Going backwards

[Soltydog]

Diet can play a bigger part with health & fitness than many people think. I've been told by the doc to lay off high carb & sweet stuff for the time being & eat more salad & veg Initially my commuting times went up from around 55 mins to 1hr 10mins & it was hard work, but i've kind of got used to it now, my times have come down a little & i'm enjoying my cycling more than ever. So it may be some slight change to your diet that's affecting you.
Don't worry too much about being out of breath up hills, i've been like that for years just move somewhere flat

 

[shimano]

JO25 - I kid you not bit most people don't know how to breathe properly under stress! For myself I've been lucky enough to have read the Book Of Bonj so now (keep it to yourself of course) I repeat the mantra of '(inhale) the book of bonj (exhale) the book of bonj (inhale) the book... etc etc ' do this on hills and they will seem as flatter than a really flat thing...

 

[ASC1951]

I improved quite a bit to start off with, .... but now seem to be getting worse again, slower, more knackered when I get there, more out of breath on the hills....

Have you calibrated this or is it just your impression of how you are performing?

When I used to do a lot of hill walking, I found that as April and May came around everything was steeper and I was more tired at the top. In fact I was doing bigger hills, carrying a bigger rucksack and going a lot faster.

If you really are slower and in distress, there is probably something amiss. It could be serious or trivial - you will know your own body.

 

[Globalti]

When I'm at the end of a long day in the saddle I have exactly the symptoms you describe - my legs won't push the pedals and I'm breathless even in an easy gear. As someone else wrote, you are getting fitter so performing better and burning more energy.

Have you looked at the map and worked out how many feet or metres you are climbing in a day, then multiplied that by a week? Bear in mind that a British mountain is 3000-4000 feet and that is a tiring day out for the average fit walker.

As I wrote above, treat yourself to a full week off cycling, you'll be amazed at the improvement when you go back to riding. Don't worry at all about losing fitness; you lose it at a third the rate you gain it. On diet, you need lots of quality fats for long-term energy. None of this namby-pamby "lite" shite, get stuck into bread with plenty of butter, meat, humous, eggs, as well as the usual healthy stuff.

 

[Tynan]

what mileage are you doing?

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Get a check up from the Dr's to be on the safe side but in my experience from Running, Martial Arts and Gym work this is quite normal. The body goes through changes as it becomes fitter and sometimes it is just a matter of a few days rest and a change of diet.

Having said that it might be worth giving your bike a once over. Low tyre pressure, dodgy wheel or crank bearings to name but two could cause your ride to become more strenuious.

Wish you the best of luck.

Not literally just before anyone says "try going forwards it's much easier".

I have been commuting to work regularly for 4 months now and I improved quite a bit to start off with, levelled out for the last month to 6 weeks (expected something like that) but now seem to be getting worse again, slower, more knackered when I get there, more out of breath on the hills....

Is this normal? Any tips for improving again? Or is it just a case of keep pressing on?

Also any tips on how to breathe properly when going up hills? I get out of breath fairly quickly on the big hills round here and on the small(er) ones I must hold my breathe or something cos start panting at the top .

 

[Jo25]

Wow! Thanks for all the replies. I think the problem through either by my bad phrasing or not explaining myself well enough may have come across as more serious than it is. I have got slower and more out of breath (and this is mainly just on hills) but still recover fairly quickly, I don't think it is a worrying health issue as I have not suffered the same problems at other times, I have a fairly active job and have no problems doing my day to day work. Though thank you for all the concern.

Trying to answer the questions that have been put in here:

By how much has your performance dropped off and your breathlessness deteriorated?

It has been fairly modest I guess, but noticeable

Have you calibrated this or is it just your impression of how you are performing?

I have judged my performance to be getting worse as the time it takes me to get to work is longer (from the cycle computer) and with the out of breath/knackered just on how I feel. No change in anything else though, same hill, same amount of stuff carried etc.

what mileage are you doing?

I only do a pitifully low mileage (about 8 miles round trip to work, 3 miles on the way 5 miles on way back (different route incase your are wondering how the mileage is different) but I do have a climb of about 150m in the first mile, from straight out the door.

For now, I think I will have a bit of a rest (on holiday soon anyway), think a bit more about my diet, follow your tips for hills and see how it goes - if things don't start to improve again I'll pop to the docs.

Thanks again for all the replies/concern.

Jo