So, have started a new job. Am cycling 15 miles each way – taking about an hour. I don’t really hang about either.

But I’m feeling pretty tired. I’m eating healthily – all freshly prepared food etc that I take with me or cook when I get home, but still my fitness tracker/Strava says I’m using >4000 calories a day.

Only been in the job a fortnight and about 4 people have said I look like crap this week – all saying I look tired. I’m getting 8 hours a night, but still feel a bit zombie-esque

A lot of the food I’ve been eating is vegetarian, mostly out of cost saving. Have this Thug Kitchen cookbook that is really good and tasty, but all vegan.
Eating lots of pasta and bread for carbs but think I’m missing out on protein?

Is that a thing? I know the square root of **** all about sports nutrition. My knowledge extends to calories and “don’t eat crappy foods”.

Are protein shakes the answer? Have one when I get to work and one when I get home?

Protein and carbs soon after the ride will aid with recovery. How much cycling were were doing before the new job, perhaps a rest day or two is in order.

I do the same commute miles, I feel tired too, probably because 2 hrs a day on the bike is quite a lot!

2 hours riding a day plus working plus normal calories you’d burn just being alive means you’ll probably be able to eat everything you see and be ok!

You’re probably just not eating enough.

When I used to ride to work that far I didn’t do it often as I got very tired.

Before this I was maybe doing an intense 90 minute blast 2 or 3 times a week with a 50 mile road ride or 3/4hour MTB at the weekend.

Oh yeah, did that MTB ride last weekend…
Maybe I’ll start logging my good intake on my fitness pal. It syncs with my Garmin watch and GPS

Maybe I’ll start logging my good intake on my fitness pal. It syncs with my Garmin watch and GPS

Good call, measuring will mean you have a better idea, as always full doesn’t always mean we’ll nourished etc.

Also as work are pay you to be there what’s plan b when you need to be fresh and attentive at work? It’s feasible that you might need to back off the commuting a bit till you get more established.

I used to do the similar commute miles but I started easy and built up to it. Started with 2 days a week, then 3, 4 until I felt comfortable doing the full week. It took about 6-10 weeks to get properly into the swing of it. Other than a typically unhealthy mid morning snack I didn’t do anything different food wise.

So my advice is you’ll be fine but you’ve probably thrown yourself in at the deep end, scale it back a bit and listen to your body, if you feel knackered then go by some other mode of transport that day, build up gradually, give it a couple of months and it’ll all feel like a normal part of your day.

Yeah, I can get the train. Maybe I’ll just get that today!

And yeah, it probably is affecting my work so I should sort it out.

A build up seems a good idea

If this 30-mile round trip while going for it is a big step up from what you were doing, your body will be in shock.

Try every other day and find another way of commuting for a while, perhaps even considering a more gentle pace for the middle cycle commute.

If it was me I’d start off by cycling to work and back on Tuesdays and Thursdays and seeing how that went for a while.

+1 for build up to it. Don’t be scared of slowing down a bit either. An extra 5 minutes in the morning will mean you arrive a bit fresher.

Cycle three times a week?

Make sure you warm up – in commuting [especially if you tend to run a little late] its tempting to set off hard and fast. This tends to make your muscles really sore, so make sure you start off easy and warm up before putting the hammer down.

I use this after every workout and it definitely makes a big difference: never feel stiff/tired; always good to go the day after (and I’m very old)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B003VJXVU8/ref=mp_s_a_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1480580703&sr=8-4&keywords=hemp+protein

You’ll be fine, you just need to get used to it! 🙂

There is masses of protein in veggie food. The apparent lack of protein in a meat free diet is a bit of a myth that stems from the fact that meat contains all of the amino acids needed, whereas most veggie food will be lacking in one or anotherr- but different ones each time, so a varied diet will cover this.

I think your body takes time to adjust to an exercise regime change too. Not based in science, btw just what I noticed. Started commuting a few years ago, 2 hours a day, 2-3 times a week. I was by no means overweight when I started but I slimmed out pretty quickly. I’m not aware that my eating habits have changed much over that time and if anything, I ride more now but my weight has crept back up.
To address the original point though; I generally feel tired all the time. I now actually feel worse if I take a break from riding. Get plenty of sleep, eat a balanced ‘good’ diet with plenty of protein – aching legs and feeling tired are just the norm for me. Not sure that’s a good thing now I’ve come to think about it!

I don’t really hang about either

That there is almost certainly part of the problem.

Out of your 10 commutes a week, that statement should only apply to around 3 of them – just take it easy the rest of the time.

Am cycling 15 miles each way – taking about an hour.

does not compute with

I don’t really hang about either.

😉 (and to emphasise, this is a joke as average speed depends on so many factors esp in a commute)

If you’ve only just started then yes your body will be adjusting to the vastly increased load. I’ve been doing a similar commute for a couple of years. I work shifts so work at least 5 days in a row but usually 7, I usually have 1 day off in 5 or 2 in 7, (during which I take all my clean clothes in to minimise what I have to carry when commuting) but I have got used to being permanently hungry 🙂 I have a tub of recovery shake (protein + carbs) at work that I often use as soon as I get in.

Are you having breakfast before or after the commute (or both)? Fasted commuting/training should be at lower intensity

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/knowledge/nutrition/article/izn20150818-All-Cycling-Fasted-Morning-Rides-0

so if you’re hitting the commute hard with very little breakfast you’ll be permanently ‘backfilling’.

give your body chance to ‘adapt’, it’s a clever thing you know! maybe an idea to have a day off the commute then build back up but you’re doing all the right things like eating right but as mentioned stretching will also help you. It’s unlikely you are burning over 4000 calories so don’t go mad, consuming loads of food will also make your body tired if it’s not used to it. enjoy! 🙂

I used to do the same distance – but only 3 days a week – different activity Monday and rest Friday, otherwise I had nothing for the weekend.

Breakfast thing is odd – now my commute is half the distance and I can’t eat breakfast before it, on the longer commute had to have a big bowl of cereal beforehand.

(ps. bare in mind there are some awesome machines on here who do 50 miles a day, everyday, mtb ride Saturday and 100mile sportive Sunday. So prepare to feel inadequate 😉 )

That is a big commmute to jump straight into. It is not so much the mileage but accumulative hammer that you are putting on the system – -all the protein shakes in the world won’t make up for proper rest, quality sleep. I suggest u look at a Heart Rate Variability app (ithlete is a good one) . Essentially this measures the timing between heart beats – a reliable indicator of fatigue and overtraining. You take a daily measurement using a heart rate belt (takes 1 minute) – and the app figures out your ‘normal’ – then when u take the later readings it advises you using further subjective info (diet/ stress/ sleep quality) sliding scale from red (rest day) amber (take it easy ) or green (choose a workout / if you are in really good health – Go for it! I find this to be a very reliable tool to stop the ‘pushing through’ when you are hammered with fatigue which most sports people have in order to get stuff done – sadly though this is storing up risk of injury / illness- have a read on HRV – I have found it to be very useful.

Breakfast thing is odd – now my commute is half the distance and I can’t eat breakfast before it, on the longer commute had to have a big bowl of cereal beforehand.

My experience of morning activity is that if you are relying on breakfast you got the evening meal wrong

Leave 10 mins earlier and just cruise in..you’ll be fine and it will increase rather than deplete your energy. Does require a different mindset though..

(ps. bare in mind there are some awesome machines on here who do 50 miles a day, everyday, mtb ride Saturday and 100mile sportive Sunday. So prepare to feel inadequate )

And that’s taking it easy on a rest week 😛

On the protein/recovery shakes – tried them and got home quicker – cos I was propelled by farts. Gave me atrocious wind.

Couple of thoughts, none of which might be relevant!

1) You may be cycling to hard to often (over training). Try using a HR monitor to stay well with in your aerobic zone, simple formula: 180 – age = Max HR for your rides (yes this will probably mean you have to slow down a lot but can make a big difference in how you feel, Google phil Maffetone for more info)
2) Extra protein may help but also check you are getting enough nutrients that sometimes are reduced on vegetarian diet such as B12 and vitD (there are others, Google if interested). Does not mean you have to start eating meat! but some supplementation may also help.
3) Best one yet get an ebike 😉

On the protein/recovery shakes – tried them and got home quicker – cos I was propelled by farts. Gave me atrocious wind.

Usually worth trying another brand when that happens.
Most of PowerBars products do that for me, but other brands are fine.

I do the same mileage and find that eating something in the afternoon(3.00) works for me.
I only really feel tired in the spring/summer months when I am going a bit harder,but now it’s just winter miles ,with season adjusted speeds.

I started doing a commute of similar mileage at the start of the year – 16 miles each way normally taking around an hour. Similarly to you, I’m not hanging about but crossings and traffic lights take my average down (that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it).

Anyway, I started by doing it every day, managed it for two weeks then had a few days off sick from work – I was destroyed. I was stretching properly, getting at least 8 hours kip a night and not riding much at the weekends and I was still in bits. I scaled it back a bit and did 2 days a week, then three and so on until I was doing a full week. Eating absolutely everything in sight and still losing weight too which was a nice bonus. However if I do five days now (after a year of doing it) I’m still nailed at the weekend and tend not to ride unless really necessary. I was also doing it fixed on a bike that was slightly over-geared which didn’t help. I’ve swapped to gears now, just so I can enjoy/recover on the downhill bits.

10 hours a week may not sound like a huge amount, but the intensity when you’re commuting is what does the damage. If I’m after setting PB’s or getting a KOM (you have to do something to spice up the same commute) I’m in bits the next day and its a slow painful ride in. Doesn’t even have to be trying to set a PB – sprinting from the lights to get away from cars/buses, or trying to hold your line on a busy road can have the same effect.

These days I’ll do a sort of pyramid type thing, where I’ll work my way up to five days, then go back down to four, then three and so on. Doing this keeps me fresh and also retains the desire to keep doing it. I did 4 weeks of five full days in the summer and fatigue aside, the boredom nearly finished me off. Also if you have the option, doing one longer commute a week can help. I drive to a station and cycle from there normally (so 16 each way), however once a week I try to do the full ride (42 miles each way) – makes the 16 miles seem like a walk in the park then!

15 miles each way is tough, especially in winter. My normal commute is 20 each way and I wouldn’t do it more than twice a week. Have you tried just drinking a big glass of milk as soon as you can after riding? I find it helps recovery enormously. If you’re loosing weight, at 150 miles a week you can afford to eat some fatty foods just to keep weight on.

If you’re body isn’t getting enough carbs or can’t process enough at a time, it might be in a state of ketosis where it’s primary source of fuel becomes body fat. I’ve consciously tried at Low Carb High Fat diet and for a couple of weeks felt pretty rough (which is usual) but after than it settles down and I felt the benefits. Might just be your body adapting for such an increase in demand for fuel…end result should be fat loss and better stamina.

A protein shake on arrival at home or work wont do you any harm (on top of your normal diet) and will aid recovery time and give you a bit of fuel to keep you going till lunch.

Diet Whey protein if you don’t want the carbs/sugar. Holland & Barret have PHD half price just now or did.

Niall

I think it also helps a lot if you have a enjoyable route/s.
I am very lucky with that and love my commute,never,ever get sick of it.
The OP’s route (I think) takes in the Forth bridges on the way,awesome.

I’d second the advice on leaving a bit earlier in the morning and really take easy on the way in.

I do 20 miles each way 5 days a week, have been since last december. I’m too tired to get up early to ride at the weekend in the dark, but I’ll do early rides on a Saturday or even before work in the summer. No protein shakes or energy drinks here either.

But morning rides can be at a moving average of 13mph or sometimes lower, I wear a HRM every day and try and beat my lowest Strava suffer score every day (best I’ve done is 28) but staying in zone 2 or lower.

Wednesday night and Friday night are for thrapping it. Best I’ve manages is 20 miles in 1hr 6 mins.

Protein shakes would probably help, but I’ve not got round to trying them due to lack of funds.

Are you eating breakfast before youo leave in the morning ?

If not you need to take it a bit easier – zone 2 ish for fasted training otherwise you will cook yourself pretty quick. You could also be pretty de hydrated on the mroning ride in whihc will see you a bit flaky for the day.
I find that most weeks I’m doing 3 dfays commuting but its the weeks I do 4+ that really do for me if I don’t eat and drink right. Proteing shakes work ok but there’s other cheaper stuff that you can graze on theough the day – rice cakes spread with Cashew butter/ peanut butter as my current “cheap” grazing solution for work.

because 2 hrs a day on the bike is quite a lot!

2 hours riding a day plus working plus normal calories

Well yes, but no…

2 hrs on the bike followed by 8 sat in front of a screen is still less than an 8hr shift of manual work, depends a lot on what you do for the rest of the day doesn’t it? 2hrs of proper activity a day should not ruin you, but if that’s also coupled with a highly active day at work then it might push you over the edge. I have a desk job, so my commute and midweek riding basically just compensates for the fact I sit on my arse most of the day.

You may have a fuelling issue rather then an actual ‘amount of activity’ issue if you know what I mean, but calming down a bit on the ride (at least in one direction?) or maybe skipping a day here and there may help too. Consult more knowledgeable people on the fuelling side as proper nutrition can be a black art and very personal!

I do 15 miles each way 2-3 days a week. I tend to ride these days back to back. If I do 3 days for a few weeks I do feel pretty tired. Tend to ride fasted in the morning as I can never get up early enough to throw food down my throat before riding.

Must admit that it’s got harder since the clocks changed as I now leave home in the dark and leave work in the dark, so don’t get much daylight 🙁

I think it is also worth considering the weather at the moment.

I commute around 45 minutes each way every day, and I have noticed these past few mornings feeling tired just from the cold. I also think I concentrate more as I don’t want to slide on an icy patch. It also may be what clothes you are wearing, if you are using all your energy up just keeping warm, then consider another layer and slowing the pace down a bit.

Also it may be worth considering what your job entails, if it is physical then you will need to slow it down. Over time you adjust and you will find it a bit easier.

Not sure about protein shakes, never taken them, but then again I am an omnivore.

Commuting by bike in winter is hard, concentration levels need to be much higher, even away from traffic, you just can’t relax for a minute as you don’t have the long range vision you have in daylight.

But in general I don’t feel the need to eat any more than I do when I’m not commuting.

I have breakfast before I leave and usually something like a wholemeal role when I get to work, when I get home I usually have a glass of milk.

But starting commuting in winter is never going to be easy.

As has been said, 10 hrs is quite a lot and a step up from what you were doing. Keep doing it and you will likely end up a physical wreck in a few weeks. Is something you need to build up to over a period of months if you want to be able to sustain that level each week.

I do a bit more volume but not commuting and do end up close to 4000 cals a day, the constant eating is exhausting 😉 If you’ve not done it before then it’s well worth using my fitness pal for a while and just seeing how balanced your diet is.