puddypie007

Hi there. I'm a new commuter, a mom who is getting rid of my car and dropping off and picking up my son from school every day. The last day with my car is tomorrow (sniff sniff), and after that it's just us and the bike and the bus when we need it. I've been working up to doing both the dropoff and the pickup for most of January, but even just doing the pickup every day is really tiring.

The route is 4 miles each way, and on the way to the school it is a low hill almost the entire way. I have two kids, which means that I'm towing anywhere from 45-90 pounds behind me depending on which part of the route and which way I'm headed. So I'm looking at about 16 miles of cycling per day with anywhere from 45-90 pounds behind me, and I'm about 20 pounds overweight to begin with.

The problem that I'm having is that I'm getting really tired. With the hills and all it takes about an hour round trip, so that is going to be 2 hours per day pdq. I feel good when I'm on the bike but then I crash out when I get home. I currently sleep about 8 hours a night and get a 1-2 hour nap during the day when the baby sleeps.

I could use any advice about nutrition tips or training tips to help make my transition easier. i think I'll be using the bus a bit in the morning next week as i continue to ramp up.

I'm pooped!

Commuter76

First, let me say welcome! I started commuting to work twice a week last month. My first few times I was dog tired by the time I got home. Believe me, you will get used to the ride and before you know it, 4 miles will seem like nothing. In the short term, I'm afraid I don't have any great advice except to keep resting as much as your body needs it. Rest will help you recover faster.

Good luck!

MNBikeguy

Commuting every day takes some getting used to. As your body adjusts, it will become easier.
I think your idea of easing into this with occasional use of the bus is a good one.
I have no advice for you, just lots of support.
Having 2 little ones is tiring enough. When your body acclimates to the daily exercise, you will likely find yourself having more energy. than before.
Post often. I like your blog.

ghettocruiser

Eventually, you can get used to anything.

kdiehl

Can the kids help pedal with something like a tag along bike?

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ight=along+tag

Schwinnrider

A) It will get better.

B) Make sure you eat enough. I know it's difficult to post, but knowing how much you weigh goes a long way toward determining how much you should eat. If you're eating maintenance level calories, i.e. 1800 calories for a 180 pound person, then increased activity will mean you're running on bodyfat and you'll feel tired. Don't be afraid to eat a little bit more. Of course, you don't want to overconsume calories or you'll never drop that 20 pounds.

C) Overtraining is a real thing. Keep an eye on your temperature. If you can, try to take it every morning. If you notice it being high a couple of days in a row, you're overtraing and you'll feel like hell. There's nothing wrong with taking a day off. It's supposed to be fun, after all.

c

10 Wheels

Right Now you need to Eat For Energy to ride the bike.
Once you stronger you can cut back.

BengeBoy 

When I started commuting two years ago I found that commuting miles were tougher than "regular" miles - partly cause you're hauling stuff, riding a heavy bike, and doing it twice a day. In your case, pulling two kids, even more so.

I'd just echo what the others have said - take it easy. I'd suggest doing 3 days a week for a few weeks, working up to 4, and then 5. And don't beat yourself up if you take a day off now and again.

noteon 

I'm not towing my kids right now, but I did for a big chunk of 2008. Two very large three-year-olds (90 pounds total) in a double trailer. (See avatar to left.)

My main advice is don't push it. You have gears: use them. Spin and go easy before you poop out, not after. Also make sure you hydrate before the ride, not just during, and do whatever nutritional stuff seems to work for you. For a lot of people, that's some variation of carbohydrates. For me, doing 16 miles with a trailer in 4-mile chunks, it doesn't matter what I eat. Doing longer distances, it starts mattering.

I don't know why you're crashing when you get home, but if I had that symptom, my first thought would be "Did I hydrate enough?" Usually that's what it turns out to be.

ryanwood

I would suggest eating more. When I started commuting last year, I was finding myself exhausted all the time barely able to get out of bed. When I started I had a 40 pound weight loss goal so I was watching my diet. It only took me about a week to realize I needed to eat more. I kept it up for about 6 weeks until my legs were strong enough and I had enough endurance, I was able to start cutting calories.

You may also want to pay attention to your riding style, if you are working too hard you will be burning yourself out. If you are getting burned out at your current pace, then ride slower, or take a day off from time to time.

jyossarian

Carbs, protein and drinks! The distance isn't that much, but towing 90 lbs of kids uphill is. Carbs for energy, protein for repairing and building muscles and drinks to keep you hydrated. Oatmeal w/ dried fruit, lots of fresh fruit, pb&j sandwiches, pasta, beans and stuff like that. Also check out the Nutrition forum and drink lots of water.

knobster

I think everyone goes through this. I was riding 60-80 miles each ride for recreation on the weekends and still experienced the same tiredness that you are. No idea why other than it was a different type of riding. It took me a couple months to get acclimated, but it did happen. The next thing that will happen is you'll feel hungry constantly. This will pass also. I commute about 20 miles one way and now don't eat any differently than if I didn't commute. The body has a great ability to adjust to things.

The best side effect to all of this is once you start adjusting to the riding, you energy level will skyrocket. You'll start dropping weight, you'll be able to eat things you probably haven't been able to eat for a long time. Soon, you'll be looking to alter your commute to add to the mileage. It'll get fun quickly.

Welcome to the group. I wish you success. It is a learning experience. Plenty of experience on this board to help.

RigHty

when i started not too long ago, i would get really tired after my commute. after a few weeks it didnt bother me anymore. it just takes time to get use to it.

reedpride

welcome puddypie. Stay with it...it is a slow process initially. Last semester I started commuting to school (10 miles one way) and I started out going 1 to 2 days a week and building my way up to become totally car free. I understand how hard it is to just jump into it the way you did, and with the extra 90 pounds...wow. Keep it up! it is a very liberating experience to realize what you can do with the bike. The body is an amazing machine and it will adapt within a few weeks or months time. A few things that you may consider:

Gearing and cadence: Make sure your bike is well geared for the type of environment you are in. You have a slight incline plus a large payload, gearing is important here. Cadence (RPM's or how fast your pedals are moving) should be around 75 to 85 to 90 depending. The reason for this is comfort and proper speed as well as injury/soreness prevention.

Clipless pedals: Clipless pedals can improve your ride and power transfer significantly. These are like the Shimano SPD, or crankbrothers pedals that you put your bike shoes into. These are great because while you are pushing down with one foot...you can pull up on the pedal with your other foot. It is a little wierd at first and takes some practice to get out of, etc...but they are well worth it. I used to do a climb on my very lowest gear with platform pedals, and once I switched to clipless I was able to do the exact same climb on my midrange gears. Note that the Crankbrothers eggbeaters, though wierd looking, will be the most convienent to get in and out of and perhaps the best entry level pedals.

Nutrition: For energy, try to drink 1 to 2 glasses of water and eat RIGHT when you wake up; this tells your body that you are ready to go. Also try to eat a lot of high energy carbs and proteins, nuts, trailmix, fruits, veggies, oatmeal, energy bars, eggs, etc. Throughout the day try to eat every 2 to 3 hours and eat something like 20 minutes or so before your bike ride out. I like to eat a bananna and or peanut butter jelly sammy's (excellent energy half before ride and half sometime after or before ride home). Eating something like that 20-30 minutes before ride gives you great energy to help you on the commute.

Last thing: Once one of them gets big enough you should try to get them on a trailerbike (attaches to your seatpost) and then they could help out a little with the pedaling. Im not sure how this would work with the other little one, but I am sure you can make it work. Keep searching or check out the local bike shop, they are typically very knowledgible and will have solutions to your unique problems.

ok...one last thing... I did not catch what type of bike you have, but please make sure it fits you properly. That is half the battle, if a bike does not fit you properly then you can be working against eachother and get injuries or may be the source of your discomfort/fatigue. You can search the forums for proper fit or, again, the local bike shop can help you properly size bikes and see if yours fits you well.
If cost is a huge issue then, no worries, make sure to get all the knowledge you need and check out the bike forums or craigslist.com for bikes, trailerbikes, and accessories.

Hope this helps and sorry for the mega text wall.

Edit: NEVER ever buy a bike from Walmart or Target!!!!!
also - I forgot to add this but if price isnt too much of an issue and you can spend around 500-1500, then get an Electric bicycle. This would be perfect as they typically have ranges from 20 to 45 miles on a fully charged battery. This would be a great help to your uphill+load commute and I think you would enjoy the convenience and ease of this option.

Bill Kapaun

A couple FREE things-
1. Keep the air pressure in your tires at the maximum listed on the sidewall. That includes the trailer!
1.B If you have knobby tires, try to get some smooth tread "street" tires. They roll much easier.
If budget is a consideration, even ONE will helo.

2. Make sure the seat is at the proper height. Most new riders have it too low. The most powerful part of your stroke is when you are nearing full leg extension. This link will get you close-
https://bikenhike.com/page.cfm?pageid=23&FAQid=25

As others have mentioned, SPIN, don't MASH! Your stamina will be much better.

What bike do you have?

GodsBassist

You've gotten some really good advice here. I just wanted to say great job and to say that it does get easier (I pull my son EVERYWHERE, we're going to the zoo today!)

Keep on pedaling!

BA Commuter

Congrats on your lifestyle change!

I agree with hydrating by drinking liquids and also have a good morning breakfast. I notice on the few days when I rush out of the house without breakfast, it feels like my brakes (breaks for some people) are rubbing!

In addition, as many have said and like with most exercise, it will get easier as it becomes part of your weekly routine. Otherwise, visit your doctor to make sure something more serious is not wrong.

Good luck!

MichaelW

Towing 2 kids up a hill is quite a task so take the advice about gearing. The idea is to maintain a constant and sustainable work-rate (ie breathing and heart-rate) about the same as a brisk walk. Using that workrate, you have the option of pushing hard in high gears or spinning rapidly in lower gears. You go the same speed either way but experience shows that spinning at 60-80 rpm in low gears is less tiring. It takes a bit of practice to increase your pedalling cadence and you generally spin slower on the hills than the flats.
Make sure you bike is adjusted to fit you. Keep the tyre pressure high (a workshop/floor/track pump is what you need for this, much easier than using a small hand pump).
It takes about 3 weeks for your heart and lungs to acclimatised to increase in demand and probably about 3 months for the rest of your body to become conditioned. Take a day off, ideally midweek to allow some recovery.

baldsue

Nutritional advice? Eat lots of Trader Joe's Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds.

puddypie007

WOW, that is a lot of responses and a lot to consider! I think I need to start doing some homework!

Alright, let me try to answer some questions. I'm not so tired that I feel a need to see a doctor, and I don't crash right after a ride. I start to get really tired a couple hours after a ride and am often beat the next morning as well. I am not dieting at all and eat a lot, more than usual. I went through that really hungry phase and now that's over, so my appetite is just increased now, especially at night. I think that you're all right and I need to drink more water.

The bike is a Marin Hawk Hill that I got used on CL, a "hybrid" bike. I will look into seat height and tire pressure as suggested. I have considered the tag along bike as suggested, but I think he needs to be a little older first (ie: next school year). I figured I would hook the trailer to the tag along's wheel instead of mine. We will be quite a spectacle!

I need to to read more about gears and all to figure out what you guys are talking about, but I think I get the jist.

Anyways, thanks so much for all the comments and support!

Foofy

Glad to hear that you're doing this. Too often I hear "how could a mom possible get her kids around without a car?" Just keep at it. If you keep riding, your muscles and cardiovascular system will get better.

noteon 

Basically, just go for the easier gears and faster pedaling, not the harder gears and slower pedaling. Especially on hills, and especially when towing a trailer. Not only will you be able to last longer, but your knees won't hurt. Once your body reaches a certain level of conditioning, you'll start shifting into the higher ones, just because it feels better than it used to (and is fun).

Tire pressure and seat height are musts, before any other tinkering. Also, just for general education and entertainment, browse Sheldon Brown's bike info:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/

one_beatnik

Good job, puddypie!! You have bitten a bit chunk for your first year doing this. It takes a bit for your body to acclimate itself to what you're doing. Just keep plugging along, take your naps (I am SO jealous!) and continue eating right. About half way between now and the end of the school year, you'll just all of a sudden realize, "Hey, this if fun and I'm feeling better!!"

Please keep us posted on your progress.

no motor?

The advice posted here is all good, I can't ad anything that hasn't been said already - but I can ad some encouragement. Keep up the good work

nkfrench 

It sounds like you are starting out at a fairly aggressive exercise level. You go, girl.

I find that I need naps most when I am sleep deprived in general. Saturday afternoons are the most frequent visits from the "nap monster" after a whole workweek of going short on sleep including Saturday morning. When that happens, I struggle to keep my eyes open a couple of hours after I exercise. If I don't nap, I'm still pretty worthless the rest of the day with not enough energy to tackle anything.