Tanking out 8 hours later - any way to avoid?

[bryce]

If you'd been riding near your limits up to Thursday it's not surprising that your legs ran out of energy. It takes a few days for them to recover.

As you get fitter you can go further and faster using slow twitch muscle fibres which can keep going. If you're new there's a good chance you're using fast twitch fibres that provide a lot of power but take time to recover, as you get faster they'll be more for sprinting or other hard efforts. Fast twitch fibres store their fuel in the muscle cells, once it's gone it takes time to recover.

Do you feel faster on Monday after having the weekend off the bike?

For now, either go a bit slower when you need to recover or take the odd day off the bike to recover. I like low gears for commuting so I can get up the hill easily when tired.

[Geoffroid]

I reckon that commuting each way by bike every day might be stopping you getting decent recovery. It is only through recovery that you get fitter. You could leave your bike at work one day, use the bus for two journeys, and then cycle again. Or have one day off cycling.

[CyberKnight]

I commute 10 miles each way with a manual job that can be anywhere from 8-11 hours long dependent on sales volume , breakdowns etc and apart from shift work tiredness as long as i keep on top of my energy levels im fine , sure i have good and bad days but i rarely feel like i haven't got enough energy .

[eileithyia]

Well I've 'tanked' out after a 17 mile commute in, long tough shift on my feet and not enough to eat due to tough shift.....
Make sure you have enough protein (glass of milk) to recover and build muscles, have some recovery time at the weekend.

[foxyrider]

Where are these hills that are 'only' 2 miles long?

Clearly food intake is the issue here, you get bonk (thats the real technical term!) when you have run out of energy. Forget those energy gels -expensive and not good for your gut, even racers avoid them if possible. Others have suggested a banana an hour before you finish work but equally good are raisins, figs etc - any high sugar soft fruit really, a handful of Haribo's, piece of flapjack - well you get the idea. Little and often is best, if possible have lunch later in the day.

Some days though you might just be tired, on days like that here in slightly bumpy land i'll go the long route home as its not as steep! (only gets to 10%!)

[Tonyf33]

oops, what he said above cept I'd left it hanging instead of posting

Eating right makes a massive difference, you haven't mentioned if you have breakfast or indeed when you last ate the night before.
If you haven't had something like a slow release energy b/fast like porridge and/or skip lunch or just don't eat much then any ride thereafter can seem really difficult. Given you've said you're on the slender side and not carrying too much reserves not having that first thing in the morning meal and not eating/eating much at lunch is a bonk waiting to happen. Even if you have a snack bar or banana an hour before your journey home your body could already be well in deficit energy wise if the above is applicable.

[Nickeveson]

The fitness will come, it's amazing how those first few weeks will fade as you do more mileage, the hills will seem to flatten out, the advantages of cycling to and from work will get you fitter AND save you travelling money

[RideToWorky]

Hi guys!

Hope you had a nice Halloween

Update:

I had to go back last week to the dentist for filling

For the ride up, are used all your cycling energy conservation tips. I also drunk some energy recovery drink outside the dentist, to make sure that I'm topped up.

Had filling.

Dentist said not to eat for free hours, so you could imagine her I had to make sure I had enough food values inside me for the morning.

The upshot of it is that, was hungry in the morning but survived till lunchtime! Cycle home was a lots better! No tanking out feeling and, really just the next couple of days bit sore legs that's it

Thanks for the advice guys!

Cheers Martin

[nez]

I hate to offer a simple answer but dentists' injections have adrenalin in them which can give you something like bonk. Could it just be that?