Training for the energy crunched cyclist

morbros

I work full time on a three-shift rota (mornings, afternoons, nights - monday to friday) in a fruit and veg warehouse. This entails lots of lifting and carrying heavy weights (sacks of spuds, crates of bananas, etc). As a result my legs take a right hammering. Working shifts, and having my weekends free, means I've got plenty of time to ride my bike but I'm often too knackered to put in some serious training (intervals, fast sustained pace). When I do go out, I tend to just ride along at a steady pace. I almost always either have to take it easy because I'm working later that day or because I've been working earlier in the day. My endurance is ok but I seem to lack power - my legs are just too tired from work to put in sustained efforts. Sunday's my best day for riding, as I've usually rested my legs on Saturday.

I entered a sportive the other week (93 hilly miles), and while I made it round the course, I put in a pretty slow time.

I'm just under 10 stone, 5' 9", 52 years old and ride a Boardman Team bike. I eat healthily and adequately enough to fuel the demands of my job. I've been cycling for about 15 years.

I would welcome any advice about how best to recover from the demands of my job (which is a workout in its own right), and how to approach my riding with a view to improving my general level of performance. There seems to be plenty of books to help the time crunched cyclists but not the energy crunched cyclist. Any advice/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

JayKosta

From your description, it seems that leg fatigue is the main problem, versus general whole body fatigue.

An easy, low cost, low risk, possible help would be to eat or drink something for muscle 'recovery' (your legs) immediately after each work shift. Perhaps a whey protein powder drink, low-fat chocolate milk, or a sports bar that is high in protein - 16-20 grams.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

frisbee

I would be tempted to try some weights. Cycling develops strong legs but only over a limited range of motion, squats and deadlifts may not help the cycling but could help lessen the fatigue that develops from the day job.

sloppyschleckonds

morbros wrote:

I eat healthily and adequately enough to fuel the demands of my job.

Are you sure?

morbros

madasahattersley wrote:

Theoretically if you eat well (I'd recommend fat adapting) your recovery times should improve as you get fitter.

Forgive me for asking but what's "fat adapting"? Is it the same as using the body's fat reserves, rather than stored carbs, to fuel a ride - say at 60%-75% of max heart rate?

ut_och_cykla

Look at nutrition would be my suggestion. Make sure yoru getting plenty of carbs & protein, as well as Vitamin C & D & Zinc & B vitamins (might be getting enough through food but a supplement for 3 months might be worth a try)
Plan your training according to yoru energy levels - hardest training on yoru freshest day, easiest on your most tired day and make sure it really counts! If you're into endurance events perhaps a session or two of 2 x 20 would be a good start. And befor events(or hardest session) really make sure you are as rested as you can be (tricky maybe!) and that you are topped up with carbs and fluids.

ut_och_cykla

double post :oops:

cyco2

You have some really good things going for you BUT (a big one) the bad things are winning the fight. I doubt very much it's an energy problem. If you want to get some quality riding you have to get some quality rest. The older you are if you're doing quality exercise then recovery can take longer. You need to experiment with time off to see what effect it has. How you do that is not easy. Maybe Sat/Sunday off and ride Monday. I had the same problem and envied the riders with sit down jobs. Yes, I've got the T-shirt.

morbros

cyco2 wrote:

You have some really good things going for you BUT (a big one) the bad things are winning the fight. I doubt very much it's an energy problem. If you want to get some quality riding you have to get some quality rest. The older you are if you're doing quality exercise then recovery can take longer. You need to experiment with time off to see what effect it has. How you do that is not easy. Maybe Sat/Sunday off and ride Monday. I had the same problem and envied the riders with sit down jobs. Yes, I've got the T-shirt.

You've hit the nail on the head. I know from booking a few days off from work to extend my weekends, and resting for the first couple of days, and then getting in some decent rides, that my strength/energy/general level of fitness is pretty good. It's the rest/recovery aspect of the equation I'm struggling with. I take a protein recovery drink at the end of each shift, which I find helps a lot. However, a recovery drink is not recovery in itself. I've also tried self-massage but never really got much out of it (possibly due to not doing it correctly). The harsh reality is that I'm not 23 any more. The body takes longer to recover the older you get.

I've almost come to regard my Sunday rides as fixed events (weather permitting). The thought of giving them up is one I'm struggling with. Even if I go out for just a steady Sunday ride, the enjoyment and general feeling of well-being I derive from being out on the bike after a week at work in my mind outweighs any likely benefits to be had from resting for two consecutive days. This of course raises the question of priorities...

morbros

ut_och_cykla wrote:

Look at nutrition would be my suggestion. Make sure yoru getting plenty of carbs & protein, as well as Vitamin C & D & Zinc & B vitamins (might be getting enough through food but a supplement for 3 months might be worth a try)
Plan your training according to yoru energy levels - hardest training on yoru freshest day, easiest on your most tired day and make sure it really counts! If you're into endurance events perhaps a session or two of 2 x 20 would be a good start. And befor events(or hardest session) really make sure you are as rested as you can be (tricky maybe!) and that you are topped up with carbs and fluids.

I've read, re-read and read again Matt Fiztgerald's book 'Racing Weight', and have got a lot out of it. I think it's a very good book, well worth a read. My diet is something I'm reasonably careful with and serious about. Through trial and error, I'm currently at a point where I feel reasonably confident with what and how much I eat. Which is not to say there's not room for improvement. Your point about supplements is an interesting one. I take a general multivitamin every day, as well as 1 x 500mg tablet of slow release vitamin c. On work days I take 1 x 500mg of the vit c twice a day. If I forget to take the second tablet, I always feel a bit rough, as if I might be developing a cold. Anecdotal I know, but I do find a high dose of vit c beneficial.

I'm not sure what you mean by "a session or two of 2 x 20". Could you explain that for me please. Thanks.

ut_och_cykla

2 x 20 - an interval session that takes about an hour or so inc warming up a bit, winding down briefly and a short active rest in the middle - the hard' bit is two twenty minutes at a steady but close to only just doable pace/effort - both intervals the same effort. Well suited to turbo work but also into a pesky headwind or up a gentle slope....Which means the first bit is a bit too easy, but the last ten minutes of the second requires focus and some determination. Pretty sure you'll find lots of posts here on 2 x 20 if you do a search

supermurph09

cyco2 wrote:

You have some really good things going for you BUT (a big one) the bad things are winning the fight. I doubt very much it's an energy problem. If you want to get some quality riding you have to get some quality rest. The older you are if you're doing quality exercise then recovery can take longer. You need to experiment with time off to see what effect it has. How you do that is not easy. Maybe Sat/Sunday off and ride Monday. I had the same problem and envied the riders with sit down jobs. Yes, I've got the T-shirt.

I have a sit down job and sometimes its no help. The fact you are sat on your backside most of the day can make you pretty lethargic so it works both ways. What I have in my mind at the end of the working day (if I'm riding that evening), is that the tiredness I am feeling is mental not physical so therefore once I get pedalling and the days mental efforts have been expunged from my head my legs will have the energy!

cyco2

Supermurph09 wrote:

cyco2 wrote:

You have some really good things going for you BUT (a big one) the bad things are winning the fight. I doubt very much it's an energy problem. If you want to get some quality riding you have to get some quality rest. The older you are if you're doing quality exercise then recovery can take longer. You need to experiment with time off to see what effect it has. How you do that is not easy. Maybe Sat/Sunday off and ride Monday. I had the same problem and envied the riders with sit down jobs. Yes, I've got the T-shirt.

I have a sit down job and sometimes its no help. The fact you are sat on your backside most of the day can make you pretty lethargic so it works both ways. What I have in my mind at the end of the working day (if I'm riding that evening), is that the tiredness I am feeling is mental not physical so therefore once I get pedalling and the days mental efforts have been expunged from my head my legs will have the energy!

Aah... but... were you riding 18 miles to work on shifts of 6am and 10pm starts running around repairing production line machines while still in my 50's. However, I do take your point that too much sitting is not always good for you. But for the OP I do think some time sitting would help.
I eventually gave up racing because I couldn't do interval and sprint training because my legs too tired.
I would also suggest massage and stretching would help for over worked muscles. They need TLC.

morbros

cyco2 wrote:

But for the OP I do think some time sitting would help.

I agree!

cyco2 wrote:

I would also suggest massage and stretching would help for over worked muscles. They need TLC.

I went through a phase of massaging my legs after each shift but didn't seem to get much, if anything, out of it. Perhaps I was doing it wrong... I've thought about getting one of those foam rollers - The Grid seems to get good reviews. Has anyone here used one? Would like to hear what anyone thinks about them.

cavasta

Morbros, I'm in pretty much the same boat as you - similar age, similarly demanding job (I work evening shifts, 5 to midnight, stacking shelves in a supermarket, on my feet all evening, carrying and lifting weighty items), same problem: the demands of my job mean I don't always have the legs to train as often or as hard as I would like. However, through a long process of trial and error, I've learnt how to make the best of a bad job by adapting certain strategies.

I've tried all manner of methods - some of which were/are better than others - and I'm still looking for, and open to, anything that will help. Here's what I do:

Food partitioning. Like you, I've studied Matt Fitzgerald's excellent book. According to him (and others), eat according to the demands of the next 2-3 hours. Small breakfast if I'm having a restful day, larger breakfast if I'm off out on the bike. Ditto lunch. Dinner before work sees me eating enough to get me through to my first meal break. I approach each shift as I do any form of exercise: eat according to my needs. I get two short meal breaks during my shift, and I make sure I eat enough to get me through to the next break/end of my shift. The emphasis is on good quality carbs, oils and fresh fruit and veg.
Work out my calorie expenditure. There are countless websites out there that will will give you a general estimate of the calorific requirements for a whole range of jobs and activities. None of them are perfect but at least they provide you with a ball park figure that you can then work from. Here's one such site: http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/Activ ... ulator.asp
Recovery drink. I finish work at midnight and usually go straight to bed when I get in. While still at work, as soon as my shift ends, I drink a pre-prepared recovery drink. The one I prefer is SiS Rego Night. It's specially formulated to work while you sleep (they advise you take it 1 hour before going to bed).
Compression socks. I wear these while at work. They feel very comfortable and do a great job of supporting my calf muscles during the shift. I once tried not wearing them, just to see how things felt, and was astounded at just how much difference they make. I've tried sleeping in them too but gave up on that as they just didn't feel right in bed.
Multivitamins and vitamin c. Again, like you, I take a general multivit and a high dose sustained release vit c twice a day (one in the morning and one with my main meal before work). Uncannily, my experience of missing my second vit c tablet before work is exactly the same as yours: I feel as if I'm developing a cold. I've come to swear by high dose, sustained release vitamin c tablets.
Recovery rides. Several times a week, often the morning after a shift, I go for a slow-paced ride for about an hour. The idea of these rides is to loosen up the legs and get the blood gently flowing. They're slow, steady rides and put as little stress on the legs as possible. I don't break a sweat and don't get out of breath on them. Slow and steady is the order of the day.
Rest day. At least one day a week (usually Saturday), I will have a day of total inactivity (or as much as possible). This is my lounging around day, reading the papers, enjoying coffee, etc. The most physically demanding activity I do usually tends to be a short walk in the morning to the paper shop! Rest is important.

This is by no means the perfect program but it certainly helps. As I said, I'm always looking for anything that will get me through a shift and/or help in the recovery process. I've just started experimenting with High5 Zero tabs. My initial experience is that they help with the recovery process - my legs don't feel quite so tired/aching the next day. I can still feel the effects on my legs from the previous evening's exertions but I've also noticed a general improvement in how they feel. I make up a 750ml bottle with one tablet and have 250ml with my main pre-work meal, another 250ml during my first break, and the rest a couple of hours later. I'm not sure why or how they work but they do feel to be having a positive effect. I've only been trying them for a week or so - maybe it's a placebo effect?

Here are some of things I've tried:

Beetroot sports shots. They're not a substitute for eating properly but my legs did feel stronger/less tired during my shift. However, they also work out to be pretty expensive.
Udo's oil. Claims to provide the ideal balance of essential oils and omega 3, 6 and 9. Claims that fat is a more efficient way than carbs of fuelling exercise and recovery. Not sure about that. Also pretty expensive - very tast though.
Self-massage. I tried this but, like you, I never really felt much benefit. My legs felt pretty good after the massage but next day they still felt tired and aching. I too would be interested to hear from anyone who's tried one of the Grid massage rollers.

Hope some of this helps/is of interest.