ride getting harder

[Rob3rt]

Over training, not likely...

 

[Turbo Rider]

Just to add to the noodle of information, you could try drinking squash instead of water. Try to find the highest carb squash you can and mix 100ml with 500ml water, then add around a 3rd of a teaspoon of salt. Gets carbs in you and re-fills your the salt you will have sweated out....it's pretty much the recipe for isotonic drinks...minus the high cost. Alternatively, or maybe additionally, 40g of peanuts and 200ml of chocolate milkshake should privide more than enough protein and carb, but as you're doing 5 miles, it may be best to go for one or the other or reduce everything I said by half. Not sure what the consensus is on that, but works for me.

 

[vickster]

For 5 miles? Really? Squash, salt...I used to have a ~5 mile commute, normal breakfast (as breakfast not for cycling fuel obviously) and a cup of tea at the office (cos I like tea). If it was a hot day, I might have had a glass of water on arrival at the office/home, don't think I usually drank anything during the ride unless thirsty. Took me around 20 minutes, lots of traffic

My money's on just feeling off, have a rest

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Over training, not likely...

Overdoing it, more likely.
How old are you, OP? Early 40's I would guess, start work at 6.30, up at what, 5am?
All them activities, plus booze at the weekend?
Chill, join the slow bicycle movement for a bit, your energy will return.

Edit: to CC!

 

[subaqua]

Eat less, ride further you won't lose weight cycling 5 miles, even if it's each way. Nor do you need to eat in any specific way. Probably is the weather, lack of sleep, stress in your life, possibly a lurking virus or any combination

If you want to lose bulk, you either have to stay away from weights or completely change physiology if that's how you are created. ultimately, you probably aren't excessively overweight for your size. Add running, swimming, rowing whatever to your fitness regimen. Those who do those of types of exercises regularly, tend to be toned and not fat, nor over muscled

And a roadbike would probably help you speed up and manage longer distances. 6 months of 60 miles a week isn't cycle training for performance riding

in the best panto styleeee . oh yes you will. that's how I got fit on the bike when I started on the Olympic park back in 2015 . 6 miles total a day . OK the sensible eating helped a huge amount too . as did not drinking alcohol in the week .


Agree with the bit about toned with swimming , SWMBO says my backside and shoulders have toned up considerably since I started swimming 3 times a week again as well as the cycling

 

[jowwy]

in the best panto styleeee . oh yes you will. that's how I got fit on the bike when I started on the Olympic park back in 2015 . 6 miles total a day . OK the sensible eating helped a huge amount too . as did not drinking alcohol in the week .


Agree with the bit about toned with swimming , SWMBO says my backside and shoulders have toned up considerably since I started swimming 3 times a week again as well as the cycling

back in 2015...........its only feb 2015 now, or have you got some sort of time machine that pushed you into the future and then back again just to ride your bike

 

[subaqua]

back in 2015...........its only feb 2015 now, or have you got some sort of time machine that pushed you into the future and then back again just to ride your bike

I was thinking about 2015 when I typed 2010, when I started work on the Media Centre there. can't believe its nearly 5 years since I got back on my bike properly.

 

[Turbo Rider]

For 5 miles? Really? Squash, salt...I used to have a ~5 mile commute, normal breakfast (as breakfast not for cycling fuel obviously) and a cup of tea at the office (cos I like tea). If it was a hot day, I might have had a glass of water on arrival at the office/home, don't think I usually drank anything during the ride unless thirsty. Took me around 20 minutes, lots of traffic

My money's on just feeling off, have a rest

Ha, ha, yeah, you're probably right but no, I do 24 miles all round, so 12ish either way..5 days a week though and the only fatigue I get is a bit more sleepy at around 10PM than if I didn't ride, so I think diet might actually be worth looking into TBH. He does do rugby as well, so he's doing a mixture of exercise, not just the 5 miles per day, but I don't personally think that 5 miles should be fatiguing him like that. Used to get a lot of leg-ache when I started and it's diet which sorted me out. Worth a go, surely?

 

[runner]

don't get so obsessed with times and speed and weight and diet...just relax...enjoy the ride...and smile...good times (spring) are just around the corner. Cycling like running (as I am a runner!) are about one thing..ENJOYMENT

 

[Hacienda71]

If it's just over the last two weeks you may well have been fighting off something viral. Anything else feeling a bit off? Sore head, sore throat, any general lethargy? If it was me, I'd have a pootling week where I tried not to break a sweat when riding and see how I felt after that.

This^^^. Overtraining is pretty much impossible on a 5 mile commute even if you hammer it. As for having istonic drinks on a five mile ride it really isn't necessary. I ride a 10 mile eachway commute and rarely take a drink with me, unless it is 30 degrees in the middle of the summer.

 

[Cyclist33]

But, if you were doing the same routine fine for 5 months, and then suddenly couldn't do it, maybe there's an underlying illness that's come... You should check it out. It doesn't sound like sudden overtraining... surely that downturn woulda come a lot earlier?

 

[Rob3rt]

Ha, ha, yeah, you're probably right but no, I do 24 miles all round, so 12ish either way..5 days a week though and the only fatigue I get is a bit more sleepy at around 10PM than if I didn't ride, so I think diet might actually be worth looking into TBH. He does do rugby as well, so he's doing a mixture of exercise, not just the 5 miles per day, but I don't personally think that 5 miles should be fatiguing him like that. Used to get a lot of leg-ache when I started and it's diet which sorted me out. Worth a go, surely?

I'd suggest it was the regular cycling and adaptation that sorted out your leg ache, not your diet.

 

[Turbo Rider]

I'd suggest it was the regular cycling and adaptation that sorted out your leg ache, not your diet.

Possibly, though I have thrown caution to the wind from time to time and ended up completely worn out afterwards, so I tend to think I know my own body and its requirements through general experimentation. I am a skinny vegetarian as well though and I tend to be very balanced when it comes to my diet, becuase I do like to eat what I need & nothing more. Just think experimentation is the actual key though really, because everyones actually a tiny bit different and manage themselves differently. Nobody's even asked about how eats, what he eats or when he eats on a day to day basis and a top up here or there might actually help...you never know until you know, in other words.

 

[ayceejay]

If you think about it a flat out effort for 15 minutes with no warm up, no stretching, on a middling bike is far from ideal and this alone without any other consideration would explain the problem and amount to over-training.

 

[moo]

Wind, plain and simple imo. Back when I commuted there was a 3 mile uniterrupted segment on route. I'd average anywhere from 15 to 23mph with similar amount of effort on each ride. You'll be putting out less power with a strong tailwind (un-trained) and still fly along. With a strong headwind you're probably pushing too hard for your current level of fitness, which would explain the tiredness if you do this day after day trying to chase the time you set with a nice tailwind.