ParkingTheBus

I'm not sure if I should be worried or if I'm just overthinking. I'm only 22 so I'm pretty young. I commute about 15 km to work 5 days a week, and go for a few extra rides a week or on my spin bike when it's raining. On average with commuting and mountain biking, I probably average 120-180 km a week. It isn't much, I know, but I also work a pretty physical job which impacts my rides.

I completed my first century on my hybrid bike 10 days ago and since then, I've felt extremely fatigued and tired. I'm not riding as fast, my legs burn and I have slightly aching hamstrings. Could I be overtraining? My fitness and technical skills aren't as advanced as others, but I usually would be zooming to work at 30 km/hr and riding on mountain bike trails with ease... Should I just take a week off? Thanks.

Edit: I forgot to mention, I average 5-6 hours of sleep a night which could be a factor.

TakingMyTime

Take a couple of days off, do some stretching. Get a few good meals in you. If you still feel the same possibly see a doctor.

CharlyAlfaRomeo

Take a week or two mostly off, it's okay to do some easy riding every other day or so, and sleep more until you start feeling better then ease back into your normal schedule.

Once you do get back to commuting and all the other riding you do I'd suggest taking it a little easier on your commutes. 30 kph pace on a hybrid is pretty quick for most people on a hybrid, and averaging that on your half hour commute means you're going hard right from the get go. Doing that day in and day out would likely have worn you out over time without doing the century.

mattleegee

30kph on a hybrid?
I thought i was fast but now feel out of shape and slow

Listen to your body, maybe slow your pace slightly

OldTryGuy

Burn out can happen at anytime no matter age or physical condition. Do as suggested and back off so the body rebuilds, make sure your diet is healthy and a doctor's visit for a good check-up/blood work-up is always a good place to start to check the engine's condition.

Don't feel so bad, at 22 the 18mph average is a walk in the park.

imi

Certainly could be, if your body doesn't work optimally on 5-6 hours sleep.
I was a pro sportsman for 20 years (not cycling) and neede at least 10 hrs/night to be able to train and perform. Now I'm "retired" and 8 hrs does me fine.
On bicycles tours (fully loaded) I'll happily sleep 12 hrs after a hard day.

Listen to your body. Eat well, hydrate well, rest well, push yourself beyond your limits when you feel you can...

Stretching works well for me. Others find it superflous. Even meditation and "mental training" can affect your performance - much more than a lot of people imagine.

Ain't nothing wrong with feeling drained for a short period. If it stretches into multiple weeks I'd advise a medical check-up, blood tests and a session with a dietist.

howeeee

sounds like you are ready for the old folks home to me

Up North

Other than your ride to work have you done longer rides of 50-75-100 before? If not you probably overdid it and your body is telling you so. You need to build up to a big ride. Sounds to me like you beat yourself up. Rest and recovery should do it along with some regular stretching.

berner

Lots of rest after a hard ride is really important which includes plenty of sleep also. Also proper eating to enable recovery is necessary. Recovery Tips | Bicycling

jfowler85

Does not sound abnormal, following a century. You are young - how much do you sleep do you get and what quality of sleep is it? Are you living off of microwave burritos and chips or do you normally eat a decent, varied diet? What is your occupation? Do you usually perform another exercise like running, swimming, climbing?

obed7

at my age stamina loss is a given, but at least on a bicycle, nobody knows it but me.

ParkingTheBus

Ill definitely take a week off, maybe just do light riding with friends. It's pretty quick but I can't resist. Going slow makes me feel old xD

Thx, dont feel bad lol

i eat healthy, at lleast I think i do. Lots of protein, good carbs abd fruits/vegetables

Yep, definitely will stretch like hell today
Nope and I think thats the problem. Previously, my longedt ride was 80 km. 105 km on a hybrid is pretty strenuous I now realize. Definitely saving up more for a road bike next summer

I

mozad655

Try fasting (no food or water) for a full 20-24 hour and go on a 30-50km ride after that. It can be a bit tough (much easier than you think though). The next time you go on a ride you will feel like superman. I now it sounds weird, but it actually works and your body is strong enough so 20-24 hour fasting is no problem for it.

Doctor Morbius

Stretching is highly overrated and it will not aid in one's recovery one iota. Stretching is one of those old school myths that has no scientific basis.

Catinella

You are young. It was a long ride. Take a week off any hard riding. You will be fine.

wrldtraveller

Parkthebus, I can relate, Im not young, approaching mid age, although Im in denial.
but I usually average 20 miles an hour on a minimum of 2 hour per ride. and usually I tend to end my ride with one blast of speed up to 30 miles an hour. when I do that, I tend to listen to my body, eat right, rest to allow my muscles to recover, then my muscles will thank me by giving me more energy for the next ride. So i can understand the feeling of pedalling slowly, and it feels slow. If you pedal today, then pedal tomorrow and you find out that you are slow, sluggish, lack stamina, that means your muscles are fatigued and need to rest. Its a tough pill to take but its important to listen to what your body is telling you. Eventually your body will get used to it then increase stamina for longer distance of riding.

Keep up riding, don't stop, its a lifestyle and passion, should always be part of life.

W

jfowler85

Stretching After Exercise: Does it Aid in Recovery?

Has a few citations stating that stretching is actually contraindicated for recovery.

Doctor Morbius

Yet 3 people recommended it as part of the OP's "recovery" process. That's the problem with laypeople offering advice. It's often wrong.

RISKDR1

your weekly mileage may be marginal for riding centuries. You need to recover for now. In general I would say you are under trained for that distance but your work and lack of sleep would probably make it difficult to train with enough distance to be fit for riding a century.

downtube42

What are your goals? Your goals may be performance related, pleasure related, experience related, political, health related, financially driven, or some combination. What you should do, to a large degree, depends on your goals.

If goals are more performance related, that favors intense workouts and serious rest. Not what most people consider fun, and not necessarily consistent with regular commuting. OTOH, if you goal is to commute while maximizing performance on weekend events, you can moderate your commute effort to create near-rest days. In either case, more sleep is a positive, but that may be too much of a lifestyle sacrifice. Again, it depends on your goals, and from there how much you are willing to sacrifice and work to achieve those goals.

ParkingTheBus

Yea, thats the problem. My work is physical and I do ky bigger rides only maybe twice a week. The century was pretty random as well. I was 60 km and just told myself that I may as well complete 100 km. I took a major detour home haha.


It's mostly recreational. I want to be faster and gain more endurance to keep up with a couple other friends, but nothing to serious. Better cyclists motivate me to get better, but I won't beat myself up for being slower.

That's a good idea however. On my commute, I'll take it easy and maximize my efforts on actual rides.

Ray9

Given the relatively moderate mileage you were used to a century was probably a shock to your body. It's not a good idea to just jump into a century without training for it. It's going to take a good month for you to recover. Next time prepare yourself and build up to it.

imi

Many people confuse scientific studies of the performance of top pro professional athletes whose goal is to win an olympic medal or the Tour de France with their own amateur exercise routine. Not belittling at all, but there is a world of difference, and to just, for example, refer to the latest research on stretching as to how it affects peak pro performance compared to it's role in a healthy regular training program is well, to be blunt, just silly...

If stretching had only negative effects (which studies have shown it can in certain aspects of peak performance), then no professional athlete would still stretch at all, neh? It's not as if they're not aware of the ongoing discussion and research is it? But hey, surprise, surprise, many still do because they experience benefits to their recovery and performance... Others don't...

Anyone who trains at an elite level is extremely aware of their body's needs.
Fwiw, I've been there, and stretching was an integral part of my well being. Others I know find it a waste of time at best, or even to have a negative effect on their training and performance.

This may actually seem surprising as all our physiologies sre basically the same.
There is, however, a much wider scope of psychological differences between individuals. The "mental training" while stretching before or after physical performance may well have a greater effect on the result and recovery than strict lab tests have been able to show...

It ain't just "stretching is good m'ok" or "stretching is bad m'ok"

Doctor Morbius

What you are doing is confusing beliefs with facts. That's OK and it's not at all uncommon, but it doesn't make it right.

Are you saying that your physiology is different from other people? That stretching benefits you but may not benefit or may even be detrimental to others? I'd say that's a barge load of hooey.

As long as a person is flexible enough to perform their event, whether it's cycling, running or kung fu, that's all the more flexible they need to be. Stretching does nothing to aid in one's recovery. Active rest? Yes. Adequate sleep? Yes. Sound nutrition? Yes. Stretching? Sorry, but no.

imi

Uh no, bit of misunderstanding here... I actually said "...all our physiologies sre basically the same. ..." but I am suggesting that for some people stretching after exercise, has a beneficial effect, possibly similar to that which meditative Yoga can have on the bodiy's physical status.

My stretching routine combined muscle extension, forced relaxation (CAT), diaphragmal deep breathing, contemplation and meditation. I am willing to accept that just the extension of muscles (stretching) may have had no positive effect, but the combined overall time I spent stretching was beneficial...
Cut the stretching out of the equation, then possibly time spent with mental training, breathing exercises and meditation would be just as beneficial. However, personally had I cut out the stretching, I would have often skipped those parts... miles vary I imagine

Sports science is not a closed book. It would not surprise me if many things we believe today (including everything you and I have written here) will be shown to be incorrect... That's just the way science works.

I'll do some reading as it has been 10 years since my professional career came to an end, and this is an interesting subject.

I will however continue to stretch because it makes me feel good!