i cannot get my fitness back.any advice?

racefaceec90

basically due to suffering with depression for a long time (at least 10 years),i have been having real problems getting the motivation to ride my bike. but recently i have started to really want to get back into mountain biking again (partly due to buying a lovely new fsr comp).my problem isn't so much the depression.it's just that when i do ride my bike on a semi regular basis i cannot get my fitness back like i used to have when i was in my late 20's (i'm now 34).i used to be able to ride my bike for hours on end at a pretty good av speed (for me anyway) but now i just ride at a slow pace (i cannot sprint for very long),and get tired in the legs easily. the point was bought home to me yesterday though when i cycled to bike shop (around trip of 20 miles on the road.too icy on canal towpath) the trip took me 2hours 45 minutes!!! i must add that i have just had a cold,so that could have something to do with it. i know that as you get older,you do loose the fitness due to age,but i really am riding slow. my friend reckons that i should get a full check up with the doctor,just to see if there could be any underlying reasons.any advice would be greatly appreciated.thank you

dynastarg9

I say stick at it. I'm 36 this year and still going hard. My daughter's 10 months, so the riding has been hard to fit in recently, but I'm still getting out at every opportunity.

I do a couple of sessions on the windtrainer every week (30-60 minutes depending on what time I have available) and I ride every weekend for at least 3 hours.

By the sounds of it, you just need to tee up with a riding buddy and they'll get you motivated.

dynastarg9

My mates also have a few of those fitness problems that you mention. I reckon it's because of the pies and beer and not the age ;-)

racefaceec90

thanks for replying dynastarg9. unfortunately none of my friends really ride (but i have been on the singletrack forum and have been out riding with some people from there (was great to ride with people, i was the slowest though haha.) basically would like to get some fitness back,then go riding with people from st/bikeradar forum. am just embarrassed about being so slow :oops:

dynastarg9

No need to be embarrassed. I know that the majority of MTB'ers are pretty patient and good like that.

There's a few good articles on the main bikeradar site about improving your diet and immune system. Make sure you're doing the basics right to begin with and I'm sure you'll start to feel the difference pretty quickly.

I've got a HR monitor and a windtrainer for during the week after work (as I need to stay within baby monitor range). If you haven't got one, then get one (mine's the Polar f6 - old now, but look it up). If you can do 30-60 minutes of 70-80% max HR 2-3 times per week, then you'll really notice the difference when you get out on your bike.

Diet and persistence are the keys. Once you get going, you'll get into it again quickly.

welshkev

stick at it mate, i'm 32 and started riding again after a break of about 10 years last january. i'm probably now only just starting to feel like i can take on some decent rides relatively easily and if you see my other thread here, the hills still kill me!!!

i think we may just be getting old.... just takes us a little longer to recover i think.

jairaj

I think your reduced fitness levels are totally normal and I wouldn't be worried or put off by it. you've been off the bike for a while so naturally you're not going to be as fit. Just keep them peddles turning as often as you can and you'll soon start to see some results.

But in my experience I've only found quick fitness gains with a strict training schedule at the same time I also find these boring. So a good balance of just getting out on the bike and having fun as much as you can and having a training plan should keep you motivated and seeing good fitness gains. Also try to keep a record of your time round a local loop or something so you can look back on it and really see the improvement you've made

racefaceec90

yes i must admit that my diet could be better i must eat more fresh fruit/veg. have not bothered with them much as i am unemployed and have spent money on cheap food (frozen veg e.t.c.) i would definitely like to get a cycle trainer/heart rate monitor as i know that would help with riding the bike when weather is rubbish outside. i think that i will start to take food a lot more seriously than i have (i have read that it also helps with depression as well.now i just have to learn to cook

jairaj

I also echo what has been said by dynastarg9 Im not the fittest MTB by far and am usually at the back of the pack on climbs but everyone I've ridden with have been very good and encouraged me to keep at it. So don't be embarrassed or feel bad, insteed feel proud you're on your bike and having fun.

racefaceec90

thanks everyone for the great advice.i will definitely follow what you have all said. p.s meant to add good luck with your new baby dynastarg9.thanks all.

dynastarg9

See, you're feeling better now!

I've just got one of these really basic turbo trainers:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TACX-CYCLEFORCE-SWING-TURBO-TRAINER_W0QQitemZ200426451693QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL?hash=item2eaa58f2ed
See if you can get one cheap on ebay.

I probably wouldn't go for a 2nd hand HR monitor though.
Tesco and Wiggle have got some cheapies:
http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.206-8780.aspx
http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.203-3529.aspx
http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.203-3529.aspx

I guess you get what you pay for though.

Good luck.. we'll see you out on the trails.

dynastarg9

racefaceec90 wrote:

thanks everyone for the great advice.i will definitely follow what you have all said. p.s meant to add good luck with your new baby dynastarg9.thanks all.

Thanks racefaceec90. You'll probably see me at Afan in the summer with my little one in a trailer. I wonder if you can do White's level with a trailer on the back ;-) there's a challenge if ever I thought of one.

Good luck with the fitness.

Tempestas

Get some road miles in as a base, mix it up with some general fitness work and you should start feeling the benefits, I find road work initially is not such a shock to the system and switching to off road will be easier and more rewarding which improves motivation. Remember, with extra exercise you will need time to recover so eat the correct things within 30 minutes of stopping and get the right amount of rest.

dynastarg9

That's a good point thanks Tempestas, I almost forgot. When I'm out on a weekend ride, I make sure to eat at least one energy bar (I'm on the Torq ones at the moment). Any fruit/nut bar will do though, just not chocolate or anything with processed sugar in it.

When I was younger, recovery used to be something I never considered. If I don't have a recovery drink when I get home, I'm just useless for the rest of the day. There's plenty of options for that (including expensive recovery drinks). If you want a cheap recovery drink, just blend a banana, milk and yoghurt. The potasium in the banana is great for the lactic acid buildup in your muscles.
There's lots of science around it.. but it all comes back to what you eat (sorry for saying that again).

asdfhjkl

dynastarg9 wrote:

I make sure to eat at least one energy bar (I'm on the Torq ones at the moment). Any fruit/nut bar will do though, just not chocolate or anything with processed sugar in it.

I guess you have no idea what's in those bars then. Energy bars, fruit bars and nut bars are simply nothing but glorified, well-marketed candy. They have their benefits at times, but no more than "real" food.




Raceface, keep training hard and it'll all come back to you. Improving fitness takes time, but with adequate nutrition and rest, you'll get there!

robertpb

Never look at age as why I can't do this or that, fitness is in the head.

My fitness I look at as a daily challenge, if there's an escalator/lifts or stairs I take the stairs two at a time.

I plan what I need to do each day to get some training in and eat healthily.

I weigh the same weight as when I was in my late teens.

I have a resting heart rate of 50-52, I can ride at 85-92 for up to 2 hours.

The people I mostly ride with are in their 20's and 30's, I don't hold them up because I mostly lead.

The advise that others have given is sound, just stay away from sugary bars, eat Trek bars myself

I'm just a few months away from my 60th birthday but the teenager in me won't keep quiet.

racefaceec90

thanks everyone for all the great advice.p.s robertpb respect to you sir.i hope that i can be as fit when i am nearly 60.

tlw1

just get out & ride, ensure you are enjjoying it and then build on that.

Also turn the negatives into positives, ie, no job currently means cycling in the light on a daily basis (no need for an expensive turbo)!

supersonic

If you are feeling particularly knackered or overly struggling, visit the doc for a check up to be on the safe side.

The virus you have just had will effect you and can do for a while afterwards.

I suffer from M.E. from reepeated bouts of glandular fever - it can be hard to get gong again, but never, ever overdo it.

trekmtb1081

My dad is 60 in feb and often comes out with me up the peaks on a 30 miler, never lags behind. Im 29 and most of the lads we ride with are between 20 and my dad who is 60 so age doesnt always matter!

I had my appendix out middle of last year and found that getting back on the saddle was a real struggle. I had lost a lot of muscle and my legs tired very quickly.

Persistance is the key but more important I make sure my rides are fun! Its what mtb is all about for me. I stopped thinking about it in the end and I am much stronger than I was 4 months ago!

Stick with it pal, remember what mtb is all about and best of luck.

ride_whenever

Muscle bulk drops off pretty quickly with inactivity, for women it is about 6 weeks of before you're back to your natural muscle load, for men it is longer but IIRC around 8 weeks.

After such a long break it will really take time to build things back up. Keep at it, don't bother with this HR zone crap, I used to be quite a heavy subscriber, but unless you've got a heavy training load (over about 6 sessions a week) it really isn't necessary. Instead go out and ride as hard as you can.

The best thing, particularly in terms of motivation is to monitor your riding and set yourself goals. Maybe enter a race in the near (~6months) future. Then find yourself a local loop of similar length and ride round it. Time yourself to see the improvement, and aim to go as fast as you can. It is very addictive.

Also diet, around 7-10 fruit and veg a day when exercising seriously, plenty of lean meat and low GI carbs.

racefaceec90

again thanks for all the advice,i definitely appreciate it.i will definitely take it on board. the ironic thing is that when i do go out on the bike i do really enjoy it,but the depression does a good job of making excuses not to ride (it's raining/too unfit/will take an age to clean bike after ride e.t.c.)that is probably one of the most debilitating/annoying aspects of the illness (lack of motivation) it will not win though haha. sorry to get heavy i just wanted to try and describe some of the problems with suffering depression. thanks again

ian220476

Good luck racefaceec90.

I started last year, weighing in at a strong 19 stone and decided enough was enough. Pleased to say I haven't looked back since but can I make a suggestion - Spin classes.

These changed my fitness. I was riding two three times a week but completely unstructured. The Spin lessons are good, mix up strength and speed and give you lessons/structure to take back to the bike and practice. Spin by iteslf won't do it, but doing a 1 hour spin class a week, an hours worth of offroad interval training, then a 25 mile endurance run offroad at the weekend thsi took me forwards leaps and bounds. Spin is indoors on a monday night where I live so no opt out because of weather.

The first 5 weeks of training from a rlatively low start point is the worst - unfortunately the no pain, no gain principle is true - but head down and push through it. The feeling of accomplishement in week 6 is great and then it has become part of your weekly routine. You'll miss and push even harder!!

I live in essex if you live out this way and are looking for someone to cycle with. let me know

racefaceec90

thanks ian220476.unfortunately i live quite a distance from you (devizes wiltshire),but definitely appreciate your offer.those spin lessons sound interesting,will def find out more about them.cheers

john74

to the op. wow i thought i was reading about me to start with im 35 and been suffering depression for 10 years also. i know exactly what you mean about motivation especially when your not the fittest.
my doctor advised me to get some exersize to help with the depression to up my endorphine levels so i found a local mtb club and went riding with them and got totally mullered it was soul destroying and i didnt touch the bike for a year or more.
i then started going out on my bike by myself and i noticed within 3 months my fitness had gone up so much it felt like someone had given me a new set of lungs and legs overnight. then i went out with the club again and i was ripping the legs off of the newcomers and was holding my own in the middle of the pack. what a feeling that was i was buzzing for weeks afterwards and couldnt wait for the next club run.

the hardest part is getting out the front door i know. so this is how do it.

1 decide when your going out next. and stick to it. ie ive booked myself out tommorrow at 10am.

2 get all your kit and clothes ready the day before, even take the front wheel off the bike ready to stick in the car.

3 read mtb mags the night before for motivation. or bike radar of course.

4 on the day get dressed in all your clobber get you drinks and stuff ready.

5 have a coffee and chill for an hour just to get your head in the right place.

6 then just go .

on the drive to the local trails im really nervous all the time and could easily turn the car around and go home, this is where you need to be mentally strong.
the way i keep motivated is i look at it as every turn of the crank im that little bit fitter. even if i get to the woods and hate it at least ive done 10 mins on the bike and i dont need to beat myself up for not going in the first place.

if you fancy a day out come up to milton keynes and i can show you the local trails.

hope this helps.

Splottboy

Hey, I do most of my riding alone, so going slow is no problem!
Think that you've already got the "motivation", hence the post.
So now, it's the "action" you need to put into place.

I know that a good, or even a bad ride, can be an excellent self-discovery session.
It's very rare for me to return not feeling better than when I went out to ride.

Once you're out of the door, the feeling of freedom and self-support/decision making take over, give you immense confidence in yourself. Having been injured for the last 2 yrs, with less riding, I can't wait til the injury is healed to get back to my previous level.
This is what keeps me going, the anticipation of full recovery.

I had a time when things were going totally wrong, Job, Marriage, Teenage Kids etc...
The one thing that kept me sane - friends family will beg to differ! - was RIDING!!!
Just get out and ride!!! ( Is that copyright?)

racefaceec90

thanks again everbody for all the great advice.i went out on the bike yesterday to trowbridge to get a controller for the pc.and felt a lot better/was faster than i was last week (i think it was the cold that was making me so slow (as well as the icy snow).managed to do 10 miles in 49:44 (on canal towpath) total distance 23 miles 2;24 still slow though ps john74 thanks for the advice.i'm glad to hear that you are giving your depression a damn good slapping.appreciate the offer (if i am ever going to be around your neck of the woods i will contact you.thanks everyone.

specializedone

Sign up for a local enduro ride - you can often choose between 30 or 45km.

Go for the shortest one and you will find riding with others will lift your pace without you noticing.

Then next time go for the longer one...you will be timed but they usually are not technical events, so it doesn't matter if you take 30 seconds at the drink station or 5 minutes.

You'll be out with others who will supprt you along the way - you'll feel great at the end.
Tired but happy!