Training problems

errecaldia

I'm trying to increase my level of fitness, but I find myself battling with fatigue. For the whole of this summer I've been struggling to improve, and I'm getting dispirited now. Can anyone offer advice?

Ten years ago, I was cycling daily, a 12 mile commute each way by VTT across Sheffield's hills, sheep tracks, moors, woods. Life changed, and I didn't come back to cycling until 2 years ago. I started on modest outings, but last year, living near the Alps, made good progress and went from 20 to 30k jaunts at the beginning of summer to 80km plus, with 1000 to 2000m climb. It was wonderful

This year started badly with 'flu, followed by a wrist injury, followed by knee injury. I didn't really get started until June, but confidently thought I'd be soon back to my old level. I started by weekly rides out, 30 to 40km, 300 to 400m climb, then every other day, on a road bike (Giant defy composite) . But at every other day, I started getting fatigued, not able to do much at all on the in-between days. So I decided my system needed a bit of a kick, and tried every day, which went well for a couple of weeks but then the dreaded weariness caught up with me. I took a week off, then tried again at every other day, but again, my system doesn't like it. I'm now looking at the winter off season without being anywhere near the level I want to be, which is to be looking at 80 to 100km with 1000 to 2000m climbs at club speeds next year.

I'm a young 51, with a good diet, but always been a bit weird on sugar, having a tendency to sugar drops which a sugar hit quickly puts right. I avoid a lot of sugar in my diet, but do top up on rides with flapjack for a mix of carbs. I've discussed the sugar issue with my doctor but he has nothing to suggest and I test negative for diabetes.

So, my questions are the best way to build levels up, the best diets to consider and a gentle pointing out of which bits I'm doing wrong....

Louisa

Zingzang

GP's get people coming through their door every day complaining of fatigue, most of whom get told to go home and take things easy. It's difficult to gauge how severe your fatigue is, but if you want to get to the bottom of it you're probably going to have to have blood tests. When or if the fatigue has gone on for six months and no obvious diagnosis can be made, your GP will be obliged to refer you to a Chronic Fatigue specialist, who will look in detail at your symptoms and do the necessary blood tests to try and see what is causing your fatigue.

JayKosta

You might want to consider these 2 things regarding 'general fatigue' -
iron deficiency
and
use of low dosage co-enzyme Q10 supplements.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

diy

As we get older we need to reset our goals, particularly if we are doing the same sports. In my 20s I used to do a lot of weights regularly benched 130kg. Now, in my 40s I can barely manage 80kg. No doubt in another 10 years I'll have to drop again. I'm lucky with my cycling, I didn't really start riding seriously until my mid 30s, by which time I'd been out of exercise for about 5 years and could make good gains despite getting older.

I can't comment on the fatigue, as this needs proper medical advice, but its likely that you have a good level of CV fitness left over, but are suffering from muscle loss that occurs with age. I'd think about switching out some of your cycle training for strength training to improve the power of your muscles and see if this helps. Some pre- and post exercise nutrition may also help - e.g. carbs/protien etc (others here will have better advice than me).

Lastly, stretch before a ride, warm up properly and stretch thoroughly before you cool down at the end.

dennisn

FWIW you mention everything BUT rest. :?

Zingzang

dennisn wrote:

FWIW you mention everything BUT rest. :?

She did mention it:
"I took a week off, then tried again at every other day, but again, my system doesn't like it."

It's pretty clear to me that she's doing a sensible job of trying to pace herself back to fitness but knows something is not right. The fact that she got flu in the early part of the year and feels she never recovered from it may be of great significance diagnostically.

dennisn

Zingzang wrote:

dennisn wrote:

FWIW you mention everything BUT rest. :?

She did mention it:
"I took a week off, then tried again at every other day, but again, my system doesn't like it."

Sounds like a typical rider / racer. Beat yourself up training until you HAVE to take a week off. Then go right back at it until you're forced to take another week off. These weeks off coming closer and closer together.

Zingzang

dennisn wrote:

Sounds like a typical rider / racer. Beat yourself up training until you HAVE to take a week off. Then go right back at it until you're forced to take another week off. These weeks off coming closer and closer together.

It's difficult to be sure what your point is, but you do seem to have already formed your own judgement on the cause of Louisa's fatigue by implying that the fatigue is down to her not resting adequately. It's not a very helpful approach. People can do everything in moderation and yet still fall ill, you know.

dennisn

Zingzang wrote:

dennisn wrote:

Sounds like a typical rider / racer. Beat yourself up training until you HAVE to take a week off. Then go right back at it until you're forced to take another week off. These weeks off coming closer and closer together.

It's difficult to be sure what your point is, but you do seem to have already formed your own judgement on the causes of Louisa's fatigue by implying that the fatigue is down to her not resting adequately. It's not a very helpful approach. People can do everything in moderation and yet still fall ill, you know.

As you say it's only my "judgement" on the issue. It seems to be something of a regular topic on this forum. people chime in saying they can't get rid of this or that nagging fatigue. They talk about nutrition, training, power, heart rate, and all manner of what they do, but only a very, very few ever talk about resting enough. It's always about more, harder, longer, with, apparently little thought to recuperation. That's the way I see it.

Zingzang

dennisn wrote:

As you say it's only my "judgement" on the issue. It seems to be something of a regular topic on this forum. people chime in saying they can't get rid of this or that nagging fatigue. They talk about nutrition, training, power, heart rate, and all manner of what they do, but only a very, very few ever talk about resting enough. It's always about more, harder, longer, with, apparently little thought to recuperation. That's the way I see it.

I take your point, Dennis, but I didn't get the impression from the OP that lack of rest was an obvious factor in her fatigue.

Crucially, if there is an underlying illness then no amount of rest may do any good in resolving the fatigue until the illness itself is resolved because, regrettably, rest alone is not the cure for all illnesses. As I suggested earlier, people can do everything sensible to discourage fatigue and yet still fall victim to it.

The essential point is that there are two different kinds of fatigue: physiological and pathophysiological. The first is an everyday experience for most cyclists; the second is something few cyclists are unlucky enough to have experience of for any extended time, but it is far more serious and can be far more intractable than the first. No doubt Louisa will be able to shed more light on the nature of her problem.

daxplusplus

Errecaldia wrote:

.. then every other day, on a road bike (Giant defy composite) . But at every other day, I started getting fatigued, not able to do much at all on the in-between days. So I decided my system needed a bit of a kick, and tried every day, which went well for a couple of weeks..

Sorry but that does sound like over doing it.

Riding every other day = getting fatigued.

OK, I'll try riding every day.

Which went well for a couple of weeks.

.. and then guess what?

I'm not saying there is not some underlying cause for the fatigue but lets rule out the simplest possibility first - that of simply over doing it.

If riding every other day is too much take 2 days off between rides.

Also treat every 3 or 4 week as a rest week (take it even easier) regardless.

Do you have any kind of software, strava etc to monitor the work load your putting yourself through and as a means to measure improvement? Because not all rides are equal in terms of the fatigue they induce.

jermas

Another thing to consider is the intensity at which you are cycling. Going "hard" every ride will lead to accumulated fatigue. If you came in to the season late (June) you won't have built in much base fitness during the winter months. Are you trying to catch up with lost fitness too quickly? Try keeping the intensity at which you ride low for a majority of your rides-(zone 1-2) until your fitness has improved and your fatigue has passed.