# Do you sometimes just feel weak



## Jason.T (13 May 2014)

Went out last Sunday only for a short 17 mile loop and felt very strong and fast 

Not been out for a week due to work and weather apart from a short one yesterday, but I just felt drained, no power in my legs and they hurt on hills far earlier than usual 

Rode into work tonight, only 5 miles, I can usually avarage 15mph and even up to 18mph if I push it, but again tonight my legs just didn't want to work only averaging 12mph which is pretty poor for such a short distance 

I'm sat here in work feeling weak and drained and really not looking forward to the ride home in the morning unless I perk up a bit 

Anyone else get days where your legs don't want to work and you feel weak and drained


----------



## the_mikey (13 May 2014)

Yes, it happens. Sometimes all it needs is gentle ride to warm up before putting in any effort, sometimes it's a sign you are run down or have a virus, either way, taking the pressure off your ride and reducing your effort so you're not breathing hard will make it easier in the short term. Make sure you're eating and drinking sufficiently too!


----------



## DWiggy (13 May 2014)

Or it's just windy!


----------



## MikeW-71 (13 May 2014)

Yep, had that. Sometimes you just don't have the legs. Usually a few days later and I'll be better.


----------



## midliferider (13 May 2014)

On the way home today, I had to talk to myself, say that if you don't peddle, you won't move!
There is a bit hilly area, more of a slope, on my way home. I find that stretch a good way to judge how I feel on the day. When I am in good mood, I do that on the big ring, 50/12 combination. This evening, I was on 30/28.
It is not due to virus or anything. I was just drained at work.


----------



## JasonHolder (13 May 2014)

Know how much you're eating ,what youre eating and eat enough. Weak legs as you describe is normally low sugar. Its easily neglected after a weeks work. Eat more bananas!


----------



## Nigelnaturist (13 May 2014)

Not quite the same thing (but yes some days you are flying and others not), about half way (22 miles) round today I was a section of road i thought pretty flat about a 1/3 of mile in length and I was struggling to get above 12mph, when I looked at it it had a max grade of 4.3% and an avg of 2.9%, about 200ft a mile sort of climbing, but I swear it was pretty flat.


----------



## Pikey (13 May 2014)

+1 for the blood sugar and virus comments above, keep an eye on both.

I went out last week and felt as you described, thought I needed to mtfu about it and did some hill intervals, ended up in bed sick for the weekend, over my birthday too lol.

Sometimes your body is telling you to ease up a bit, prob won't last forever.


----------



## JasonHolder (13 May 2014)

Oh the hill interval remedy  hope alls good now chap


----------



## RussellZero (13 May 2014)

I find that feeling like that is normally a cue that I need to drink loads of water. Its amazing how much drinking a pint or two wakes you up and reenergizes you when youre tired like that. Give it a go and report back!


----------



## Pikey (13 May 2014)

JasonHolder said:


> Oh the hill interval remedy  hope alls good now chap



 Yeah, not my finest hour, but I set out to go up Salisbury plain and I like it up there too much to miss it.

'Twas fine til my ride yesterday, pushed it a bit too hard on the aero bars and blew chunks into the hedge as I went along


----------



## GrasB (13 May 2014)

Jason.T said:


> Anyone else get days where your legs don't want to work and you feel weak and drained


Usually the few days before I get a cold or something. Worst is that just after the drained feeling I get a day or two of really good legs, but it's best to resist the temptation if this happens.

It may also be that a break in your routine has left your body to relax & realise it needs to get some house keeping done. Thus you have energy tied up in that but not being able to do things.


----------



## Jason.T (13 May 2014)

Cheers all, glad I'm not alone and it's not just me 

Could be a combination of things, virus I hope not, had a slight sore throat but nothing major

It was suprisingly windy both today and yesterday 

I'm quite bad at not eating properly, after 12 hours in work I usually just bung something in the microwave, the misses cooks when she's home from work at a decent time but that's very rare, it's usually between 9-11pm 

I'm on my 3rd week of night shifts now and that's starting to grind on me, I'm always more tired on nights plus I only have a bowl of cereal before coming to work at night and then it's a microwave meal in work (the not eating properly thing again) 

Glad you've all pointed a few things out so at least I know I've not suddenly become weak out of knowere


----------



## sazzaa (13 May 2014)

I've been feeling tired quite a lot lately, pretty sure it's because I can't seem to eat the right foods at the right times to fuel my cycling.


----------



## JasonHolder (13 May 2014)

What time you eat carbs doesn't matter. Eating carbs matter!


----------



## Jason.T (13 May 2014)

sazzaa said:


> I've been feeling tired quite a lot lately, pretty sure it's because I can't seem to eat the right foods at the right times to fuel my cycling.


A guy I know who's a cyclist and personal trainer says it's all about the nutrition, but it's hard to eat properly sometimes, life is so hectic you just shove the first thing you can in your gob


----------



## ayceejay (13 May 2014)

_Rode into work tonight,_
Night shift = clue numero uno


----------



## DWiggy (14 May 2014)

I have upped my intake of fruit, dates, bananas, oranges etc along with porridge oats for breakfast and it really has given me *so *much more energy, defo recommend dates!


----------



## JasonHolder (14 May 2014)

I would recommend every one tries a high carb vegan-ish diet for 2 weeks sometime in there life. 

Full on vegan is definitely too much for most. But its incredible seeing energy changes, mood changes and even sleeping habits for the better


----------



## Dave 123 (14 May 2014)

I'm in that place at present. Caught a cold on the Saturday of the May bank holiday, which was fairly bad. I have been cycling to work since.
Yesterday I thought I'd got over the worst until it was time to ride home.... Zero power!
All day I've had a headache and again, a loss of power.
So I've not done any circuit training or metcon, but just done the 7 mile each way commute daily.
I was hoping to ride at the weekend, but I'm not too sure now.
I am off to Mallorca at the end of the month, and I have a bike for 6 days, I'll cry if I still feel below par!


----------



## ayceejay (14 May 2014)

The body has an amazing ability to renew itself - the trick is allowing it to do that. Sleep is the biggie
There are certain things it finds hard but if you are tuned in to this you will find an answer.
Working nights is hard because you should be asleep - not working. If you choose to ignore 
the body's warning on this you need to compensate and I am sorry to say that eating a lot of bananas
is just that bananas.


----------



## matth411 (15 May 2014)

I have been working nights for 2 years and pretty much live on microwave meals when I am there. On my days off I eat a lot healthier and cannot function. If it is only your 3rd week on nights then your body is probably trying to play catch up. I remember when I started nights I had no energy at all. Even on my days off. I have flipped my day/night schedule around so I have energy and legs don't feel so empty. So, have a breakfast when I get up, snack when I get to work, lunch at around midnight, snack, then dinner at 0430-0500. Took me a while to figure it out but it works for me.


----------



## Jason.T (15 May 2014)

I don't usually do 3 weeks straight weeks of nights, I'm only doing it because someone is on holiday 

My shifts are normally 1 week of days followed by one week of nights and continues like that so I swap from days to nights every week which is bloody hard, it's like having permanent jet lag


----------



## Jason.T (15 May 2014)

I don't usually do 3 weeks straight weeks of nights, I'm only doing it because someone is on holiday 

My shifts are normally 1 week of days followed by one week of nights and continues like that so I swap from days to nights every week which is bloody hard, it's like having permanent jet lag


----------

