Is less riding better?

[Banjo]

I have lots of stuff going on lately keeping me from riding as much as I would like. My commute is only 2.5 miles ew though steep uphill on way back. and I am getting out for an hour or so once or twice a week.

This is a lot less than normal, I like to do that plus a couple of longer 3 to 5 hour rides per week if possible and do an all day Audax or Sportive about once every month.

Despite the cut in miles I have noticed that when I do get on the bike I am bursting with energy, flying up hills compared to my normal snails pace.

Is this coincidental or is less really more?

 

[jdtate101]

Nah, perfectly normal. Your just tired and your muscles ache on the normal days. This is why athletes train hard and then rest before a competition. The body recovers over a period of time and if you can judge it right, you can be at your peak fitness AND well rested with lots of energy. Keeping the balance is the hard part. Too much training can lead to exhaustion (way too much can hammer your immune system), too little and you loose your edge.

 

[HLaB]

As said it can be perfectly normal, your body just needs to recover and sometimes there is also a psychological effect, your desperate to get back on the bike again. The other extreme however if you leave it too long you become unfit and it can be harder psychologically to get going again, its all about finding the right balance.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Nah, perfectly normal. Your just tired and your muscles ache on the normal days. This is why athletes train hard and then rest before a competition. The body recovers over a period of time and if you can judge it right, you can be at your peak fitness AND well rested with lots of energy. Keeping the balance is the hard part. Too much training can lead to exhaustion (way too much can hammer your immune system), too little and you loose your edge.

Spot on, you need to balance the rest and the work, to much work and you will run yourself down, to much rest and you won't be fit.