some recovery drink after each commute so you get some fast carbs and protein down your neck. That'll help you recover much more quickly.

Gambatte

BentMikey wrote:

That's some distance!!! I

You think?? :? New to this, as you know.
30 miles a day...thought it was high average??

A - W

I don't see a problem with your riding every day.

A lot of top athletes train all day everyday but as Mikey correctly says the trick is to vary the intensity. Some days you need to push it and one in a week ease off a touch, and then one more even slower.

Listen to your body, if something isnt right back off and get yourself checked out.

Clever Pun

I do 130 a week and I've been/still in the same thing as you...

I always try and get my fastest time in as well but I find having wednesday or thursday as a 'write off' day where I just criuse in helps although if someone passes me I have to give chase, I can't help it even when my whole body is screaming

in the latter stages of the week, I'll eat a banana before heading home (I cycling in empty essenitally)

Wednesday evening is the worst after a powerbox/circuit training class at the gym

Fixedweasel

I’m also doing a similar weekly mileage, and the things that I have ‘discovered’ during the last eighteen months are:

Keep hydrated, make sure you drink enough ….. water preferably !
Sleep, as much as you can get away without sneaking a quick 50 winks in the loo !
Food, avoid quick sugar hits and try and avoid rubbish grub.
Stretching, I know it can look a bit odd but a good post ride stretch can help.

Try and enjoy the cycling and ‘listen’ to your body and if you feel the need to rest, then rest.

ash68

Seems good advice from everyone. Doing similar mileage myself. Also out on sundays for a long ride of around 80 to 100 miles especially if weather is good. If I start getting lethargic and feeling too tired I will cut sundays back to say 50 to 60 miles or if the weathers crap as well I'll take a day off and relax. Sometimes does you good to take it easy,then you feel refreshed the next weekend.

Gambatte

Thanks for the responses. It'll be a low milage week anyway, have to use 'the cage' for 2 days (today and Friday) so a couple of extra restdays.

(Don't know about the comparison with top athletes A-W, feel more like a 40 year old Mr Blobby at times!)

Seems I'm generally doing things right and I didn't expect things to be painless.

fossyant

Loks like you are doing the right thing. Don't forget brekkie !

baudman

Good breakfast. (Porridge, with banana).

More bananas. Maybe some nuts? Keep your fluids up.

Supplement? Anything with magnesium - helps with muscle aches and cramping, if you get it. I use Endura - and I'm a BIG advocate.

Oh... and bananas.

Gambatte

Bugger, I’m starting to think this is a conspiracy. Suddenly I’ve lost another days cycle commuting because I’ve got a days training 250 miles away…tomorrow.

Only 2 days cycling this week then

Guess the legs'll have time to recover :?

Clever Pun

I know what you mean I miss out on quite a few work drinks as I don't want to miss on cycling and will go out in town late (cycle home then head in) if I can get away with it

hate the trains/tube

collie27

Completed 3 months straight of 100+ miles per week commuting + weekend fun riding varying speed daily but by the end was definitely 'feeling' it a bit (I'm a chubber BTW).

The revelation was my journey today for first time after two weeks chilling on a Greek beach drinking Mythos lager. Was expecting a nightmare but it felt effortless and was as fast as the days I've really tried to push it. Letting yourself recover definitely seems to have its benefits.

markinengland

The thing I found was that my legs and lungs took it in turns to complain. Either my general fitness was catching up with my legs or the other way round. Eventually it settled down though with no problems.
The one things that made a real difference was taking a break, just a day off in the week made a big difference.
Doing that distance and actually being able to type (as in being able to walk to the computer) means you must be pretty fit already.
I think I Ihate fit people, especially young ones!
Mark

kev2b3

I found it interesting reading all the above and i know all about aches and pains. due to being 43 and 6 stone overweight i thought commputing to work would be a great way to lose weight. i have been cycling for about 6 weeks and i am cycling about 120 miles a week and guess what i have not lost a pound. i have noticed alot of you seem to go for speed and i was wondering what you would call a tidy speed to be travelling. my avg speed is about 12.8mph

Shadowduck

kev2b3 wrote:

I found it interesting reading all the above and i know all about aches and pains. due to being 43 and 6 stone overweight i thought commputing to work would be a great way to lose weight. i have been cycling for about 6 weeks and i am cycling about 120 miles a week and guess what i have not lost a pound. i have noticed alot of you seem to go for speed and i was wondering what you would call a tidy speed to be travelling. my avg speed is about 12.8mph

Don't worry about the weight loss, it'll come - you have to remember that your body's still building muscle to cope with the new demands. Even though your weight's staying the same, your percentage body fat will be dropping and I'd expect you're feeling a lot better too. I went down a waist size in trousers before the scales started to drop!

What's a good average speed depends what you're riding, over what sort of terrain and whether that's door-to-door speed or moving-time-only speed. My moving-time-only average is usually about 13.5mph on a hybrid over a fairly hilly seven mile commute; not sure how that relates to what you're doing, if at all!

My average speed is still slowly going up, my weight's still slowly going down and I'm still addicted to cycling!

Gambatte

As I said, I've only recently started to notch it up to 5 days a week. The previous few I was doing probably 3 days a week. Prior to that I was grabbing opportunities to get out on the bike when I got home from work or at weekends.

My average speed seems to be 14.5-16.5mph, depends on wind direction and the route terrain/mileage.

I reckon I'm about a stone overweight, but I haven't noticed any going off the scales. What I have noticed is.

1 my posture has improved
2 my CV fitness is better (my legs tend to give up before my heart rate on long climbs)
3 I have lost about 1.5" off my gut.

I'm also obviously a newbie, but my instinct would suggest possibly knocking it up a gear and slowly trying to move towards the 15mph range.

<EDIT> good point on the previous post. Average speed comparisons can depend a lot on what type of bike you've got.

I basically use a HRM and a cycle computer. I balance one off against the other, the computer doesn't go down below 10mph and the HRM doesn't go above 185

kev2b3

I would say like you my route is fairly hilly, 24 miles long ,all road and i also ride an hybrid. I would say without question that my general fitness is improving. for example the hills i used to stop half way and walk i can quite easly ride up them now. My main reason for cycling is to lose weight and get fit but i thought it would be interesting just to see what other cyclists average speed is.

ash68

I average around 15.5 to 16mph on my commute(13.5miles each way.) As you say it depends how you feel,which way winds blowing and if you have someone infront to chase. But normally around there for me , there are others alot faster than me but hey that's life,I make the most of what I've got and enjoy every minute on the bike

kev2b3

Like i have said i started commuting to lose weight, i didnt realise that i would become addicted to cycling.
I started a calorie control diet this week, each day i can eat up to 2300 cals but i noticed on my HRM when i return from work that i have burnt 1220 cals. i just wondering if this is safe