Keep riding or rest up?
 

Been commuting and doing long rides on weekends.

But my legs are sore everyday and I feel like 75% most of the time.

Take rest days, or keep on truckin' and body will adapt anyway?

I don't know how carless people do it. If I was carless I'd be doing 50 miles a day easy. I can't imagine.

You should be resting at least 1 day a week. Your body won't adapt in a favorable way if you ride every day without rest. You are tearing down muscles when you ride and your body needs to be able to rebuild or you'll never get to a point where you're less-sore or more powerful.

I do ~150mi a week and I rest at least once a week.

I did some walking taking big steps to stretch out the legs.

Seem to help the legs.

Also soaking in a hot bath for 10 minutes felt good.

Rode this tour in 2009.

Five riders rode everyday (57) every miles (4200).

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...LA57Days-1.png

Don't need to not ride, to allow legs rest and recovery. Just ride slow and easy every couple of days. Particularly for commutes, it isn't a race. However, if you have been really pushing yourself, it can take a while to recover. Consider taking a whole weekend off, then doing especially slow rides on Monday and Friday. After that just continue the slow rides on Mon and Fri (and in between if feeling tired/sore).

What do you want to do?

As Planofuji notes, you can do easy commute days. (Yes, you really can! It's possible!) Make an effort not to push hard, just tootle along. You'll get to ride your bike 5 minutes extra those days, and your body gets a chance to recoup from the hard days.

Eat more protein and take a few days off. Your muscles need time to rebuild. Soreness is your body's way of saying "I'm tired, give me a break".

@lungimsam:
How much energy, time and effort does the average jerkoff American waste trying to get the biggest house or apartment they can afford within limits, the highest paying career, the car they feel they can show off the most, the perfect lawn, etc.? Well don't do that and instead spend a fraction of that effort to relocate somewhere else that is more friendly to a car-free lifestyle than somewhere where need to travel 50 miles in a day to abandon the disgusting car. According to AAA, owning and operating a car costs the average American $9,000 a year!

It is very simple, I don't know what you expect us to tell you, that we have some magic beans? 50 miles a day just to get your daily affairs done is a ridiculous amount for most people that have not been doing structured training for years. Even then it is a ridiculous time commitment anyway, regardless if you are one of the most fit cyclists. It means you are living in a very bad locale that is disgusting suburbia or a rural wasteland.

+1

I just try and take it easy on a lot of my commutes, as between being back in college and working full time, I end up riding 7 days a week for 9 months of the year, with two of those days having 3 (one way) commute trips. I definitely feel it, it's hard having to ride every day, but I'm carless and REALLY don't like taking the bus. I just wish my commute were flat, it'd be sooo much easier to try and take it easy if I didn't have to climb hills, but I do feel the difference in my overall fatigue if I just try and poke along versus hammering.

Yeah, no easy way up hills. I aim for two rest days a week, one on Saturday and one Tue. - Thu. depending on what else I'm doing. I don't bike every day though, as I also go running once a week, or like today, want to lift weights when I get home.

Lungimsam (what does that mean, anyway? :p), perhaps you're not sleeping enough at night or eating enough before your rides. I know that I feel drained and weak during my rides if I'm lacking in either.

Thanks for the great ideas, everyone. All these things sound like they will help.

just keep riding or take it a bit slower then usual, i am not an expert but i have been riding everyday to work for the last month, (5 days a week) and i typicially ride on saturday as well.

I think legs aren't really a muscle group that you can typically rest per say anyways, the best you can do is go to sleep at a decent hour and eat properly.

feels awesome knowing you didn't drive to work all week though, and that totally out weighs some legs that complain a bit.

Taking off one rest day a week plus a weekend day is a pretty good system. If you keep toughing it out, the fatigued legs will just keep getting worse - trust me, I've been there. Personally, I don't take days off now but I did at one time and it worked out pretty well.

Hey I'm new here and you're kind of a d!ck! The man asked a simple question. He didnt ask for your elitest condescending attitude..."jerkoff American "..."the disgusting car"..."some magic beans"..."bad locale...disgusting suburbia or a rural wasteland.". I'll let you finish enjoying your own farts before you respond. Jeebus, relax!

I think whatever enables me to cycle more is the best way to go. So if I needed to slow down and give my legs a rest while riding that would be the way for me. I want to be out on my bike as much as possible, enjoying the ride. Good luck in finding out what works for you.

Eat properly. 50 miles isn't nearly enough to exhaust someone who is moderately in shape, unless you're doing it at a 30+ mph pace.

Better to rest than mess yourself up and not cycle at all...I have just started for 2 months now and i am listening to my body....48 years old overweight, Rheumatoid Arthritis, diabetic...I am taking mornings off 2 or 3 days a week. I am getting more fit day by day but i know if i push myself too much i will end up hurting myself...This fall when it cools off i will start riding to work...My dress code, Semi business to business is a problem... I can probably make it ok but i will have a different bike to ride... Hybrid or converted MTB...My road bike if what i will keep for road rides only...One thing i can say is i am enjoying my return to cycling so much and the advice on here is awesome...

As others said, ride at recovery pace or take some days off. You will wear yourself out if you try to ride hard every day. My commute is about 30 miles round trip and I also do longer rides on weekends, but I also work in some rest days. I'm averaging about 200+ miles/week during the summer months are legs are well-rested most of the time by working in rest/recovery days.

I take rest days when I feel that way. For example, I had beautiful weather all week so far and commuted everyday until today, I decided to drive in because my legs feel wobbly and tired and my knees are feeling stressed. I've been commuting for years now and find 30 miles a day is alot for me to do every single day. My commute is 15 miles one way now, up from my usual 11 so rest days are needed. Best of luck and don't get rid of the car yet as they come in handy sometimes.

if you have to ask, then rest. no shame. you might be interested in reading about catabolic exercise

http://blog.mattmecham.com/2007/05/1...r-weight-loss/

Take a rest day. If you feel stronger on the day after, you're fine. If you're still dragging, you may have an issue.

OP said he'd do 50 miles/day IF he was car less.
I don't see where he actually stated the miles he actually does.

Do this

I think you should keep doing what you are doing 'cause it's ya know working right! Pretty soon you ought to feel 60% I'm sure your boss will think that's great :eek:

Man it's a bike, ride when you feel it and don't when you don't no one is going to judge you because of it.