Increasingly difficult to push myself cycling to & from work

[geedoubleya]

I have recently changed from running to cycling and then increasing the weekly distance, but I am loosing my drive to push hard.
This is my historical training schedule:
week 1 - 4
mon, wed, fri - lunchtime - 1 hour hard weights gym session (3 - 4 sets of 8 reps maximum effort). (ONE DAY - squat, bench press, face down row. NEXT DAY - shoulder press, lat pull down and deadlift) - bus to work.
tue, thu - lunchtime - 5.5 mile flat run, no stop.

week 5 - 6
mon, wed, fri - same weight training session.
tue, thu - 7 mile off road flat cycle to and from work (28 miles / week)

week 7 - 11 (now)
tue & thu - same weight training session.
mon, wed, fri - 10 mile off road flat cycle to and from work (60 miles / week).

Food - same mon - fri every week.
8am 2 slices beef plus water.
11 am turkey, veg & been stew
2:30 / 3pm turkey, veg & been stew with brown pasta
On cycling days I eat 2 bananas 30 mins before leaving work (17:30 ish).
7pm - random protein / carb meal
I am 6"1 weighing about 13 stones age 41, male.

Week 5-6 my cycle to work was great, where I constantly pushed myself cycling hard.
week 7-9 my general cycle aches disappeared and I found myself not cycling as hard.
week 10-11 (now) my inner push is really trailing off, I find myself just cycling with no real drive.
First I thought it was the fitness I got from running helping push me on the bike, but searching forums tells me that it does not help.
What is the problem? Will I get beyond this?
All help is greatly received!

 

[JayKosta]

Are you using an 'off-road' bike for your commuting?
Perhaps a dedicated 'road bike' would make the commute more attractive for hard riding. It wouldn't have to be a 'race bike' just something with drop bars and a more agressive position - mud guards too for rain days.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[geedoubleya]

Thanks Jay
I am using a hardtail mountain bike with large 55PSI tyres, while my ride has no hills, the terrain is very uneven and bumpy and may destroy a road bike and shatter my arms!.
I am looking into getting some end bars to achieve a better stance, so hopefully that will help.

 

[RidingSeed]

How long has it been since you noticed this difficulty? Could it be the lack of sleep? Have you partied hard lately and didn't get enough nighty night? If it's not this then I really don't know what it could be. Maybe you caught a cold randomly and it makes you feel weaker?

 

[geedoubleya]

Hi RidingSeed
I noticed the difference a couple of weeks after starting to cycle, it then got progressively worse during the following four weeks, My sleep patterns tend to be the same, unless I should be taking more sleep with the increase in distance cycled (28 - 60 miles/week). One thing that a friend mentioned is maybe I am not taking in enough carbs, so I am planning to up my daily intake of wholemeal pasta and start having some before my morning cycle. That will be next week though as I am currently building a 25 m2 decking platform so all other exercise is off. If that works out then great and I will be able to close this post.
Thanks again.

 

[HollisSoliz]

IMO, your diet is a bit weak my friend, you need to add more lean protein (different selection - caseinate/egg/whey along with BCAAs and glutamine); in addition, you need more low-GI carbs and EFAs.

 

[durianrider]

cut back on your fat and protein. up the carbs. take it from someone that recently rode 6190km in a month with ZERO stimulants/caffeine etc.

Ive never had a drivers license. Carbz for the win if you want to get lean, stay sane and or just get around more on your bike.

Why are you eating like a bodybuilder if you want to become a lean fast healthy clean cyclist for life?

fruit for breakfast, fruit for lunch and as much rice/pasta/steamed potatoes/corn as you want for dinner. Choose low fat, low sodium vegan sauces for best results.

When you get too lean and light, just start eating like a bodybuilder to gain the weight back.

 

[Retro Trev]

cut back on your fat and protein. up the carbs. take it from someone that recently rode 6190km in a month with ZERO stimulants/caffeine etc.

Ive never had a drivers license. Carbz for the win if you want to get lean, stay sane and or just get around more on your bike.

Why are you eating like a bodybuilder if you want to become a lean fast healthy clean cyclist for life?

fruit for breakfast, fruit for lunch and as much rice/pasta/steamed potatoes/corn as you want for dinner. Choose low fat, low sodium vegan sauces for best results.

When you get too lean and light, just start eating like a bodybuilder to gain the weight back.

I'm not sure I can agree with fruit for breakfast fruit for lunch and why should sauces be vegan? And why only steamed potatoes?

 

[hiero2]

Whilst durianrider firmly believes his diet is THE one for every body, current science is leaning towards different people doing better on different diets. Some folks do well with higher protein, some with higher carb.

But I don't think you changed your diet, did you? So why would diet be causing a problem, unless you just weren't getting enough calories?

If you DID change your diet, like say to lose weight, then you have, imo, two problems to deal with, not one. Diet - and cycling motivation.

For the cycling side, I would look at training motivation - or lack thereof. Sometimes doing one thing gets BORING. If you find you lack motivation in cycling, try going back to doing some running. See if your motivation starts returning.

You could have reached a training peak, putting yourself into "overtraining" as well, and just need some time to decompress.

You could need to enhance your mental motivation. From a book called Crucial Conversations, pg 223-225, enhancing motivation (just the concepts, not quoting):
*Apply incentives (obvious)
*Apply disincentives (E.G. write a check to someone or thing you hate, and only send it if you fail to meet objectives.)
*Go public.
*Talk with significant others.
*Remember the costs, focus on the rewards.

Look at what you CHANGED in your life that led to this result. If it was just the cycling - you could try being a more social cyclist - look for other people to ride with. If you just commute, lay off all the commutes, and put some time in on weekends on group rides.

Stuff like that.

 

[The GCW]

To love or not to love, -the bike.

Commuting and riding 28-60 miles a week may not be the ticket to increasing speed, motivation, etc.

Commuting alone can be but it is not a sign of love of cycling. 28-60 miles alone may not produce additional power etc.

To achieve greater results, You might need to reach to the next level. Add more riding. If You love to ride it is easier to ride more... If You don't actually love to ride, what are You doing? -Just commuting.

 

[wilts rover]

Have you thought about varying your commuting route? Maybe that will give you more of a goal and challenge? I have been doing the same route out for seven years - and must admit I am never quite sure which route home I will be doing until I set off - it jut makes it more interesting.

 

[durianrider]

I'm not sure I can agree with fruit for breakfast fruit for lunch and why should sauces be vegan? And why only steamed potatoes?

Cycling is about watts per kg. Most people can push the wattage if they get a power meter and learn how to pick the right cadence but they carry too much bodyweight to have better w/kg ratios.

By swapping out animal products for high carb plant products you gain more glucose for your mitochondrial efficiency and lose the body fat and inflammation that is associated with consumption of animal products.

Id recommend this commuter cut back on the intensity and get a 29er mountain bike with a stages cycling power meter (they are the cheapset, best and lightest power meter on the market in 2013). The larger wheels increase efficiency and the power meter will aid with pacing and being objective with fatigue levels.

Example, I ride with so many people that say 'Im going easy! really easy!' but they are starting the climb at a wattage literally close pro level. Then 1-3 mins later they are gasping and saying 'oh, Im just getting old, Ive gotta train more, not enough riding time!'.

Then when they ride with me and we pace with a power meter, we drop minutes off their best climbing times with LESS effort as they are hitting the half way of a climb no where near the lactate level when they did the kamikaze climbing pace with no power meter.

Same with commuting. If you hit big wattage each commute and think you are going to be able to keep pushing that cos you want to lose weight, well you are going to burn out BIG TIME. Weight loss is like fitness. You have to be consistent and persistent. Can't skip meals or smash it every day and force the body into something otherwise you burn out and get fat and then get desperate again and get sucked into the next fad next a few months later.

If people knew how long it takes to get naturally fit and lean, they would start today instead of messing around with fads.

 

[bike_boy]

What a bunch of hog wash, a ketogenic diet has been proven time and time again to be the most effective diet for an endurance athlete.

 

[veganrob]

What a bunch of hog wash, a ketogenic diet has been proven time and time again to be the most effective diet for an endurance athlete.

Well then why don't you provide us with links to all those studies and name all the world class athletes that eat your ketogenic diet.

 

[bike_boy]

Well then why don't you provide us with links to all those studies and name all the world class athletes that eat your ketogenic diet.

They're out there, easy enough to find. The powerful paleo and crossfit movements are huge, they're all low carb, it's the future. All sugars, carbs and grains should be regulated like tobacco and alcohol.

 

[veganrob]

They're out there, easy enough to find. The powerful paleo and crossfit movements are huge, they're all low carb, it's the future. All sugars, carbs and grains should be regulated like tobacco and alcohol.

Like I thought, you can't answer the question.

 

[FitSsikS]

They're out there, easy enough to find. The powerful paleo and crossfit movements are huge, they're all low carb, it's the future. All sugars, carbs and grains should be regulated like tobacco and alcohol.

Let me help you out bike_boy.....

 

[richwagmn]

They're out there, easy enough to find. The powerful paleo and crossfit movements are huge, they're all low carb, it's the future. All sugars, carbs and grains should be regulated like tobacco and alcohol.

What a load of ****. What exactly was a paleo diet then? How do we know what they ate? Did all "paleo" people eat the same diet? Nothing but a fad with no science behind it.

Here, educate yourself. http://www.scientificamerican.com/a...iet-half-baked-how-hunter-gatherer-really-eat

 

[bike_boy]

Let me help you out bike_boy.....

HAHA some get it, some don't

 

[durianrider]

I heard Lance just ate bacon, eggs and melted lard to ride at high watts per kg. The entire USPS team BANNED carbs cos they didnt want the riders to get fat and slow.

Dr Atkins used to train Lance by pacing him up climbs. Its a myth Atkins died obese and had heart disease diagnosed just a few years prior. He is actually alive today and training Froome in Tenerife. Atkins can climb like nobody else ever but doesnt like descending so never got a pro tour gig.