crash and burn

I rode my longest ride 4 weeks ago (36 miles) and then I just got REALLY lazy for the next 3 weeks. Ive put on about 5lbs and just havent had the energy to ride. I then found out a week ago my wife is pregnant (after almost 4 years of trying). So last week I decided to get my fat arse on the bike. I only managed 8 miles and thought I wasnt gonna make it back home. I didnt even enjoy riding that day at all. I feel fatter than I ever have been, although Im not and I feel extremely lazy. Ive never felt this lazy in my life. What could it be? Any suggestions? I know I need to get on the bike and ride, even if its only a few miles but by the time I get home from work (and hour and 15 minute drive) I am zonked. This sucks!

Velo Dog

It happens, especially if you've done a long ride (whatever long is for you. It doesn't really matter--what you can do is what you can do, and more than that may leave you tired for a few days). After my first century, I was almost unable to get on the bike for 10 days or so, just completely wiped out.
Try some shorter rides, even if all you want to do is five miles or 10 minutes or whatever. Vary your route, so you don't get bored. Walk or jog instead of riding, or have your wife drop you a few miles from home and ride back, or ride out and meet her for breakfast.
If none of that works, consider a physical. I had a similar experience when I was running a lot--I'd been doing 60 miles or more a week and just burned out. I assumed I was overtrained, but I didn't get more energetic with several days of rest and went to the doctor. It turned out to be a minor cardiac arrythmia, pretty easily treated and not hard to live with (that was 20 years ago, and I'm still riding).

steve2k

Crash, congratulations on the baby. The tiredness is likely to get worse as you have a few months of sleep deprivation coming up. It's worth it though.

Are you getting enough sleep? are you worried, anxious or stressed, this might effect your quality of sleep if not the amount of sleep you're getting?
Has your diet changed, are you eating a balanced diet (https://www.menshealth.co.uk/Health/E...more-energy/v3)?
Finally, for me, tiredness is a vicious circle. If I just laze around, I don't seem to have the energy for anything. I need to go out and expend some energy in order to feel more energenic.

Good luck, Steve

chipcom 

Congrats on the baby....now HTFU and ride so the baby has a father to play with when he/she is a teen.

breadbin

+1 on the vicious circle thing. I cycled into work today and never felt more energetic. Might be wrecked later on but thats conditioning and will get used to it as i go along.

I would suggest like other posters have to go out "little more often". do 5 miles a couple times a week and then you will condition yourself for it after a couple of weeks build it up and up and then the century rears its ugly head;-) lol. I nkow what its like to try and do too much too soon but its not easy to pace yourself. congrats on the baby too well done!

bautieri

You just got to ride, everyone has a lazy slump now and again. The good news is that the conditioning comes back fast. Try not to look at riding as a chore, when you start telling yourself you have to ride it becomes less and less enjoyable.

Is there a place you might be able to park your car about 5 or 10 miles from work? If there is you can squeek in a ten to twenty mile ride every day by biking the last few miles of your commute.

Bau

BigUgly

It's because you're a Cowboys fan and having T.O. tear apart your favorite team sucks the life out of you! On a serious note, have you been eating healthy. I know sometimes when I have a bad food day(eating little junk foody things instead of a real meal) the next couple of days I feel like crap and don't want to do anything. Also, try drinking a lot of water instead of drinks with caffiene and sugar. I used to suck down Pepsi to keep me going but only to crash when I got home from work. I replaced it with water and now I haven't been feeling like crap when I get home and have enough energy to ride and play with my kids. Alot of caffiene and sugary drinks during the day can dehydrate you as well which can also make you feel like you have no energy. With a bun in the oven you are going to need more energy as you will become sleep deprived and your fatherly instincts will kick in where you will do anything in the world to take care of your child.

E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!

lil brown bat

I have a lot of friends who complain of being tired, but who aren't doing anything physical to account for it. Sometimes I think that lack of exercise adds to tiredness (as opposed to real fatigue), but also, I think that a lot of these folks are coming up short in other areas: they're eating empty junk that doesn't provide them with proper fuel, they're not getting adequate or restful sleep, they stimulate themselves too much with caffeine and the like, they overstimulate the wrong areas of their brains with activities that are sedentary but not restful (like shoot-em-up computer games or television). They don't work out but they also don't get real fuel or real rest. No wonder they feel tired and don't want to do anything. Take a look at your whole life, not just the miles you're riding or not riding. Chances are something could use adjusting.

Viking55803

I'm just getting back to cycling. I raced in the late 60's and early 70's before moving to Northern Minnesota, then took up X-country ski racing & running. I always trained like crazy but would always end up injured or burned out. The on-again off-again pattern was hard to shake. Also, I was never overweight until after my competitive days were over. I guess I was used to the 4,000 - 6,000 calories-a-day I could eat when I was training.

In 1992, I had a serious heart attack while playing hockey. Again, it was the strenuous exercise after a long period of inactivity (plus stress and family history) that triggered that event.

Eventually, I took up walking. I now have 5 dogs that I walk 4 to 6 X week for an hour off-leash on the logging roads and snowmobile trails up here. I walk all year-round unless the temps are above 85F or colder than -15F. The 5 dogs are my motivation! In other words, it takes 5 howling dogs to get me out the door on those days when the weather is sucky or I'm tired after work. In the Winter, which lasts almost 6 months up here, I am out in the woods after dark with a headlight.

Now to the point. I have a mentally, not physically demanding job. When I get home from work, all I want to do is take a nap. Sometimes I feel so exhausted I am almost sick. Part of this is the effects of the medication I am on. In any case, I tell myself over and over, "You are mentally tired, not physically tired." With the dogs pushing me and my self-talk, I rarely miss more than 1 day of walking.

I love cycling, and now I am planning to add some off-road and road riding at least 3 times/week. The good news is that the walking has kept my fitness level amazingly high. This is partly because I don't walk any flats - it's all up and down. Snowshoes in the winter, hiking boots the rest of the time. Don't underestimate the value of a good walk. Get a dog if you need to.

When I started back on the bike a few weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could go out for a good hour of hilly riding and suffer no soreness. I'm slow, but that doesn't matter at this point in my life. I'm already feeling a great surge of energy coming back because of the cycling. I know I'm a bit over 200 lbs, but I am not doing the scale thing. It's about how I feel, not how much I weigh.

That's my little story. Don't get discouraged and try to distinguish between mental and physical fatigue. No matter how bad I feel before I go out, I always feel great when I get back!

Neil_B

That's Iggles, as we say it in Philly. And I agree with you about T. O.

Neil_B

It sounds like stress to me. Were you 'zonked' by your job before you began riding?

I think you need to get on the bike. Can you 'partly commute', driving partway and riding the rest? Can you bring the bike with you and ride on your lunch hour? Can you bring the bike with you and stop on the way into work and ride for an hour, or on the way home? If you want to ride badly enough, you will find a way.

ipm

My 35 mile commute takes 45 minutes by car. But, rather than driving I ferry my bike half way to a place that has access to a wide shoulder. Then I ride my bike 18 miles (1/2 way) increasing my commute to 1 hour bike ride and 20 minute car drive. The extra time is worth it. I also have more energy. For example, today I woke up at 4:45am so I could ride

JohnKScott

I'll echo. Just keep getting on the bike but try to make it enjoyable. 5 fun miles is better than 0 miles or 40 not fun miles. Because if you are enjoying it you will do it more often and you will get up to that 40 miles eventually.

I have bad weeks. I train fairly hard and improve on speed an power just about every week. On my computer trainer I can race my prior best time on a course. Sometimes I hit that and think I must have been on crack the time before because I just can't keep up and my HR is pegging and I just don't feel it that day. But on days like today I felt like I was shot out of a rocket and set a new personal best power on this particular course. I think some of that is natural depending on somethings like what you ate the day before and how much rest you've been getting. Try to get as much rest as possible. As I train harder I find it more and more important to make sure I get enough rest (and sleep). Sometimes that's hard. Just do your best.

Congrats on the coming baby. From personal experience, they are the best thing that can happen to a person. At least that's my opinion. Best thing that you can do for that little joy bundle is make sure you are around to see first steps, kindergarten, first date, prom date, HS grad, college grad, wedding, babies .

crash and burn

Well my new Michellen Pro 3s came in today. A little motivation I hope. Thanks for all the advice and encouragement. Apparently I need it!

Tom Stormcrowe

c&b,

First off, setbacks are a given and inevitable, so don't beat yourself up about it. We ALL have them......(even me)

Get back on the bike and just do some riding and have fun