Training & Nutrition - Started Commutig, how often should I ride?

Hi All,

I have started commuting to work since last week after not having done any kind of cardeo for six years.

My goal is to improve as fast as possible, but I am not sure how often I need to ride to accomplish that.

My route is roughly 10 miles and it's a fairly easy ride to work on the way back however I have 3 mile hill to climb which keeps getting steeper until I reach my house. This last part really taxes me and I usually end up with a very mild soreness. When I ride the followig day I also notice that I don't have the same level of energy and power, I feel lactic acid build up a little sooner.

Now what is the golden rule here? am I going to improve if I ride almost everyday or if I give myself a day or two break. I know that when you are working out with weights you need the 48 hour rest , but for biking I am trying to buid more endurance than strength. Also I like to think that it is better for the development of my cardio to do more biking, but somehow I feel stronger with a few days rest, but maybe this is because I just started.

Anyways as you can see I am lost:D and any response is greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Jerry

Do you stop riding at the top of the hill? It might help to pedal for a few minutes after climbing it.

Speakin' for myself... if I thought I was gonna "blow chow", I'd get off and walk the last little bit. The more you ride, the more fit you become. Mebbe right now the hill holds all the aces. You'll whittle it down with time. Remember, you're commuting not racing. :)

unless your body is sore you probably don't need rest days from commuting.Some soreness,tiredness your first week commuting would be expected.If your sore or in pain , rest (see a doctor) .
If your commute consisted of say 40 miles med. to hi intensity with a few series of 100% intensity intervals ,then you would benefit from rest days ( rest days consisting of riding possibly 1 hr at ez pace)
20 miles of commuting daily will get you quite a bit fitter fairly quick :) Rideroli

Do you stop riding at the top of the hill? It might help to pedal for a few minutes after climbing it.

I do stop at the top since that's where my house is :), but are you saying that it will help with the next day sore and fatigue the next day if I keep pedaling?

unless your body is sore you probably don't need rest days from commuting.Some soreness,tiredness your first week commuting would be expected.If your sore or in pain , rest (see a doctor) .
If your commute consisted of say 40 miles med. to hi intensity with a few series of 100% intensity intervals ,then you would benefit from rest days ( rest days consisting of riding possibly 1 hr at ez pace)
20 miles of commuting daily will get you quite a bit fitter fairly quick :) Rideroli


So if I understand you correctly the soreness and fatige I am experiencing is due to the fact that I just started bikng and not due to a long enough ride which would require rest days. Did I unerstand you correctly?

So if I understand you correctly the soreness and fatige I am experiencing is due to the fact that I just started bikng and not due to a long enough ride which would require rest days. Did I unerstand you correctly?
Correct.If you haven't been on a bike for a while,do a 20 mile commute with a 3 mile grade to finish, you're gonna have some soreness & fatigue. Take a rest day if you feel the need :).If you are in pain,see a doctor.
Typically, once you've reached a base fitness level, one can commute by bicycle daily & lack of "rest days" will not impede your fitness level.
Pace yourself,maybe start with 2 or 3 commutes a week,get in some base miles,fitness will come pretty quick:) Rideroli

I started out cycling with a 10 mile commute. I remember coming home and being all tired.

I feel that way now, only it is after a 75 mile ride with 6000 ft of climbing.

I wouldn't worry about doing too much, as long as you eventually get a rest. I'll commute every day, and by the end of the week my performance really lags. I'll go easy, and call it a recovery ride.

I agree that you're at a point already where you can probably do your commute every day without resting. With the hill, you are doing strength training, in effect, as it does take strong muscles to overcome the resistance of gravity. That's why you feel the soreness, most likely. My personal rule is, if it's mild soreness of the muscles, I don't need to worry. If it's stronger pain in a joint or tendon, and it persists for more than a few days, It might be an actual injury and I probably need an X ray.

Personally, even though I don't need a rest day, I like a rest day. Actually I take off four days in a row every four weeks, and that refreshes me a lot. Also, if you're riding for overall fitness, I think it's a good idea to do other physical activities. I lift weights (a little) and walk/hike (a lot) besides all my riding. I do a lot of walking on my rest days, so I guess they aren't really rest days, just days off the bike.

Also, at some point your commute will become easy. If you want to stay in good shape after that point, you'll need to do more.

I'm assuming that your bike is properly fitted. If it isn't, all bets are off.

Thanks everyone for your input.

My sore is defintely really mild, it's just the reduced energy which is probably because I am still gettning used to the whole regiment.

I will try to raide M,T,Th ,F taking wednesday and one day of the weekend off to see how it goes.

It will be the greatest day of my life once I can master that hill without being completely spent, I am sure it will happen with persistence and time , hopefully it won't be in too distant of a future :thumb:

Thanks everyone for your input.

My sore is defintely really mild, it's just the reduced energy which is probably because I am still gettning used to the whole regiment.

I will try to raide M,T,Th ,F taking wednesday and one day of the weekend off to see how it goes.

It will be the greatest day of my life once I can master that hill without being completely spent, I am sure it will happen with persistence and time , hopefully it won't be in too distant of a future

You certainly have the right attitude! :)

There's a fine line between babying yourself and killing yourself. And you sure don't want to baby yourself!