Dead Leg Days

always_tyred

LiT, there is no magic way around it. Overtraining isn't a fixed threshold, it also depends on how fit you are. For some people, "overtraining" would be walking a couple of miles to work each day. Depends on your fitness.

Oh, and beware injuries from overtraining.

jonginge

lost_in_thought wrote:

Hmmmmm... this is all interesting stuff...

I don't think I'm doing enough right now to be overtraining, but I suppose I'm not as fit as I was last year. Curses. Must... regain... fitness.

I'm only doing 80 miles or so a week on the commute, plus varying weekend mileages, last weekend's being zero (forgot speedplay shoes), and I had dead legs on monday... And the gym 2 or 3 times, and Pilates which barely counts as exercise... I'm one of those who doesn't feel they've had a workout unless they're sweating like an inappropriate simile.

Carbs/protein within 15 mins, hey? Well my protein intake has been a bit down as I'm trying to drop the weight I gained over xmas, so I'll increase that again. And I bought some high5, but that's for longer rides, not commuting.

I'm going to try the adequate hydration, increased protein and lots of stretching... and have a day off the bike this weekend. Or just pootle with the family.

I often get this after a couple of days off the bike. I think it's the body saying 'woohoo, some time to do some repair'. TDF riders can also get this a day after a rest day. For example, Vandevelde did no riding on one of the rest days last year and underperformed on the climb of the Bonette Restefond the next day. In an interview afterwards he admitted it was a mistake...

lost_in_thought

Always Tyred wrote:

LiT, there is no magic way around it.

Damn it why not? There should be! I demand that a scientist invents one...

@jonginge:

Well then, that settles it, no rest days

itboffin

Interesting, so would it be okay to go for a low RPM spin on rest days, flat no hills slow speed and short distance say 5-10 miles?

jonginge

lost_in_thought wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

LiT, there is no magic way around it.

Damn it why not? There should be! I demand that a scientist invents one...

@jonginge:

Well then, that settles it, no rest days

Maybe not always complete rest, active recovery is good. You do need to give the body a break occasionally, though.

il_principe

I'm having an enforced 4 days off the bike as I can't get it to Sussex for Easter. Not good especially as I was out last night and will be again tonight. To top it off I've eaten like a pig over the last few days, ate a combo platter meant for 2 at dinner last night, along with chips, onion rings and boston baked beans (oh and a cheeky 5 pints) :shock:

jonginge

jashburnham wrote:

I'm having an enforced 4 days off the bike as I can't get it to Sussex for Easter. Not good especially as I was out last night and will be again tonight. To top it off I've eaten like a pig over the last few days, ate a combo platter meant for 2 at dinner last night, along with chips, onion rings and boston baked beans (oh and a cheeky 5 pints) :shock:

Full of minerals, beer

itboffin

A good quality real ale is almost a health drink :roll:

Shame on you re the platter - fatty! :P

lost_in_thought

Well, I didn't go to the gym this lunchtime, and promise to spend all of tomorrow making hot cross buns and not cycling...

Headhuunter

gtvlusso wrote:

All I can tell you is that Marmite, yes, Marmite cure Resless leg Syndrome.....And the French suffer from Heavy legs (personally, I think it is because they are lazy :-))

I've heard that about restless legs too. Apparently, often the cause for the need to jiggle the leg around when sat down is a lack of vitamin B, I think more specifically, B12. Vegetarians may be patricularly susceptible as dairy and meat is a good source of B12 but I think Marmite is choc full of it.

always_tyred

Headhuunter wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

All I can tell you is that Marmite, yes, Marmite cure Resless leg Syndrome....

My gf has restless leg. Cant' get a good night's sleep. That's why I'm always so tired.

snellgrove

Well, I personally think you need to rest, LiT, so you're doing the right thig judging by your last post.

If you're commuting 5 days a week and going to the gym, AND doing weekend rides, at which point are your leg muscles rebuilding / repairing properly before you go and use them again? What do you do at the gym, is it mostly your poor legs getting a battering? & Pilates uses core muscles doesn't it... Cycling uses those quite a bit too!

I find I'm usually slower riding to work the day after the gym & my knees are feeling... not sore, but they feel like they've been under some stress & could do with a couple of days off. I only have a 3 mile commute so I can get away with it if I take it easy but if I go running at lunch-time, it does catch up with me & I rest all weekend, or take the mountain bike out for a gentle ride with the Mrs.

dirk_van_gently

At the end of every ride, take a bath, not a shower.
puts some heat back in the muscles if it's been a cold ride, gives a little rest from gravity, forces you to just stop for a while (I usually read a book, not something you can do in the shower) and best of all feels good.
works for me.

benno68

Athletes seem to like ice packs or even ice baths , I wouldn't want to do it and don't know the benefits, maybe someone else can enlighten us.

Have a great long weekend everyone!

lost_in_thought

snellgrove wrote:

Well, I personally think you need to rest, LiT, so you're doing the right thig judging by your last post.

If you're commuting 5 days a week and going to the gym, AND doing weekend rides, at which point are your leg muscles rebuilding / repairing properly before you go and use them again? What do you do at the gym, is it mostly your poor legs getting a battering? & Pilates uses core muscles doesn't it... Cycling uses those quite a bit too!

I find I'm usually slower riding to work the day after the gym & my knees are feeling... not sore, but they feel like they've been under some stress & could do with a couple of days off. I only have a 3 mile commute so I can get away with it if I take it easy but if I go running at lunch-time, it does catch up with me & I rest all weekend, or take the mountain bike out for a gentle ride with the Mrs.

In the gym, I use the cross-trainer, run but only about 2-3k a time because it's high-impact on the old achilles, do weights and use the rowing machines. So yeah, a bit leggy, but there's not a lot you can do that isn't! I do swim sometimes as well.

And I understand from my osteopath that cycling actually doesn't really use the core that much at all... hence the pilates.

itboffin

Damn you LiTs - today's ride was a struggle, two days off the bike so called resting and it felt like I was pulling a car :evil:

It took 12 miles before I could put any sustained speed down, from now on rest days will include 5-10 low impact spinning miles :evil:

cjcp

Benno68 wrote:

Athletes seem to like ice packs or even ice baths , I wouldn't want to do it and don't know the benefits, maybe someone else can enlighten us.

I used to have cold baths after I'd competed in tri/duathlons or after a long run. Don't know if reduced muscle inflamation, but it did seem to aid recovery.

itboffin

I have a very serious case of restless leg syndrome, i've hardly even ridden many miles recently but even so my legs ache and feel fidgety, cycling even slowly has been a real battle the last couple of days.

Valy

lost_in_thought wrote:

snellgrove wrote:

Well, I personally think you need to rest, LiT, so you're doing the right thig judging by your last post.

If you're commuting 5 days a week and going to the gym, AND doing weekend rides, at which point are your leg muscles rebuilding / repairing properly before you go and use them again? What do you do at the gym, is it mostly your poor legs getting a battering? & Pilates uses core muscles doesn't it... Cycling uses those quite a bit too!

I find I'm usually slower riding to work the day after the gym & my knees are feeling... not sore, but they feel like they've been under some stress & could do with a couple of days off. I only have a 3 mile commute so I can get away with it if I take it easy but if I go running at lunch-time, it does catch up with me & I rest all weekend, or take the mountain bike out for a gentle ride with the Mrs.

In the gym, I use the cross-trainer, run but only about 2-3k a time because it's high-impact on the old achilles, do weights and use the rowing machines. So yeah, a bit leggy, but there's not a lot you can do that isn't! I do swim sometimes as well.

And I understand from my osteopath that cycling actually doesn't really use the core that much at all... hence the pilates.

NEEEEEEEERRRR?

Aidy

lost_in_thought wrote:

Well, I didn't go to the gym this lunchtime, and promise to spend all of tomorrow making hot cross buns and not cycling...

Did you make enough for everybody?

jonginge

Aidy wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Well, I didn't go to the gym this lunchtime, and promise to spend all of tomorrow making hot cross buns and not cycling...

Did you make enough for everybody?

They'd be a bit stale by now I would have thought...

jonginge

Had a stupid cold for the last week or so. It's gonna hurt when I get back on the bike

rjsterry

cjcp wrote:

Benno68 wrote:

Athletes seem to like ice packs or even ice baths , I wouldn't want to do it and don't know the benefits, maybe someone else can enlighten us.

I used to have cold baths after I'd competed in tri/duathlons or after a long run. Don't know if reduced muscle inflamation, but it did seem to aid recovery.

If you can't quite MTFU to lower yourself into a cold bath, try switching the shower to cold, give both legs a good blast until they feel properly cold, then switch back to warm. Repeat.

Makes the legs go all tingly, which at the very least distracts from soreness and aches - I think it's supposed to work by stimulating the circulation by causing the blood vessels near the skin to constrict (when cold) forcing blood flow 'inwards', and vice versa. No sure how true all this is, but the legs certainly feel better after it.

Greg T

itboffin wrote:

Damn you LiTs - today's ride was a struggle, two days off the bike so called resting and it felt like I was pulling a car :evil:

I had four days off the bike straight.

Got on the bike this morning, all set up to lay down a thick trail of awesome, got onto teh road, felt the light and responsive frame surging beneath me, felt good.

Turned left at the end.

Nothing

I mean less than a bit cold and needed to get warmed up - I mean no response.

My legs were heavy my head was not in the game - fifteen miles of meh.

I need to get down to the canteen this lunchtime and get a big plate of Manup and Chips. if I can be bothered.....

Someone tell me there was a gale Easterly blowing this morning........

rjsterry

Wind? What wind?













No, there was a brisk NE breeze this morning. Good for the evening run though.

MonkeyMonster

rjsterry wrote:

No, there was a brisk NE breeze this morning. Good for the evening run though.

This sir is a wish that you full well know will not occur. The millbank hurricane will lay some smackdown on your face as you go round the curve - it always does

Greg T

MonkeyMonster wrote:

This sir is a wish that you full well know will not occur. The millbank hurricane will lay some smackdown on your face as you go round the curve - it always does

I'll be looking for a draft tonight from HoP / Lambeth Bridge, 17-22 mph should be just fine, I'll drop off when the traffic gets sticky - no heroics now I'm an old man...