First bad ride

[Chris.IOW]

I'm still a relative newcomer to this cycling lark having only been at it a couple of months, but it's been going well. I've done a few sportives and have been getting the distance in, average speed has been respectable if not spectacular.

Today I had my first bad ride, my legs felt like dead weights from the off, hills I normally fly up I was slogging up as if they were alpine passes, and even accounting for the headwind I was riding into it still felt like I was pedalling through treacle.

I ended up cutting the ride short and only managed 32 of my planned 50 Miles.

Sorry there isn't really a point here, I just felt miserable after struggling on the bike and thought people here might understand more then my none cycling friends.


Sorry there isn't really a point here, I'm

 

[sparty69]

I understand completely. More and more of my rides seem to feel like this. I've only been cycling for about 10 months and the first 6 or 7 of those were great as I could really see a vast improvement in my ability. Things have now plateau'd somewhat and my progress is a lot slower. It does get a bit depressing some times but stick with it, just enjoy the whole cycling experience. I had a good ride this morning though. A friend and myself decided to do a quick short ride before the weather broke. We rode up Holme Moss because it's shut at the moment due to road works. Excellent, no traffic, what a difference it makes

 

[ColinJ]

Assuming that you aren't coming down with a bug of some sort, perhaps you just need more recovery time?

Very few people are doing 50 mile rides and sportives within a couple of months of taking up cycling. Your body needs time to build up stamina and recovery is as important to that process as the efforts you make when riding.

I reckon that you started your ride feeling tired and the headwind polished you off. It's amazing how much harder a fairly gentle headwind can make a ride.

You did the right thing cutting your ride short. Listen to your body ... if it tells you to take it easy - do; if it tells you that you are on a good day - attack!

 

[postman]

Start the day with a sound brekkie .I start off with porridge and drop a large dollop of honey in .Then a couple of slices of toast.Drink a large glass of water before setting off .And keep nibbling and drinking all around your ride .And don't worry we all have off days .

 

[consett k]

had the same experience myself on thursday morning. set off feeling tired and it was a real drag uphill into a headwind. felt myself getting slower and slower , first time ive said to myself im not enjoying this one little bit. turned around and headed home hating myself for not getting the distance in i wanted.
it was my first day off after completing 4 12 hour shifts and i normally spend the first day off recovering as i do quite a physical job at work, think i will bear this in mind next time. thing is i had no motivation to get out today either when im normally up at the crack of dawn and away. legs still feel like jelly after only completing 26 miles the day before.
alarm set for 6am in the morning for a proposed 50 miler. hoping to be in the right frame of mind .

 

[funnymummy]

We all have bad days Chris, there are days I fly on my bike, I feel unstoppable & can esaily do 40/50 miles without even noticing..then others when can't even seem to get over 11mph & after less then 10 miles want to throw the damn thing in the hedge.
I live right on the coast, so headwinds are the bane of my life


PS...Looking at your profile piccy and wondering.. Is this the same Chris I worked on the desks with at the New Forest Sportive...??

 

[Chris.IOW]

Thanks for the reply's everyone. Feeling much better about it now. Going to have a couple of days rest and then get back on it!

Funnymummy, yes it's me from the registration desks! I know what you mean about headwinds on the coast. This island always seems windy!

Thanks again.

 

[betty swollocks]

Are drinking enough?
Dehydration makes you feel cack.
The thing with cycling is that you don't know how much you're sweating because it evaporates quickly.
Make a special point of drinking loads (of water!) over the next few days, even when riding......much more than you think you need.

 

[exbfb]

Know how you feel.

Right now I'm suffering with kidney stones and running a bit of a temperature.
That certainly lowers my energy levels.
This morning's ride was hard hard work, so I just took my time.
Thankfully this afternoon was much easier.
Although I did get a p******e.

 

[Paulus]

Everyone has these bad days. Good advice offered by those who have posted above, don't get too alarmed by it. Rest up for a while and srart again.

 

[Chris.IOW]

Are drinking enough?
Dehydration makes you feel cack.
The thing with cycling is that you don't know how much you're sweating because it evaporates quickly.
Make a special point of drinking loads (of water!) over the next few days, even when riding......much more than you think you need.

Thanks again for all the tips and advice. I think you could be right about not drinking enough, I am rubbish at drinking both during exercise and generally, so need to improve that, I also need to sort out my food. I've been loosing weight over the last few years from a rather chubby 21st down to 12.5 st, but I haven't quite made the switch mentally to now needing to eat lots of the right food to fuel exercise so that probably contributed, or it could have just been a bad day!

Either way I will make the neccersary adjustments, pump my tyres back up, Literallly and metaphorically and be back on the bike in a couple of days.

 

[funnymummy]

Funnymummy, yes it's me from the registration desks!

Yay!! How did your ride go on the Sunday..? I took a 12 mile detour on the Sat LOL!

 

[italiafirenze]

Listen to ColinJ, I think he has it bang on.

It's so easy to over do it when you first start and because most people who take up cycling don't to any really intense efforts the fatigue sneaks up much more gradually and you don't really notice until you just don't have it any more.

I've had plenty of rides where the first 70-75% of the ride feels like I'm going without a chain and then suddenly it's a fight to stay on the wheel. It all comes with time and patience.

 

[Chris.IOW]

Yay!! How did your ride go on the Sunday..? I took a 12 mile detour on the Sat LOL!

haha, how did you manage that!! Hope it was a scenic 12 mile detour.

Had a great time on the Sunday, I thought the route was brilliant, and I got up Blissford Hill!

Definitely hooked on Sportives, have entered another super series one at the start of June and on the look out for others. I can see lots of early morning starts on Sundays and a BIG ferry bill coming up!!

 

[funnymummy]

haha, how did you manage that!! Hope it was a scenic 12 mile detour.

Had a great time on the Sunday, I thought the route was brilliant, and I got up Blissford Hill!

Definitely hooked on Sportives, have entered another super series one at the start of June and on the look out for others. I can see lots of early morning starts on Sundays and a BIG ferry bill coming up!!

It was all the ponies fault!!
Toodling along, road followed a slight bend to right or the was a road branching off to the left I approached this with caution as there was a gaggle of ponies muching away on the grass bank, in the distance I spotted a group of cyclists dispearing round another bend, I caught them up 6 miles down the road... Panniers, barbags n all - Defo not the Sportive type of cyclists LOL!!
Retraced my route & found a lovely big red & white arrow sign pointing left, right where the Ponies had been stood!!
The route was brilliant, although Blissford Hill got me about 1/4 way up - First time on my new bike... Changed gears the wrong way FFS how stupid! There's another New Forest ride Oct 2nd i'll be in that one too
Are you doing the Scramble in Pulboruogh on the 5th