2 days down so far, question

here2help

Hey guys. I just made the commute to work yesterday and also today. My afternoon ride seems really easy while I find my legs burning pretty good in the mornings. Do you guys get up early to have breakfast before your ride? I need to do something to give me more energy in the mornings. Yesterday and today I had a banana about 15 mins before leaving, but that probably wasn't early enough to give me any energy.

Any ideas?

One thing to note is that I'm out of shape... 5'9" and 19 stones.

Thanks

redddraggon

What sort of distance is your commute? Hilly? Fast/slow?

I do 6miles for mine, I get up at 6am, eat breakfast, pack bag and leave for 7am. The morning journey seems a lot harder than the return though although they both take about the same time. Depending on the distance, I wouldn't say breakfast before a ride is a must, often at the weekends I go out for 20+ miles with no breakfast.

I'd say your finding the morning journey harder because you have only just woken up, and probably not feeling as up for it as you might for the journey home. I'm a bit overweight myself (playing rugby, eating a lot and getting injured doesn't help keep the weight down).

You've only done the journey a few times, you'll find that if you persevere with the commuting you'll feel better as the number of journeys mounts up. Keep it going through the winter and I'm sure you will find your morning commutes during the summer more enjoyable.

graeme_s-2

I just get up and go. Cycle my 5.5ish miles to work, and then eat breakfast once I get there.

here2help

It's 5.7 miles to work, mostly flat. Yesterday I averaged 11mph in the morning and 13.5 on the way home. It took me 30mins in the morning and 25mins on the way home.

redddraggon

here2help wrote:

It's 5.7 miles to work, mostly flat. Yesterday I averaged 11mph in the morning and 13.5 on the way home. It took me 30mins in the morning and 25mins on the way home.

Your not doing too badly, I go at about the same speed over the same sort of distance, my route is quite bumpy though, but only a couple of junctions. If you keep at it, you'll probably get even faster than that, mornings will probably always feel a bit rough though if you go out quite early.

here2help

Ah, ok. I wasn't sure if there was supposed to be such a difference between morning and evening. Thanks for the feedback! I'm looking forward to the weight loss that commuting should bring me.

Shadowduck

Funnily enough, I always find the mornings easier... I don't eat anything before leaving, just a cup of coffee and a shower - I find the ride wakes me up quite nicely. Going home after twelve hours at work can be a real slog, not helped by the fact it's slightly more uphill that way!

davelakers

I get up at 6.30am, have a banana and some fruit juice and Im off at 6.50am.

It takes 40 minutes to cover the 12 miles through country lanes to work, (its an awesome ride in the dark) and have a coffee after my shower when I get to work.

I love my commute in the morning, deserted roads and the crisp fresh air wakes me up and energises me!!

BentMikey

I do tend to suffer more on the way home as well, but then I have a 15 mile one way commute currently, and I have a physical job as a skate instructor which also tires me out.

Max_Man

I'm a morning struggler... ....the ride home always seems easier for me, not really much faster though. The odd time I can get out before 4pm I seem to fly home and I can push a lot harder, of course this might be psychological 'cause I got an early dart.

It's always a struggle in the rain though....

prj45

here2help wrote:

Do you guys get up early to have breakfast before your ride? I need to do something to give me more energy in the mornings.

Bad idea to eat just before you go IMO. Makes all your blood hit your stomach, and you've nothing left for your extremities.

I could be totally wrong though.

I get up, have a drink of water and do 11 miles, then eat when I get there.

I often have a snack about 4pm to pep me up for the ride home.

Energy will come, you won't know what to do with it soon. I recommend squash and five-a-side.

Gambatte

Took me a while to sus why it generally took me 4/5 mins longer to get home than get to work

Then I remembered I'd avoided 'the hill' on the way back (D'oh!)

ash68

always have 2 weetabix for breakkie before I go out. Sets me up for the day, but depends what works for you.

PhilTheFish

I haven't been able to eat breakfast first thing in the morning since I was about 15 (don't know why). I usually breakfast after I've been in work for an hour (2 hours after leaving the house).

Before starting the commute, I thought I might need to make an effort to eat something before leaving home but to be honest it doesn't affect me at all. Obviously everyone's different though.

boncey

I am used to eating breakfast at home before work but more out of habit and convenience than hunger.
If I am cycling I'll skip it and eat when I get into work, mainly so I can get out of the house quicker.
I do 5 miles each way, all on the flat.

I also don't find any difference between the two journeys in terms of how they make me feel - but I prefer the mornings as there are less people around on the shared cycle paths that I use.

Mog Uk

I always have breakfast an hour before I leave in the morning, if I don't eat I really suffer on the ride. Usually a bowl of porridge, bannana, cup of coffee, pint of water and my multivitamins..

cupofteacp

Get up 7:10
Get dressed/washed/ have breakfast(bowel of sugger puffs)/walk dog/get kids ready for school
Leave 8:20
cycle 15 miles each way
get to work 9:10
Run 3 1/2 miles each lunchtime
have fruit smoothy for lunch
Leave work 5:45
Get home 6:35 / 6:40
Going home seems to take longer but then I'm "climbing" :-) out of the bowel of London, and it's normally a head wind.

Head winds make the biggest difference for me not what I've eaten, unless I get really wasted the night before :-)

graeme_s-2

I love your description of breakfast as a "bowel full of sugger puffs". Do you always make sure you fill your bowels with sugar puffs before leaving the house?

dondare

I always eat breakfast when I get up.
I sometimes have another one when I get to work.

cupofteacp

It's beter than my bowel being full of bile, oh but it is :-)

Had one of my dyslexia moments

Sorry

tardington

It's certainly an interesting image!

I have a half-hour commute, mostly uphill on the way there. I generally have a banana about 15 mins before I set off, but the mornings I fit in 2 cups of coffee are the easiest ones! I get breakfast at work - oh! PORRIDGE! It is a beautiful food, I cannot recommend it enough post-commute.

I generally try and serve breakfast in bed to the missus just before I leave - if I make it look nice, there's a (I reckon) decent chance I'll be invited back into the bed, making me late, but there you go! 8)

cupofteacp

tardie, you lucky .........

tardington

It has to be a NICE breakfast - toast does not do the trick! 8)

Plus it goes cold