Originally Posted by
dev_the_dude
Hi all,
I've been riding for a few years, but typically only for a few (~2) miles per day with an occasional 10mi mtb ride on the weekends. I recently moved, and my commute is now ~6mi round trip 5 days/wk plus the usual weekend mtb ride. I noticed after 2 weeks of doing this that I'm physically exhaused, and had to spend most of Sunday sleeping. I'm a young dude, and in ok-ish shape so I didn't think this would be an issue. The area I live is very hilly.
My question- how long is your commute and how often do you take days off? Do you ever worry about over-use injuries? Is it something you get used to over time?
Thanks!
You should NOT be tired after such few miles, as a young man. I'm 57 and do 4x that amount and still work in the yard at the end of the day. I do live in Florida and don't have hills, but we have serious winds, living near the beach, and as luck would have it, it's always a headwind. Headwinds suck....
My longest commute was nearly a 50-mile round trip, when I lived in Virginia, but that's when I was in my 30's, so I got a lot of miles in my legs. You can do a lot more than what you're doing now and as you age you will get that old man strength. I remember first starting out riding and all the pain that came with it, but just work thru it and you'll be surprised how fit you will become.
What made a big difference for me is I took 3-weeks off work and did a 1,500-mile loaded bike tour up the east coast and back down thru the Appalachian mountains. Nearly killed me, but that's what it takes to really develop the body. I would never had been able to do that 50-mile RT commute if I didn't do that loaded tour. I'm so glad I did, but I remember very much the pain, but those are some of my best memories...now that it's over
.