Sudden decline in MTB fitness :S:S

hitchen92

I've just had a sudden decline in my fitness! After climbing, I'm now a lot slower and seem to get tired a lot sooner. Is there anything that can cause this? I don't think this is just a blip, as I've been out 3 times and seemed to have got worse!?

birchy

maybe you've picked up a virus of some type, there has been few going around not the ones that make you feel real ill but just take the edge off you if you know what i mean.
it will just take few weeks for your system to sort itself out if thats what it is

mcbazza

I noticed that I'm very sensitive to what I eat, specifically before strenous exercise.
Is this a oneoff thing? Or, something during noticed during last few rides?
And (an obvious cause of lack of performance in Spring) have you ridden much over Winter?

Then there's the bike-related points:-
Are you basing this upon times?
Is the bike the same? (from when you felt faster)

Take it gently. If you feel it persists, see a Doc.

hitchen92

Yeah I've ridden quite a bit over winter. The bike is different to that from winter, but I have been on the bike I'm on now and been fine, until this week wher emy fitness has just declined.

mcbazza

Just sounds like a lull (in performance) to me.

Keep tabs on your food intake. Perhaps you are under the weather - do you feel like you might be?

Boost your carb intake pre-ride. See if that helps.
And, as ever, if you still don't feel right, and nothing helps, see a Doc.

hitchen92

I think I'm not getting enough fluids, but food wise i'm getting the same. And I do carb-load (pasta) before every ride, usually with a couple of hours to let it digest. Also not feeling under the weather at all.

mounty

I felt flat and sluggish on my Sunday 3 hour ride this week...............but then I remembered that on Saturday I had fish and chips by the river and then several 'John Smiths' to wash it all down with....

But I felt it on Sunday morning....my diet is balanced and I hardly drink these days....but it did affect my ride ..... :oops:

There are one or two virus's floating too

Jetlag

Take a break. I know it's probably not what you want to hear, but just take it easy for a week. Even top althletes have recovery weeks where their work load is about half their normal load.

owen908

If there is one thing that significantly affects my performance on the bike is my state of mind. If i'm feeling particulary down or worried about something it seems to have a lackluster effect on the bike and any effort required, even if i'm in good shape at the time would end up burnt out. On the flip side if i'm feeling positive then this vibe tends to reflect on the riding too and i usually end up feeling very good throughout the ride .

cicatriz

The biggest effect I notice is my fluid levels. If I've not had enough water before or during a ride I suffer badly. Drinking beer the night before a ride will dehydrate you. You also tend to sweat a lot more during the ride as your system tried to get rid of the alcohol. Plenty of carbs before a ride is a good idea but you also need to take in a sufficient amount of water to allow your body to metabolise these carbs effieciently.

Finbar Saunders

It could be over-training. Do you measure your resting HR? Or have an idea of what your training load is like i.e not just time/distance/number of rides but also intensity.