Is your job physically strenuous? Are you on your feet all day, walking, running? Do you do a lot of heavy lifting and carrying? And/or perhaps a lot of repetitive lifting?


If so ... how does your cycling fit into your day?


I currently work 2-5 days a week in the "factory" area of a local newspaper, and I do all of the stuff I've mentioned above during my 8 hour shifts. In the 3 months I've been working there, I've significantly increased my upper body strength (I was in a Kinesiology class where we did fitness testing at the beginning of the class, before I started that job ... and then again after I'd been working there for 10 weeks ... so I could see the improvement), and I've now got shoulders like a swimmer!!

I also attend University full time which involves a lot of brisk walking to and from school and between classes (2.5 kms total), carrying approx. 20 lbs of books in my backpack. And I'm in a Physical Education class (to teach us how to teach Physical Education to children) which involves running approx. 40 minutes a day, 3-4 days a week.

I enjoy all of that, and I think it is great I can get paid to work out on my job, but here's the problem .....

I'm tired!! And my muscles ache most of the time. So cycling isn't all that appealing these days.


If you are very active on your job ... how do you fit the cycling in?

I read meters all day so I walk usually 5-6 hours a day at a pretty fast pace with little or no breaks so there are days when I am beat and the last thing I want to do is get on a bike for 2 hours after work. Most of the time it isn't a big deal but there are some days where I just take the day off and take a hour long nap when I get home. I think if I had a different job I would get better results in my races but I love working outside in the elements and with dogs....

Count me in. I throw freight all day, sometimes lifting up to 80 to 100 70 lb bags by myself. I have also developed upper body strength. I have a bulging disc in my back so I have to be real careful when I do this. I get really exausted by the end of the week. Outside of work I also work out. I find ways to ride except when the weather is really icy cold or when it is over 95 degrees. I have to ride. I get real grumpy and sometime down outright mean if I don't.....

Bike withdrawal...........aughhhh....

About how long did it take you to be comfortable after a century ride? Maybe you just need more time to adjust ? It might be time to start carrying Tylenol or asprin.

My job is about as sedate as they come... I sit in front of a computer pushing a mouse all day long... I have a timer set to tell me to get up and move. Cycling, swimming and my morning exercise routine are all the exercise that I get all day... otherwise, I would be a poster child for couch potatoes.

Here's a guess: it's not just the long hours at work, but the sum of all the stress and drain of full-time schooling added to the repetition of the physical labor. As a long-distance cyclist, you may be used to pushing yourself on grueling rides--but in your broader life, when do you recharge? Surely you are aware of the need for recovery--physically, mentally, emotionally--and take some days off from riding. Between cycling, work and school, you may feel so exhausted because you don't allow yourself time to build up those stores of energy?

From your recent thread about teaching overseas, am I correct that you've just recently gone back to school? Maybe you are still figuring out how to balance riding and work with the newly-added demands of school.

How does cycling fit into my day? It doesn't. I work 12 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week during the warm months. Right now, its the winter and I have more time off, but its too cold to do much riding. So at least in my case, I only get to ride about 1 night and 2 days a week during the summer, and seldom during the winter. I would ride to work when its warm, but I do construction and have to carry tools.

This is a good question. I have often wondered the same thing but maybe from a different point of view. I too, get little to no physical exertion with my work. On the occasion when i do, i find it a little less appealing to go out and pedal for a couple hours.

I often have wondered how cycling would fit into my life if i had to switch to a more physical job or one which gave me less time to ride. Right now, I have a pretty flexible schedule and can ride every day, which i normally do year round.

That said, something tells me that if i was doing something physical all day, i may be less excited about it, but who knows?

I wasn't at all happy after my first century in 1994. I didn't do another one till 1997, and I did two that year, and felt OK with them ... but I also did about twice as many miles in 1997 as I had in any previous year ... so I guess I kind of built up.

I've been at this for 3 months, and was just getting used to it when the frequency/intensity of exercise increased ... so I guess I've just got to get used to this level now. It just uses different muscles than the ones I'm used to using ... the running is killing my IT band!!!

Hmmmmm ... some VERY good points!!! Yes, you are correct that I've recently returned to school (last September), and I am still trying to balance it all. At the moment I don't take any days off ... days that are completely mine with no exercise, no work, no school, no homework. I haven't taken a day like that since sometime last summer. I know about the need for recovery, but it's hard because if I'm not doing something ... I feel guilty. If I'm not doing homework (because there's not much to do), I feel like I should be getting ahead or something. If I have an evening without much planned, I feel like I should be working and making some money ......... I'm like that in life in general, never mind when I've actually got stuff to do! I guess I'm not sure how to relax!!

I work in a very hot machine shop, I wear shorts year round. In the summer it has been 120F inside. On my half-hour lunch I ride 7 miles if it is above 40F outside. I lift and flip steel plates all day, from 1 pound to 1 ton. Generaly working with 50-80 pound range. Very physical, sore back most of the time. Riding keeps me sane. I have worked 60+ days straight, at one time I worked 23 10 hour days in a row.

You must be one strong dude Is that "lift & flip" of 1 ton plate with 1 arm or 2?

"Welcome to Hell" .

I drive a transport milk truck. An 18 wheeler that loads the small milk trucks you see. I drive over 3 hours and then unload my trailer (usually 1200 cases) onto the small trucks. The cases are stacked 5 or 6 high and I use a hook to drags them. A stack can weigh from 50 to 200 pounds. 12 to 14 hour days but the temp is always about 34 degrees in the trailer. Thats "cool" in the summer but "warm" on cold winter days..............Squire

I am very lucky. I work for myself and don't use a car. My clients are all over the city and I get to ride maybe an average of 2 hours per day on my flat bar, Monday to Saturday. It's a nice fast bike and makes it very easy. I just need to carry a "shower in a can" during summer.
Steve.

I once worked 12 hours a day (14 if you count driving time), 7 days a week doing commercial roofing for the entire summer, except for taking a week off to go on the Michigander. Now that sucked, but at least I made $20,000 in just one summer. The money was cool, but I certainly won't do it again.

I drive 40-90 minutes to work and back. During an 8 hour shift I will rent an average of 30 bicycles. Each bike needs the seat adjusted, chain lubed, and tires checked. Sometimes I have to adjust handlebars, chain tension, and seat angle. I will repair on average 5-10 bikes a day. Those are average days. Busy days of rental may see 65-80 bikes rented, and busy days of repair or building will have 15-30 bikes in a repair stand.

Right now I'm at home resting a torn shoulder from a repetive stress injury caused by this job. I still like my job.


































I think.

I'd suggest taking a nice, relaxing vacation, but you'd probably go randonneuring! <grin>

I'm on my feet from 6 a.m. til 4 or 5 p.m.,4 or 5 days a week with a half hour or so break in a chair.It's a long day.I walk, lift,bend,stretch and try not to stress too much.There are times when I get home and after I jump in the shower I just wanna' crash.The kids are wound up and so,after we've had something to eat and if the weather is halfway decent,we go out and ride around the neighborhood.It's a great way to unwind.I definetly have days or nights when I don't do anything but eat and nap on the couch but,if I do get out and go for a ride I feel renewed and could probably ride til' morning.I think if you look at riding as relaxing and not as work you'll find you do have time to ride.Even if it's only around the block at least you went and got some saddle time and hopefully you'll feel better afterwards.I don't feel guilty if I don't ride but,even if I'm dog tired I know I always get recharged on my Trek.Ride safe.

As it happens, I haven't taken a vacation where I have NOT gone to a long randonneuring event since ... ummmmm ... I guess it was probably 2001. Even my long-weekend trips over the past 5 years have all been cycling (and usually randonneuring) related!!