This is the first day in 13 months i haven’t faced a long commute. Since November last year i’ve been commuting between 36 and 54 miles a day, either 9 miles into work and 27 home, or 27 miles each way (no car and no public transport)

For the first few months, i couldn’t stop eating and when i got home, i’d be asleep on the sofa by 9pm, but over time your body does adapt to doing the distance.

I wouldn’t ride flat out all the time, listen to what your body is telling you, you’ll soon find that if you are wearing a HR monitor, after a few months, what was high Zone 3 is now only Zone 2 as your aerobic fitness builds, but you cannot sustain riding hard every day.

Also make sure you are getting the right type of nutrition, at first i’d just eat anything as i was so hungry. But over time, this changed to a Rego Recovery shape when i got to work, normal healthy lunch, then a homemade flapjack (less pure sugar than bought) or energy bar about 45 mins before riding home.

Also don’t ignore vitamins and other nutrients that your body needs, i had a period where i just ground to a halt, struggled to turn the pedals and it turned out my iron levels had dropped.

Finally, commuting day in day out, can be mentally tiring as well as physically, constantly dicing with traffic and as the seasons change, you can feel yourself slump when you go from riding home at 18mph in short sleeves and no lights, to having to spend 15 minutes getting dressed to go out in the cold, riding in the dark all the time and the having to charge four lights very night.

But overall, it’s doable and you get that smug self-satisfaction when you hear the people around you moaning about how cold it is when they have walked 20 yards from the car into work.

On the protein/recovery shakes – tried them and got home quicker – cos I was propelled by farts

😆

Two weeks you say. Wait until you have been doing it for ten years.

It will take time for your body to adjust, in the meantime take a rest day here and there.

Ensure you are fully hydrated. Especially in this cold weather it’s easy not to drink enough water. It doesn’t have to be while commuting, just during the day.

I wouldn’t ride flat out all the time, listen to what your body is telling you,….you cannot sustain riding hard every day.

This is my experience also (12 miles each way, last 2 1/2 years)

But overall, it’s doable and you get that smug self-satisfaction when you hear the people around you moaning about how cold it is when they have walked 20 yards from the car into work.

Sooo true!! 🙂

I would also add that I have never felt more awake during the day than I do now. Energy levels are waaaay up! I put it down to getting vastly improved sleep 🙂

riding in the dark all the time and the having to charge four lights every night.

Dynamo lights are your friend here :-). Definitely worth the extra spend!

I do 60 mile round trip twice a week. I too got to the point of feeling rather wacked. I then concluded that I wasn’t eating enough and my protein intake was ~ 50 grams / day.

Not being a big eater I now gorge on almonds and other nuts so as to get the calories in and also take a whey protein shake 1 – 2 times / day if I am not getting the protein from my food.

Someone on the forum said if you are doing 15 hours riding / week and a couple of gym sessions you are looking at consuming ~ 2800 calories / day. That’s a lot of food!

I would also reinforce the points mentioned on here about going steady. Riding to work in your tempo zone as opposed to your endurance zone will make a big difference to how you feel when you get to work and the toll it takes as the week goes by.

2 weeks of this isnt very long and you’re still in the adaptation period.

Keep hydrated, with that much activity each day aim for clear to light yellow wee.
Carbs are important but not the be-all-and-end-all, by all mean increase the quality stuff (pulses, seeded breads, potato, pasta etc) but also get some eggs and fish in there, it sounds like your body is crying out for protein and hard boiled eggs prepped in the morning or the night before are easy as is opening a tin of tuna and mixing it with mayo or taste.

Stagger you riding, take a step back in order to go forward. As others have said stop riding on wednesday for example and get the train (thats a nice rest day smack in the middle of the week), ride like this for a while until you feel better and colleagues stop telling you you look like crap….then gently introduce that middle wednesday again in a few weeks/months.

Your sleep seems fine, i wish i got 8hrs a night!

Maybe introduce a multivit each morning with added iron for optimum red cell function and vit-C for immune support.

I always use shakes, powders etc as a last resort…if i’m rushing out the door and need a meal in a glass i’ll blend one up and glug it en route to where i’m going but they’re no substitute for real food…and they can cause gastric upset as other alluded to!

Anyway, try some of these suggestions, change wont happen overnight but stick with it….something needs to change because from what you’re saying it seems like you’ll be run down and ill if you carry on.

I usually make a bit of an effort on the way to work and take it easy going home, although I usually have a headwind, so it’s never that easy.

I usually make a bit of an effort on the way to work and take it easy going home, although I usually have a headwind, so it’s never that easy.

Isn’t that the wrong way around?

Isn’t that the wrong way around?

Nah,gotta take advantage of every tailwind,then grovel back into it on the way home 😉

Isn’t that the wrong way around?

No, not for me.

And as above, there’s no point beasting myself into a headwind.

Don’t skimp on the fat. Carbs will fuel you only up to a point. You need protein to maintain and repair your muscles. Full fat milk after a ride is great. Fat will fuel you much better over the long term than carbs. Have a break mid week to allow your body to recover.

I do a slightly shorter distance than you 4 times a week, it took a couple of months to get used to but is now sutainable, I can do 5 days a week but I’m knackered and there’s nowt left in the tank for an evening and/or weekend ride.
If people reckon you look peaky then I’d have a rest, only do 1 or 2 days next week then build up again, do some 2 or 3 day weeks then 3 or 4 then after a month or two of that then back to 5 days.

Or slow right down.

Thanks for the tips guys – taking it on board. Will try the protein shakes and eating more fat along with taking some rest – can get the train easily.
And yeah, I go over the Forth from Edinburgh to Fife and back.

Maybe try slowing down too – heart rate is 145 average and maxing out about 180. More sleep too – only got about 5 hours sleep the last few nights. Mostly cos I stayed up eating!

Today’s commute took a slightly different turn. Took a corner quite fast – forgot I was on a bicycle instead of a motorbike. Nice two wheel drift before some deep facial exfoliation courtesy of the tarmac so drinking out of a straw for a while cos of a fat lip oops.

Respect for the Bru / swirly pink straw combo! 😀

I have to take that straw out to the pub tonight to watch a Swedish stoner metal band haha
Coolest dude ever

Ouch!

Ow… I’m well stiff today!

Well, when the symptom is being tired, I think most people would suggest resting.
Just devote more time to sleeping. An extra hour a night is a lot of extra sleep a week. If you have no kids or issues with sleeping, that would be my solution

Sleep is amazing. Does amazing things. Do more of it and keep riding when you are awake