Low energy levels - please help

radders89

Ive been communting to work since the spring and I have a round trip of 44 miles. Im only able to do this trip at best twice a week as I get VERY tired after each journey.

For instance - I feel dead on my feet throughout the day at work after riding the 22 miles in a morning. Once I have motivated myself to ride home I feel like going straight to bed when I get in. As a result, I am finding it harder and harder to motivate myself.

I dont generally eat before each trip but I always take SIS Rego straight afterwards along with a meal of some sort (scrambled eggs for breakie & pasta for T), yet I feel as though I havent slept for a month?!?!? I tend to have a good nights sleep prior to the morning commute so I dont think that my problem is a lack of sleep.

Does anyone have any ideas that may assist? :?

DavidTQ

44 mile round trip and a day at work in between? thats quite some achievement IVe got a very hilly 14 mile round trip commute and tahts about right for me, now way I would want to do that 3 times on a work day... Im sure some of the tourers and audax types on here would be able to give you more help than the average commuter.

Try looking up information on distance training if you are only on your bike once or twice a week for the long haul to work and back you arent going to be building the base level fitness so well.

I would have thought that eating before or during the trip would have been vital on a distance like that as well as decent hydration on the run itself. I cant eat first thing in the morning myself

could this be your problem :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonk_%28condition%29

feel

I would eat before a trip like that, usually something like a small bowl of porridge, and maybe a banana during it. I would think a lack of energy is causing a lot of your problems. Eating afterwards can replace calories burnt but it can't help with your energy needs during the journey. I would also drink a small amount of fluid several times during the trip, you could be getting dehydrated.

Crapaud

I'd second porridge for brekkie, or Weetabix (3), and a banana during the commute or within the first half hour of arriving at work.

You don't mention lunch. I'd have a lunch - at least a few sandwiches, and another banana before leaving for home. Snack on some more fruit and mixed nuts and raisins during the shift.

I used to find that my energy levels dropped towards the end of the week until I worked out this formula. That was on a 7 mile e/w commute.

oldwelshman

44 is not excessive and you should not bee feeling tired so something is not right.
A small breakfast one hor before leaving should be ok.
When in work, maybe keep some fresh fruit and some nutsa to pick on throught the day.
Make sure you have a drink when you get to work, and probably befoe you head home also.
I would also take a drink with me for home route, then recovery drink when I get home.

Adamskii

It does sound like you need to eat more. Lot's of oats, wheat and fruit. Milk also seems to be a good choice of recovery drink. Eat as much as you can in the morning and during the course of the day. I usually eat something at least every hour at work be it an oatie, flapjack, bannana, apple or orange, what ever you can just remember to eat little and often apart from at lunch when a big bowl of pasta does the trick.

Keep at it.

SteveR_100Milers

Try taking a vitamin B supplement - Tescos are doing a "B-Active" for £3 for 30 tablets which is a bargain. You'll need to take with a meal or with a multivit at same time to get biggest benefit. You might also try taking a CoQ10 supplment as well but try to measure the benefit otherwise you might be wasting your money (for most people its very difficult to absorb)

heavymental

I have a 23 mile commute but I've only done it a couple of times as I find it quite wearing. Something about riding in the morning...and not really for pleasure, is really draining. And having to ride home is a chore too. Especially this time of year when its a struggle to keep warm and dry. If I was doing it regularly I'd be eating alot at work to keep the levels up.

Also, don't be a hero...if you have a car why not chuck the bike in the back and cut it to a more manageable 10 miles and build up the distance a bit more gradually?

peanut

I would go to the Dr's and ask for a blood test. You might be low on iron, B12 folic acid etc
Also try taking some re-hydtrate salts like Dia-rolyt you could be dehydrating and sweating your essential salts out.
22 miles is rather a lot before and after work. Why don't you look to see if there is a secure car park half way to can drive to in the morning and just do 15 miles each way

ah looks like HM has already suggested a part way commute

radders89

Thanks all for the suggestions.

My commute is as flat as a pancake - from Walton on Thames through Richmond Park and on to Islington.

Im up and out of the house at 6am for the ride into work so getting up an hour before that for breakie is likely to de-motivate me even more, but I will certainly try and eat something during the ride. (at the moment I just have a gel half way).

Would it be worth taking something like PSP22 during the ride to boost my energy levels if I dont manage to get breakie in?

I will also try and eat small amounts regularly throughout the day and I may well give the vitamin B a go. Im not really one for going to my GP but I guess it would be worth a general MOT. :roll:

fizz

radders89 wrote:

Would it be worth taking something like PSP22 during the ride to boost my energy levels if I dont manage to get breakie in?

I'd say yes it would help, how much I dont know though. can you not take a banana or something with you and shove it in your jersey or in a pocket somewhere to eat as your cycling along at least that way you'll be topping up on fuel as you cycle rather than doing all that with an empty stomach.

If you can't then I'd be trying to eat as soon as I got to work, or I'd be trying to make sure I had a good bowl of museli or porridge at bed time the night before.

feel

I wouldn't worry too much about eating a full hour before you set off. I often eat just before i go out, as long as you are not pigging out or then really pushing yourself very hard, something to eat just before you go should not be a problem. A lack of ready energy will not only make it physically tiring but could also lower your mood. IMO i would investigate the food and drink options first.
Anyway good luck and let us know how you get on.

radders89

Thanks 'feel'
I will try and up my intake of grub! Just been checking out vitamin B on t'internet as it has been suggested in a previous post and I think I might give that a go too.

I'll keep you posted.