SDRider

I've ridden to and from work 3 days in a row and would like to ride tomorrow but I was so damned tired at work today I don't know how I could make it through tomorrow without falling asleep. My commutes have been fine and I'm not sore at all but I think I need to dig a little deeper to ride in again tomorrow. My wife says I'm nuts and doubts my ability but I think I just need a bit of a push.

Help me out fellow commuters!

Update-Mission accomplished! I rode in this morning! 4 days in a row, feels good. Now it's off to the showers!

Jeprox

You can do what I did when I first started. 1st day, I drove in to work with bike in tow. I went home riding the bike, left the car at the office parking. Next morning, I rode in to work and went home with the car, bike in tow. You do this until you develop stamina that you don't feel like taking a midday nap at work. As a side note, I have a 21 mile commute, one way. My work place has people in and out, operates 24/7, so there are always cars in the parking lot. I hope it is safe for you to leave the car overnight.

SDRider

My commute is 20 miles round trip and it's quite hilly. Besides, tomorrow is Friday and I don't really want to leave my car at work over the weekend so if I ride in I'm definitely riding home.

Actually, I felt better this afternoon after some iced tea and a good lunch but prior to that I was felt pretty worn out.

knucklesandwich

I say unless you are doing major miles this weekend- ride to work tomorrow. You'll be glad you did, and you'll be surprised how fast you recover.

Make sure to eat the right foods to keep your energy up. Proteins AND carbs in the morning upon arrival to work. Don't have an afternoon soda to perk you up, etc.

kafkaesque

You could try the method I use: drink two pots of coffee.

SDRider

I never drink soda. I had two glasses of iced tea today, one with lunch and one after lunch (the second with a little sugar).

I'm preparing to commute again tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.

Well, off to bed now!

steve2k

SDRider,
I commuted every day this week (only 10miles round trip but a few hills), well I'm at work now on my bike, so I'm going to have to commute home.

I know how you feel about the afternoon nap, come 2pm I'm almost asleep, I'm also starving all day, I drooling by lunchtime and I'm drinking so much water I'm going to the can (see what I did there? I'm English but I translated 'loo' into 'can' for you, you're welcome) every 20 minutes. My legs feel constantly pumped up like balloons and I seem to have found it harder as the week has gone on. However, I figure if I can get though a couple of weeks of this then it'll become much easier.

Having said all this, I love cycle commuting.
I love that my son sees me cycle to work, I want him to grow up thinking that it's normal for people to cycle short distances.
I love the feeling when I crest the hills and I love the last 1/2 mile climb up to work.
I love arriving at work, cycling past the queue of cars waiting to get past security.
I love the feeling I have inside knowing I've cycled and everyone else drove
I love that people think if me as the cyclist (even though I'm fatter than most people)
I love the no guilt feeling of eating a big lunch.
and I love logging my mles in mycyclinglog and seeing the distances increase.

There are all the things that get me on my bike in the morning.

good luck. I hope you did it today.

onegear

if you starve you are not treating your body right, (it weakens your body) rather have small meals every 2 or 3 hours, keep drinking a lot of water the way you do water is always good! we cyclist should eat before feeling hungry and drink before feeling thirsty it keeps our energy level up all day!

squegeeboo

Sounds like you just need to push it, and slam a few more cups of coffee at the job. There is NO fatigue caffeine can't fix.

Also, I heard some guys at your office saying there was no way you would bike in 4 days in a row. You just didn't have it in you. Are you gonna let them say that? Bike in and tell them to go stuff it.

opel70

I don't know how long you have been commuting, but I'd found that when I started I needed to take a day off here and there to give my body a chance to catch up. And yes, you need to have a bit of a snack when you get in and something before you leave.

SDRider

Yeah, I saw them whispering the other day. Bastards!

I don't drink the coffee at work because it tastes horrible. I've tried to choke that crap down but it's got to be the most foul tasting coffee I've ever had. I don't think it's the coffee itself so much as it is the disgustingly filthy coffee machines. The swill that comes out of those things is so bitter it puts me off just thinking about it.

I've been commuting for almost 2 years but I started out doing it once a week and then kept it to twice a week for a long time. It's only within the last month or so that I picked it up to 3 days a week. Until yesterday the most consecutive days I've ridden to work was 2 days.

BTW-It's 6AM here and I'm getting ready to head out. It's calm, cool and clear...perfect riding weather again.

squegeeboo

Awesome dude, happy riding. And if your tired, just tell your boss's I gave you permission to nap.

Can you just run water thru the coffee machines for a time or two? That's what I do when the coffee starts to get that nasty bad filter taste.

jeff-o

Judging by when you posted that message (12:44am), it sounds like you need to go to bed a bit earlier, too.

PaulH

Why not allow some extra time and not push yourself quite so hard? If the trip to work takes 40 minutes and you waste part of the day recovering from it, you really would not lose any time if you allowed an hour or more for the commute instead.

Paul

thdave

Even giving yourself just an extra 5 minutes would help quite a bit. Particularly on the way into work.

sweetnsourbkr

So ... did you ride in?

SDRider

It was 9:44PM when I posted that message actually. Believe me, I've been in bed by 9PM most nights this week.

Flimflam

Feed and rest yourself properly too. Lots of carbs FOR the ride, but also lots of proteins to get those muscles rebuilt. You also need to sleep well, too - I'm terrible for self abuse this way too, and I didn't ride yesterday or today because of it.

I've started stretching recently too, this seems to help with my tired legs/knee aches, but obviously won't do much for your general energy level. Try spinning up more, it gets the blood going quicker and hopefully more oxygen/energy to kick you into action.

You should feel no guilt for feeding yourself full of sugary foods pre-ride, and eat stuff like granola/oatmeal/PB to survive through the day, among your regular lunch, etc. Consider this like going to the gas pump, you need to refuel yourself properly for your rides, but also for the inbetween junk (darn work ).

Good luck with it, congrats on moving up to 3 days a week.

Leiniesred

I know how you feel. I drove today. I battled the big winds this week, and it was supposed to be cold this moring, and I have a cold too, so lots of excuses. It is OK to drive in if you need a break.

Other motivational ideas:

Pack the bike the night before. Make it easier than taking the car.

Pay yourself "bike bucks." I pay myself $.75/mile I commute. (Sure that is more than the taxable rate for milage reimbursement, but it is just an arbitraty number.) I get to spend the money on bike related stuff. (not just commuter bike stuff.)

/me checks his bike bucks balance...$75-64=$11 saved up for my next bike thing!

onegear

yeah shift to a lower gear, spinning will safe your legs and gets you a great cardiovascular workout soon will have more endurance...

Praxis

This thread mentions the positive effects the poster had by slowing down a bit. If you're falling asleep at work, slow down a bit. Also make sure you're eating right.

A slow ride is infinitely better than no ride.

Buglady

I have been finding that when I get super-tired like that it is a signal that I've let myself get dehydrated, and that I also need to eat a little extra (protein/carb/fat combination) to top up my fuel reserves. An extra helping at lunch is usually all it takes.

squegeeboo

Ohhh, also, you can try crash your car into a tree.

That can be quite the motivator for biking to places.

Buglady

Edited for threadjack, sorry! Will start new thread as suggested.

DonDenver

Your body will calibrate with finer tweaks to your diet, sleeping and post activity stretching. Give yourself some time and log your body’s feedback as you make adjustments. You will get it dialed in. Also if you think it important to get off the bike now and then…do it!

I’m impressed with your fortitude. While I do not have the opportunity to commute to work, even if I did, not sure I would do it consistently. I like my after work and weekend rides focused on the sport of bicycling and not associated in anyway with my day to day job. Hell, for that matter, your helping to carbon offset many of us reading this thread. Good for you!