Jaegur

So, I've went out to ride my bike four times total now, roughly every other day aside from weekends, and went from 3 miles to 4 miles to 8 miles. My last ride was on Monday, my next would have been on Weds but that was my birthday, and my wife made me a nice big breakfast to celebrate, so I was too stuffed to ride before work. Went today, got 2.5 miles in, and we BOTH were close to death, haha. I didn't feel too bad since I'm 360+ and she's like 125 and was in bad as shape as I.


Is that normal? Bike often, don't for 4 days, and feel like it's your first time again?

Mithrandir

I guess it depends on what kind of base you build up.

In January and February I only managed 60 miles each month, so when March rolled around I felt like I started from scratch.

In April I was off the bike for 3 weeks with a knee injury (that still hasn't fully healed, but it's usable now), and I didn't really feel like I lost any fitness in that time.


But with only 4 days of biking, yeah I suppose a bunch of days off will feel like starting over again, because you never really built up much of a base in the first place. Though, it's possible that a change in weather, or perhaps what you ate that day, would contribute to your feelings of deathliness. It's hard to tell, the human body is not a precise machine that can be predictable.

TrojanHorse

No, four days can be a nice rest period when needed. Don't sweat it, you're still on the steep part of the learning curve. You will acclimate.

magohn

As other as stated, the issue is that it almost is your first time. It took me a good 6 months of 3x rides a week before I felt that I had a base of fitness for riding.

Good luck and keep going!

Jaegur

Thanks guys! I guess my wife and I were just shocked that we got so sore, so fast, lol.

digibud

When I got back into biking after more than a decade out of it I was in very bad shape. I managed about 3 or 4 miles and came back with a really sore butt but I knew that "it gets better". I personally think you should try to ride at least every other day. Your progress will be pretty darned slow if you take a lot of 4 day breaks but I agree that it's pretty normal to find things hurt and frankly it's going to keep hurting (your butt) for a good long while. The difference will hopefully be you will be able to start pushing how far/long you can go before it hurts. Next week you'll do 6 mi and it won't hurt any more than before. Then 8..10.... and the key will be when you can get your heart rate up to a reasonable aerobic level for 30-40 min. and do that 4 or 5 times a week. At that point you'll really start to develop some cardio improvements. Best of luck. (last summer I did a 130mi. and my butt did hurt...but it took quite a while to build to that. Nothing happens fast.)

epicycle

I agree with Mithrandir, I think you just haven't yet built the base up yet. It'll be easier but if you do take weeks or months off after doing it for a while you'll be surprised how much you lose. It's happened to me a number of times on my weightloss journey and gets me every time.

Keep it up!

LiamSkymom

My first one to two miles often feel like I have waited too long to get back on the bicycle, but after that it usually gets better.

jim p

For me one day of eating bad foods makes me feel very sluggish and I struggle the next day when I ride. So your large meal may have caused the discomfort more than the 4 days off the bike.

jethro56 

What did you learn?

CommuteCommando

+1

I find that nutrition is very important, and the last time I bonked, about 7 mi into a 9mile commute, I'm sure overeating junk was a factor.

CJ C

Your legs haven't built up muscle memory yet. So four days off is like starting from scratch.

just keep at it and keep building miles your doing great! Your learning what works, what hurts, what not to do and what to do. I was told here that it doesnt get easier you just go faster and farther.

Bill Kapaun

I feel that every day you don't ride "some", you revert.
Try to ride everyday, even if it's just around the block.
I really think you'll notice the improvement.