Possible Overtraining?

[vickster]

Yeah it's a good idea, might be time for a diet overhaul I think! Start buying more fruit and veg for myself, anything that might help get me back on the bike quicker!

Take fruit or nuts etc with you for that post college snack. Eating greasy crap straight before bed won't be doing anything for your sleep!

And given some of the other things you've said, perhaps talk to your GP about some counselling

 

[Mm87]

Take fruit or nuts etc with you for that post college snack. Eating greasy crap straight before bed won't be doing anything for your sleep!

And given some of the other things you've said, perhaps talk to your GP about some counselling

Thanks, alot of the comfort eating is tied to my mental state (depression/stress etc) , it's been a tough few years, had thoughts about councilling for a long time now but have put it off, a bit intimidated and anxious about face to face therapy but since my self therapy of Cycling has hit the skids I'm going to have to think of other options, making the call is number 1.

 

[vickster]

I'd say don't be afraid to seek help one to one therapy can be very helpful, will give you some tools to help yourself not least. Maybe there are options for telephone counselling, chat to your doctor

 

[Mm87]

I'd say don't be afraid to seek help one to one therapy can be very helpful, will give you some tools to help yourself not least. Maybe there are options for telephone counselling, chat to your doctor

Very true, certainly puts things into perspective facing problems head on instead of burying my head in the sand and trying to "cope" and ignore the stress, I will go back to my doctor for a chat! Thanks.

 

[ayceejay]

Before you talk yourself into being mentally ill remember that depression is a symptom of overtraining not the other way round.
As for the diet you should obviously cut out the late night takeaway and what you yourself are calling crap. Overeating can be another symptom of doing too much.

 

[vickster]

Except the OP says that he has had mental health issues prior to starting cycling and that the cycling was a way of dealing with that (post #70)...that isn't to say it's all interlinked

 

[ayceejay]

The number one contributor to overtraining is stress Vicky, I was trying to reduce that by removing possible stigma of being mentally ill. For sure if this young man had access to a competent GP he wouldn't need our amateur advice as helpful as we are trying to be.

 

[vickster]

How do we know his GP isn't competent, more likely he is very time pressed. And we weren't at the consultation. The OP could see a different doctor, see which at the practice

I don't see any stigma in admitting stress or indeed depression. Better to seek timely advice from medical professionals

You yourself have said up thread that there could be something at play here rather than cycling too much indeed you suggest that could well be stress, the number one contributor to overtraining

Anyhow, I wish the OP luck in getting the right medical help and getting sorted

 

[ayceejay]

Once again you are right Vickster

 

[mjr]

Why can't you buy your own food?

Or at least buy a freckling salad from KFC instead of the fried chicken in batter in bread. It won't be the best salad but it'll probably mess you up less.

About cycling every day... I ride most days (health reasons) for years now, but often it's 6 miles to shops and back or doctor's and back. I try to avoid going from zero for days to a 30+ mile ride because it tires me out more, but it doesn't always work out like that of course. I think I'd only sustain 30+ mile days in a row if I wasn't doing anything else - not work, not household tasks, not study, nothing.

Could you try starting off with a few less mammoth rides when you next feel ready?

 

[Mm87]

Or at least buy a freckling salad from KFC instead of the fried chicken in batter in bread. It won't be the best salad but it'll probably mess you up less.

About cycling every day... I ride most days (health reasons) for years now, but often it's 6 miles to shops and back or doctor's and back. I try to avoid going from zero for days to a 30+ mile ride because it tires me out more, but it doesn't always work out like that of course. I think I'd only sustain 30+ mile days in a row if I wasn't doing anything else - not work, not household tasks, not study, nothing.

Could you try starting off with a few less mammoth rides when you next feel ready?

You may have a point there, when I was managing 30+ miles aday last summer I wasn't doing anything else, no work, no college, no other extra stress, come to think of it I started having issues with fatigue the same month I started college? (September) ....interesting! Training stress+plus external stress+poor nutrition = Overtraining symptoms maybe?...I will cool down the long rides and keep to shorter rides once I'm over this.

Before you talk yourself into being mentally ill remember that depression is a symptom of overtraining not the other way round.
As for the diet you should obviously cut out the late night takeaway and what you yourself are calling crap. Overeating can be another symptom of doing too much.

Yeah I was anxiety and depression prone before I started Cycling (plus a few other issues), but that turned around dramatically once I started Cycling regularly, pretty commonplace to feel a hell of alot better once people incorporate regular exercise into their daily lives (switching focus to positives, less time to dwell on negatives) I was feeling pretty good with my new found passion. Pretty sure this downfall in mood is to do with Overtraining, shortly after and days following a ride I feel depleated of energy, hormones, the right balance of neurotransmitters (OK I don't know if this is true but I get this feeling), brain fog, insecure, unsure of myself and what's happing to me, feel pretty awful! Hoping once I'm over this and had a rest I should start feeling some normality return! Today is day 5 off the bike and I'm feeling a little better again, just need to have a break until I can confidently say I won't feel awful Cycling most days of the week again.

Also I rarely ate takeaways/junk food when I was Cycling regularly most days, I avoided it because it seemed counterintuitive Cycling hours, putting in the effort wanting to lose weight and get fitter to cancel it out with rubbish food, it was only when I started feeling like crap with long breaks off the bike inactive I would crave sugar, fat, sweets, junk food etc, like you say a symptom of doing too much.

 

[ayceejay]

Perhaps you should start from the beginning. First decide what your aim is, obviously training to ride a 100 mile sportive will be different from trying to lose weight and gain general fitness so first set you goal and work towards it in achievable steps. Cycling may not be the best way to lose weight and is certainly not the best way to gain overall fitness but it is more fun than most fitness programs. Nutrition is important so correcting your diet to fuel your cycling will help. Finding a riding partner or a club will help with motivation so check that out. Get plenty of sleep and try to avoid stress in the rest of your day (easier said than done) but perhaps meditation would help.
If your objective is to use cycling as a relief from stress then distance and speed are irrelevant - ride to a pleasant spot to enjoy the view and stop with a flask of tea.

 

[Mm87]

Perhaps you should start from the beginning. First decide what your aim is, obviously training to ride a 100 mile sportive will be different from trying to lose weight and gain general fitness so first set you goal and work towards it in achievable steps. Cycling may not be the best way to lose weight and is certainly not the best way to gain overall fitness but it is more fun than most fitness programs. Nutrition is important so correcting your diet to fuel your cycling will help. Finding a riding partner or a club will help with motivation so check that out. Get plenty of sleep and try to avoid stress in the rest of your day (easier said than done) but perhaps meditation would help.
If your objective is to use cycling as a relief from stress then distance and speed are irrelevant - ride to a pleasant spot to enjoy the view and stop with a flask of tea.

I think it's all connected into a lifestyle for me personally (aka being an enthusiastic recreational cyclist), I appreciate and enjoy Cycling. Increasing the speed and distance on the bike is a big motivator (gains in fitness), starting out unable to ride up a steep hill outside my house to Cycling 75 miles solo on my longest ride I felt a sense of accomplishment. Weight loss is part of the hobby for me personally, i was a 19 stone (120kg) heavy drinker and smoker nearing 27 years old, would develop a stitch in the ribs walking down the road to the local shops, decided to clean up my lifestyle and a little while later ride an old MTB a couple of miles down the road, a year and many many miles later I'd dropped 7 stone (44 kg) to at my lightest weight, 12 stone at 6ft 2 (76kg), being out 3 hours a day the fat just melted off (though granted cutting out the booze played a part), though since I've been off the bike for long periods from November with this fatigue problem I'm back up to 13.5 stone (85kg, I've got to stop eating crap just because I'm now inactive and feel like rubbish).

For me it doesn't matter if I'm taking it easy on a ride (rarely did because theres alot of hills where I live, testing whatever the speed) or trying to give it all I've got I would come back refreshed, revitalised and relaxed off a big endorphin rush, it was brilliant!

If I was to go back and do it all again (and if planning for the future to avoid the same mistake) I would incorporate more rest days into the week, no more than 3 consecutive days riding before having a day off, also join a club.

 

[ayceejay]

The plot thickens, as they say, you should be commended for your discipline no doubt about that but it is possible that the fatigue you are calling overtraining may be from losing so much weight so quickly and the other drastic changes in lifestyle. Please note that I say perhaps and maybe but it is something to consider. A body has its own intelligence and this may be its way of saying "Slow Down".

 

[Mm87]

The plot thickens, as they say, you should be commended for your discipline no doubt about that but it is possible that the fatigue you are calling overtraining may be from losing so much weight so quickly and the other drastic changes in lifestyle. Please note that I say perhaps and maybe but it is something to consider. A body has its own intelligence and this may be its way of saying "Slow Down".

Thanks, you may be right, it was a major lifestyle change and the exercise, weight loss probably shocked the system, no more ignoring my bodies distress signals, I'm going to make my health a priority and take it easy until I see some real positive changes.