Demoralizing rides

DL1987

Hi all, I've been riding for around six months, and three months ago I started riding with a club. Last Sunday it really clicked for me with the group ride, I spent a lot of time on the front, didn't get dropped on any of the climbs, and generally felt strong throughout. All week then I was looking forward to the next run, unfortunately the Gods of fate conspired against me yesterday morning and I couldn't make it out with the club so went out on my own. It turned out to be the worst ride I've had to date. I only lasted 5 miles before turning around and going home, i felt like I was riding through treacle the whole time, and had to stop half way up a climb that’s well within my ability because I was just gassed. Has anyone else experienced demoralizing rides like this? Is it just something that everyone will experience from time to time?
Any advice appreciated, cheers.

jordan_217

Possible onset of illness? Tired? You may have just worked a bit too hard last week and not allowed enough time to recover?

Everyone has an off day, you can't keep beasting yourself and expect your body to keep up, give yourself a day or two off the bike. Or, a day off the bike and 45 mins of easy spinning on the turbo on the second day. I was always under the impression your body actually improved during rest/recovery rather than the training load itself (?).

lc1981

I think it's fairly normal to have off days. I doubt that it's a failure to recover given that there's a week gap between the rides but perhaps as Jordan says, you might have a minor virus or something. I went out on Tuesday last week, felt really good and rode on some familiar roads at a significantly higher than usual average speed, and then on Friday I went out again and felt pretty tired and sluggish. Sometimes it just goes like that.

BelgianBeerGeek

+ 1 to the above. Everyone has an off day now and then. It's important not to beat yourself up over it, or the off days can stretch into weeks and months. Take some time away from the bike and go and do something else, then return with a fresh mind.

wishitwasallflat

Everytime I have had a ride like that within a couple of days I have come down with a cold.

Hoopdriver

Rest days are every bit as important to your training as hard, fast high mileage days. Listen to what your body is saying. Give it a couple of days.

Nick Cod

Had an off day just before Christmas. Started out as usual, up my first few climbs about a two miles in. Got to the top and thought I don't feel good at all, ended up heading back home.

Just put it down to an off day as I hadn't done anything different from usual. Rest up and just get back out when you feel ready

kim10

Hi - yes I think we all have days like this. As said above could be that you are coming down with a cold or something, could just be an off day.
I have one of these yesterday. Went out with a friend for what was going to be a easy'ish ride for a couple of hours. After 10 miles I was ready to turn around and go home had I been alone, but carried on with a bit of encouragement from my friend and finished the ride having done an hour and 45 minutes. The last 5 miles was just hell and when I came back I was quite surprised why it had been such a bad ride, but I just put it down as one of these you want to forget quickly. Out again tomorrow and hopefully feeling better.

Camus

They're just normal I think. I went up one climb I like to train on two weeks ago and less than halfway up was thinking 'not today thanks' but just tried to shut off and push on and go a bit harder, half an hour later I was wondering what it was all about.

The worst rides I find are when there's just a headwind seemingly at every turn, especially on grey days during winter. When the sun's out and the sky's blue it can make it all seem better.

DL1987

Thanks for the advice. Think i'll give it a rest for a couple days with a light spinning session on the turbo towards the end of the week. I've had nothing but positive rides for the last few months so I guess I was due a bad one.

wod1

I hate it when the feeling of going backwards occurs. Sometime when I look forward to doing a ride and covering good mileage, first 5 miles out feels like rubbish and get demoralised. I have always managed to persevere and turn a corner out of the wind, more hedges to break the wind, downhill part, change of road surface and I can snap out of it and have a really great and positive later part of the ride.

The worst part is when I start to think it is something up with the bike and then the speed just drops further like fade out. Totally irrational as well. Just takes some metal strength sometimes and the rubbish start to a ride can turn out to be a really good one and the bad parts fade from memory.

LittlePlums

Rule 5?

markos1963

I think it's called a 'day without' happens to us all. Last season I was nailing all the local TT courses with PBs, got to a fast course that I hadn't ridden before expecting to hit an all time PB and then recorded my slowest time of the season. You just have to accept it sometimes, have a day or two off the bike and start again.

Ricey83

It could even be down to what you had to eat that day. Not enough carbs, low energy etc

smoggysteve

LittlePlums wrote:

Rule 5?

+1

ricky1980

I had a similar event on saturday. didn't ride at all through the xmas and new year period thought to give a go on a long hill climb for the first time. got to the top , but i was so disheartened by the experience i turned around and went home, instead of tackling the second biggest hill in north london straight away. I think probably i wasn't fully committed and the fact i was out the night before had a few drinks can't have helped

mk1markfalkirk

Same story here, Haven't ridden for over a month. Set out Sunday to Cambridge from London at a fast pace and completely burnt out in 50k, Hated life, Repeated to myself "Shut up legs!!" which done nothing. Meditated on Rule 5 and slowly peeled the pedals round as fast as I could for the remaining 50k.

Never actually thought about just giving up cycling so much before, Ha!

Everyone has bad days, just keep going no matter how much you hate it. Now I know my ride tomorrow will be better for me completing the ride Sunday.

philvantwo

My favourite training ride is the one when its pouring down with rain and I don't have to go out!

stueys

wishitwasallflat wrote:

Everytime I have had a ride like that within a couple of days I have come down with a cold.

Reminded of this post today. Had a tough ride on Sunday, put it down to not eating properly but really found it a struggle. Woke up this morning to sore throat, aches, etc, that have got worse as the day has gone one.

A part of me is delghted :?