46 year old Tiredness after riding

vtech1.5

Hi Everyone
Just to explain, I've been back into cycling for the last two years slowly building up from just going out on a Sunday for a leisurely ride, to riding to work once or twice a week (14 miles each way ) and every Saturday and Sunday for a couple of hours each time at a fairly good pace normally leaving around 6-630
I know these distances/times are nothing to some of you on here, and especially the roadies, but I normally get to about 9ish in the evening and I'm totaly wacked and end up nodding off in front of the telly (something I rarely do otherwise )
otherwise though I can see a distinct improvement in Stamina and 'fitness' from when I
started

Just wondered if this is normal ?
thanks
Andy

Cannondale Taurine

BorisSpencer

It's exactly what I do after a day of fresh air and exercise, so I would say it's normal.
It's when I've been stuck in the office all day and then can't sleep that I get annoyed.

I'm now 45 and have done this since I was in my twenties, even when working in the holidays from college as a builder's labourer I used to have a nap before going out in the evening.

vtech1.5

Thanks for the reply wasn't sure if it was normal as up until the last couple of
years I haven't really done much ( apart from drinking and smoking )
I finish my ride and normally feel pretty good it doesn't hit me until later in the
evening .

cheers
Andy

vtech1.5

Thanks for the reply wasn't sure if it was normal as up until the last couple of
years I haven't really done much ( apart from drinking and smoking )
I finish my ride and normally feel pretty good it doesn't hit me until later in the
evening .

cheers
Andy

ColinJ

Andy, until they fix the ludicrously slow forum set-up it might be best to just hit 'Submit' once and waiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!

As for the tiredness thing... I'm 53 and tend to stay up really late (usually until about 02:00 or 03:00) and then get up about 09:00 so I average about 6.5 hours sleep a night.

Riding up to about 30 or 40 fairly hilly miles wouldn't have any effects on me in the evening. If I rode 50-75 hilly miles, I'd probably want to go to bed about 01:00. If I did 100+ hilly miles, I'd probably be tired by about midnight.

If you allow for the fact that your days are about 3 hours ahead of mine then we get tired about the same number of hours after getting up.

The exercise becomes easier as you get fitter so it takes more to tire you out. When I first started riding again as an adult, I commuted to Burnley on my bike a few times, about 15 miles each way. I'd be so shattered when I got home that I couldn't walk up the stairs properly. Even a tough 200 km audax wouldn't make my legs hurt as much as that now.

I find that the more I do, the more energy I have (once I've recovered from any long rides of course). You probably just need to do more riding.

vtech1.5

yes sorry about those several replies, didn't think it was working should have checked :oops:
I get out at least three times a week but never get more than a couple of hours free thats why I have to get up early so I've still got time for family stuff :roll:
trouble is now i feel i'm just hitting the 'sweet spot ' towards the end of my ride and feel like i could carry on for another hour or so, I do suffer from numb hands quite a bit though whatever I so with the bars grips etc

thanks
Andy

Furkuk

I am 48yrs of age and since I started cycling I have found that I have a lot more energy. I feel a lot better at all times of the day. If I was you I would pay a visit to the doctors just to get yourself checked out. Better safe than sorry

Fidius

well i'm coming upto 42 in may and just getting back into XC after my accident at work a while back so should be interesting to see how unfit i am also my giving up smoking and drinking has helped.....not that i dont miss it because i do but my health is more important to me now anyway good luck with your riding

M1llh0use

personally think you're doing fine! 33 here and abso zonked after a satuday morning 15/20 mile ride once a week and crash in font of tv every sat evening!

vtech1.5

yeah still trying to kick the smoking for good too, had a few relapses though,asked the gp about the tiredness but they seemed to think it was pretty normal,done a 30 mile on Sunday and managed to stay awake until bedtime
Best thing I've ever done buying a mtb though, its nice to get out and see where you live at the weekends even if only a small proportion of it is off road riding

geordiefreerider

Alright mate, similar to yourself I tended to drink and smoke although was never a heavy smoker on a regular day maybe 3 or 4 tops, i tended to smoke a lot if i drank, so i stopped both, after 2 and a half weeks i felt great but really fancyed a drink so bought 8 cans and 10 cigarrettes as a kind of reward but after that i felt crap in the morning so never touched them since and im quite proud, maybe try say 1 night a fortnight where you can drink and have a few smokes, and try and go from there, it pleases you when you can feel your fitness increase and that in turn just encourages you to stop for good. - good luck !!