Question for those 5 day a week + commuters

[Deleted member 1258]

I commute 13 miles a day 5 days a week, I also ride between 50 and 70 miles on a Sunday 2 or 3 Sundays a month, I normally use Saturday as a rest day and do no cycling that day. How tired I feel towards the end of the week depends on how busy work is, if we've had a very busy week I can find myself feeling tired by Thursday or Friday, often with a touch of Friday legs.

 

[gaz]

 

[mancaus]

I use a heart rate monitor on easy days and keep it below 135 with a high cadence. Can't stop myself otherwise.

 

[jefmcg]

I'm fascinated. No one here is doing anywhere near your mileage, but they are all saying it's ok. Well, if you can't recover in two days, then maybe it's not ok. Our ancestors (if you are from peasant stock) used to go to early graves with overwork. There is such a thing as doing too much, and maybe that is too much for you. Also, forgetting about early graves, if you are exhausted all the time then your immune system will be depressed and you will be a likely host for opportunistic infections.

Start taking the train on Wednesdays. When you feel rested and well, maybe try to go back to five days a week.

As for the cost: if you are tired all the time, you won't be getting any pleasure from life. I assume you have some leisure budget. Spend a little of that on your weekly return ticket to enjoy your down time.

Edit: Jon Voigt didn't have to put in 8+ hours of work as well as the commute!

 

[Big T]

I used to commute 42 miles a day, but most weeks I would have either Friday or Monday off the bike. Found it very tiring but did get used to it and felt the benefit in terms of fitness and weight loss. Going slower isn't really an option. My commute used to take from 1hr 10m to 1hr 20 mins at a decent pace. If you slow down you'll be taking well over 1hr 30 each way.

I used to fall asleep watching TV in the evenings. Agree that getting enough sleep is essential, but hard when you are getting up at 6.00 or earlier.

 

[CopperCyclist]

I'm fascinated. No one here is doing anywhere near your mileage, but they are all saying it's ok.

Really? I just reread the posts to be sure, and most are saying a variation of 'This is what I do/you do more than me/this is my recovery tip'.

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

Im a 7 day week commuter,do I win?

 

[gb155]

I only live 3km from my place of work.

I only live 6 miles away but my commit is now 16 miles each way, the only barrier is your imagination

Edit for clarity :not aimed at BSRU but at people who think they live too close to work

 

[BSRU]

I only live 6 miles away but my commit is now 16 miles each way, the only barrier is your imagination

Edit for clarity :not aimed at BSRU but at people who think they live too close to work

I should have added that my CyclingLog ticker shows my commuting distance covered this year, minus about 100km, not bad when I live so close to work .

 

[martint235]

I do 24 miles a day but frequently don't bother with a day off. Very often this year there's been a FNRttC or another Cyclechat ride to go on at the weekend and then if there's nothing planned, I try to do my 60 mile training loop just to see if I can get a personal best.

 

[Jdratcliffe]

How long have you been 5daying it for? If you've only recently started doing 220 mile weeks you will no doubt be pretty tired! You should get used to it in time (weeks -months?) but you will need to recover properly over the weekend, eat and sleep well, and not do too much other exercise? Don't forget that a working day can be pretty touch too, so proper switch off time is necessary.

You're riding about 4x what I do, and I certainly feel it on a Friday evening. so well done to that!

been doing it since nov last year. not sure if it should get better

Beetroot. Eat beetroot.

Currently I ride about 38 miles a day but have an odd work pattern so cannot seem to get into a routine which is hard. Some times 9 days on the trott, some times 3 on 3 off, earlys and lates which mucks things up, my body clock and feeding. All I can say is try to eat well and get a full 8 hours sleep. Keep bike transmission clean and well lubed so as much of your effort is actually turning the wheels rather than making your bike sound like a cement mixer if the chain is totally dry due to rain having washed all the lube off which will take a lot of your energy big time. So re-lube, re-lube. This is what I hate so much about this crap crap summer we have had. The constant re-lubing as heavy rain strips the chain of it.

Also as others have suggested, ride a couple of days at 50% just lightly turning the pedals, it will only take you 5 mins more to get to work, honest, and will help you recover and build stamina.

Last week I rode two days the full distance 61 miles round trip door to work and back but the route is quite circuitous riding tracks and paths to avoid busy roads so I ended up quite knackered. I slept most of yesterday having stuffed my face at breakfast. Felt quite groggy in the evening but was ok today. Back to work tomorrow, early start, leaving at 6:14am.

When you get in try not to snack but boil a pan of pasta asap and drink lots of water while waiting. Eat lots of veg, salad, nuts, dried fruit, wholemeal bread, lean meat and rhubarb crumble and Ambrosia custard . Obviously NOT all together. Try to eat a reasonable meal at lunchtime if this at all possible? It makes riding home a breeze. I am on my feet all day and it is rare to get to sit down except when riding to and from work. If the weather is really crap - drive / take train / bus. Don't be a masochist for the sake of it.

Try running several times a week just to loosen the leg muscles and restore bone density. Too much cycling to the exclusion of all other exercise is a great way to get osteoporosis.

HTH.

thanks eat like a horse at lunch and at home have 2 protien shakes a day as well clean lube bike fully every weekend much to misses anoyence "its just a bike it doesnt need that much attention"

thanks all for the advice think i will try take every other wed "off" see if that help thou it £30 a day train fair

 

[middleagecyclist]

Some weeks I would just love to work Monday to Friday and so have to commute during the rush hour in and out of Manchester. There is a perverse kind of pleasure and smugness to be gained. Mostly though I am more than happy with my 3 days/4 nights per week commute at quieter times of the day + cycling just for fun.

 

[400bhp]

been doing it since nov last year. not sure if it should get better



thanks eat like a horse at lunch and at home have 2 protien shakes a day as well clean lube bike fully every weekend much to misses anoyence "its just a bike it doesnt need that much attention"

thanks all for the advice think i will try take every other wed "off" see if that help thou it £30 a day train fair

Why? Pretty much everyone has told you that a day off isn't needed.

 

[BSRU]

Buy yourself another bike, one that is designed for a slower more comfortable ride, such as a tourer.
My main commuter is a steel tourer and for some reason I have a different mindset when riding that when compared to riding my road bike.
Also, if I am feeling a little tired or under the weather I choose the tourer instead of the road bike(on sunny days).

 

[gaz]

I'm fascinated. No one here is doing anywhere near your mileage

I'm doing 37miles a day at the moment and riding on the weekend. is that close enough?