My commute's about the same distance as you and reasonably flat with a few short, steep climbs.

For ages I was feeling the same way you are then after about 6 months it just clicked and now it's no bother at all.

My general routine is

Don't eat before I ride in the morning, wait till the office

2+ litres of water during the day

Carb loaded snack and a strong coffee about an hour before my ride home at night

Martin,
Unless you're losing weight or painfully thin, you're probably eating enough. I used to do a commute 15 each way, and some days it was a real effort to get on the bike and ride home. I just wanted to lie down by the side of the road and have a kip!

But then I noticed something. Some idiot would try to kill me by pulling out on me, or squeezing into a wall or bus or something, and all of a sudden I'd be chasing them like a man possessed to try and catch them to give them a piece of what was left of my mind. All tiredness gone with a shot of adrenaline.

It's like commuting fatigue. The chore of doing it wears you down. I found varying my route and pace helped a lot. Ride in easy, batter home hard. Spin a mile grind a mile. 50 pedal turns standing away from each set of lights. That sort of stuff.

Stick at it 'cos when the 'floaty' days come you'll be flying and you'll feel fantastic.

Oh yeah, and I used to have a snooze on the sofa before evening meal.

SB 🙂

Try and vary your route to add a bit of interest. Is there any way you could drive/train it halfway and ride the rest or maybe drive in (with bike), ride home, ride in, drive home (with bike) etc? Maybe cut down a bit until you're feeling properly fresh again, perhaps do Tues/Wed/Thurs thus leaving you with a day to recover before and after any weekend riding you happen to be doing?

Are you carrying a heavy load, is there any way you can take in as much as possible in the car on Monday then carry a lighter load on the bike the rest of the week?

What bike are you doing it on? It'll be MUCH easier on a road or CX bike... 😉

I've found exactly the same thing.Its 10 mile each way (300m climb) and by friday I just feel deeply weary in my legs.Dont find it especially hard work just no zip.I eat my own body weight (low fat high carbs)daily and drink loads.Its not long enough to get my teeth into but not short enough to not be a quick spin.

I find that it helps not to force myself to cycle when I'm not feeling like it. Usually, ten minutes in the car and the traffic and I'm thinking about my ride the next morning.

I commuted for years once, twice and three times a week (15 miles) but never all five days until one week I tried it. I was on my knees by Friday but eventually I worked back to a full week and was ok. I find I need my sleep and cannot go without 7-8 hours or I suffer. I needed to eat the right food not just quantity.

Commuting is different from leisure cycling at weekends because you are working in between and even if you feel you do not have a physical difficult job it still takes it toll physically and mentally.

My routine is similar to BoardinBob - tea before I leave then a Muller Rice at work with coffee. Lunch was loaded with carbs and then an afternoon snack about an hour before I leave work such as a banana or muesli bar. And oh yeah, the water intake is important during the day and on the commute.

Another sufferer from commute 'knackeredness' here too. It winds my wife up something chronic as sometimes during a hard week I'm asleep on the sofa by 8pm.

That said - it has vastly improved over the last few months though it comes back when I shift the distances / increase intensity. I started doing exactly the same as you - 14 miles a day - though I'm in Sussex countryside and it's very hilly. I do four or five days a week though (sold the car so I had no choice - if I don't cycle it's a later train so longer at work and a 90 minute round-trip walking to the station and back).

I would start the week fresh and end absolutely dog tired. And after a while tedium takes its toll and I found it harder and harder to get motivated. I'm coming on 9 months since I began doing it and currently I've found a routine that's meant I'm losing weight still (well, fat anyway - changing shape essentially), getting significantly fitter and not scoffing all and sundry.

I do one week of greater distances as a steadier pace - varying the mileage from 20 to 40/50 round trip. Using the HRM and speedo to maintain a decent audax type pace. Try not to do the exact route to and from work. The next week is shorter distances - 12 to 20 mile round trips but really pushing the timings and pace. Try to break a personal best a week. And gradually I'm eeking out the distances further and further. Using mapmyride.com is an easy way of looking for new routes too without shelling out for mapping software and the like - you can see profiles of routes and plan your hills etc.

I've found it helps to take a day out mid-week every other week when it gets really hard.

As far as eating goes I've had to change my diet - when I started I'd scoff anything and felt hungry ALL the time. I've discovered that shakes seem to work for me - help get more protein down me and also they're pretty filling so help with the ravenous appetite. You just have to watch that you're not consuming excess carbs by making them up with milk all the time (they taste better with full fat 😀 ). I try and drink them within 20 minutes of finishing my commute and I've noticed that my recovery times have improved. There are some serious athletes in my office and a fair few also swear by creatine though I've not tried that yet.

Oh, and lots of water helps too.

I had this too! I used to commute 7-8 miles each way, fairly hilly and was knackered by the end of the week and struggling to complete the week. I thought that there was something abnormal with me as loads of other people seemed to do it without issues. I did three things that really helped and after about 6 months I was adding in an extra loop on the way home and making the club ride on Wednesdays! Unfortunately I did all 3 things together so can't seperate the effects.

Firstly and I think most importantly I forced myself to ride very slowly when I felt at all tired. This took some getting used to because at first it felt comedy slow but it didn't add that much time onto my commute. This meant that the next day I felt recharged.

Secondly I ate more. I still don't understand this (maybe someone on here can offer an explination) because I wasn't loosing any weight and after I started eating more I didn't put on any weight but I think that it helped.

Thirdy I cut down on the booze for a while. I don't mean that I was totally aled before but I just stopped drinking a glass of wine most nights. Once I'd got used to the commute I started again with no ill effects so this might be a red herring!

Another sufferer from commute 'knackeredness' here too. It winds my wife up something chronic as sometimes during a hard week I'm asleep on the sofa by 8pm.

Aye I'm usually snoring by 10pm every night. That's not a bad thing though as before I was sitting up to 2am every morning and I was like a zombie during the day.

Bed at 10pm

Up at 6:30am

Walk the dog for an hour

Leave for work about 8am

Firstly and I think most importantly I forced myself to ride very slowly when I felt at all tired. This took some getting used to because at first it felt comedy slow but it didn't add that much time onto my commute. This meant that the next day I felt recharged.

That's a good point. I was hammering bits at high exertion levels then dying on other bits. I've switched to a steadier, constant pace and I'm actually covering the distance in less time than before. There's a big climb right before my office and it was killing me for the last 6 months but this morning I noticed I was able to sprint up it without being out of breath!

take a rest day. If you are riding 5 days a week (+ weekends?) it's too much for your body.

Wednesday every week, get the train or take the car.

You should be able to ride a 14 mile round trip commute 5 days every week without issues -both me and my missus have done so in the past. Are you trying to go too fast? Mine used to take me about 50 mins to do the 7 miles of flat. I still had enough energy for a 40 miler once a week on top.

She was in her late 20s when she did it - I did it for 7 yrs from 30 yrs old - both smokers and not athletes

Slow down. Get checked over at your gp

Oh yeah, and I used to have a snooze on the sofa before evening meal.

best advice I have ever read on this site...

A 14 mile round trip shouldn't really be a problem, just learn to spin.

Have been doing 15 miles each way for the last couple of weeks (mellor to manchester, so ending with a big hill on the way home), I'm very glad they have both been 4 day weeks! Tiredness from a days work is definitely significant, even if it is an office job.

He [i]should[/i] be able to but he isn't, his body is telling him something is wrong. Take a rest, see your GP (who will probalby be useles and say well what do you expect)

How long is it taking you?

i do 6 miles each way 5 days a week.
somedays i feel shyte, some days i am flying.
sleep well, eat well, and ride after work once a week too.
it is only general weariness in the legs.
MTFU.

I did this for 4 months, 5 days a week commute + gym and then longer rides at the weekend, and I found myself in an almost constant, insurmountable almost, state of fatigue and tiredness; it's definately too much for your body.

Get more sleep.

Eat more food.

Do less work.

No way is it too much for your body. For 7 yrs I did a 7 mile each way commute plus at 40 mile ride on my days off. I was nursing in care of the elderly - a physically demanding job - (equivalent to lifting and moving 3 tonnes a day) Unsocial hours as well - 3 days of 7-3, 2 of 3 - 10, up to ten days in a row. I was smoking 20 a day a drinking well over the recomended amount. aged 30 when I started. Mild post viral syndrome as well.

FFS - you are recommended 20+ mins exercise a day -it only took me 45 - 50 mins. Nowt in terms of real hard work

itehr you are run down, are forcing the pace too much, aneamic or something else is wrong

I suffer from tiredness when I commute too, 15 miles & 1200ft of climbing followed a 12hr shift where I average around 4 miles (according to the pedometer) with loads of flights of stairs in temperatures of around 30C and high humidity and then another 15 miles & about 1400ft of climbing on the way home. I can't understand why I feel so tired, could it be my age? (52) 😉

Get plenty of sleep, take it easy on the rides and look at your diet.

Train, rest, eat and recover!

I'm looking forward to my (soon) 24mile each way commute.

Never quite got to doing it more than once a week last summer, but it didn't really knock me out like that. it's only 2 - 2 & a bit hours on the road bike (ok I'm slow up hills), we do that for fun on the MTBs

I'm 29, and for 34 years I commuted on a singlespeed 54/18 in the hilly-est areas of sheffield, I worked 12 hour days for 2 days, then did 2 12 hour night shifts, commuting all the time. Ate loads, rode loads.

Actually... only part of that is true (some of the above reads a little like the 4 Yorkshire Men sketch)

I rode 10-ish miles to work, starting at 7am and finishing at 7pm... work was frightfully dull which didn't help, but racing home knowing you were flying up the hills helped loads and then that 'commuter race' on the way home... trying not to stop at all.... fuelled by jacket spuds, olive oil on the skin with curried beans and tuna every day. lovely.

take it easy and eat loads, also try some rego or such.

jt

I'm 29, and for 34 years I commuted on a singlespeed

ignore all the tough men on this thread. Google for 'overtraining' lots of articles about this topic. You don't need to be a full time athlete to overtrain, and your symptoms are classic signs of overtraining.

Its your bodies way of telling you it don't like it. If you ignore the signs, and carry on, you could put yourself in a position where riding to work will be the least of your problems

Sorry if I sounded like I was willy waving - but 70 miles a week commuting is not that much - its only 4 -5 hrs a week of cycling.

If you can't do it then IMO something else is wrong

T-J, it's definitely do-able but if you're knackered then something IS wrong!Don't just MTFU, overtraining can have real and serious consquences. Look at where the problem is and tackle that. If you're still run down and knackered all the time then you're going to need to drop your milage until you recover and then slowly build it back up.

Firstly and I think most importantly I forced myself to ride very slowly when I felt at all tired. This took some getting used to because at first it felt comedy slow but it didn't add that much time onto my commute. This meant that the next day I felt recharged.

ignore all the tough men on this thread. Google for 'overtraining' lots of articles about this topic. You don't need to be a full time athlete to overtrain, and your symptoms are classic signs of overtraining.

These two are both kind of right. If you treat every ride to work as a training ride, you will get knackered and get what is happening to you. But 7 miles is short enough that it doesn't have to be a training ride, you can just pootle it, it'll take 5 minutes longer, and you won't feel like you've done any exercise at all.

When I am riding 5 days a week, I do Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays hard rides, and Tuesday, Thursday relaxed rides. I also tend to ride hard into work, and not too hard on the way back. Currently I do a 16 mile each way / 32 mile round trip across Derbyshire hills. It is really surprising how easy it is to ride my commute slowly in 1:15, compared to riding it in a hurry in 58 minutes, riding fast is way more mentally tiring too, you keep having to remind yourself to go quick.

Best thing about my commute is that 1.5 miles from home I get to the top of the hill, and it's pretty much flat out downhill from there, really nice way just to spin your legs out and warm down. The hill works nicely as a warm up in the morning too.

Joe

i do a 7 mile each way ride, and i feel more tired midweek than by the end. wednesday's are worse than thu/fri. having said that, i've been doing it for a while and don't find i suffer from it as much these days.

I did a 17 mile commute for a while but 3 days per week at most (it was a bit hilly and I tended to thrash it). I was also riding at weekends though.

Only 5 miles now, doesn't seem to bother me.

Not bad for a middleaged desk jockey Al

Sorry if I sounded like I was willy waving - but 70 miles a week commuting is not that much - its only 4 -5 hrs a week of cycling.

If you can't do it then IMO something else is wrong

It depends on how you ride: If you ride all the time like it's a time-trial, then you will be knackered. Remember that even professional cyclists can barely walk after a relatively short time-trial, because they put everything into it.

Short and intense training can be just as tiring as long rides.

The worst case was when I felt dizzy on the way home and staggered into the first chippy I found for a chip butty loaded with salt and vinegar. The poor ladies thought I was going to die as I looked rough. I put this event down to me being dehydrated quite a bit...

So yes I also have experienced this, and the fatigue never seemed to be related to anything (except when hungover).

Things I did to try and break this fatigue which worked for me, on a 7 mile each way hilly commute (or now 23 total as the good weather means can include some offroad stuff):

- no big breaky before I leave home (maybe small amount of bran flakes), usually wait until I get to work
- load Ipod with some nice music depending on mood
- take water on board on way to work
- fruit when I get to work
- golden syrup porridge when I'm starting to feel hungry (about 11)
- fruit throughout the day
- try and drink 1.5 - 2 litres of water at work
- find time for some quick leg stretches
- pasta about 2-3 hours before I leave work
- keep something sweet in my pocket for way home (don't always eat it but it's there)
- think about route options for way home (possibly include something interesting such as good climb, ST, use wind for fast section, etc.)
- load Ipod for good music on way home
- water on way home

One day a week (or when I feel like it) I take the car like this morning and don't beat myself up about it. And straight away, as the poster above said, I'm thinking about the next time I pedal commute which is a boost.

The worst days for me are when I feeling knackered about 4 o'clock, not long before leaving work. But, I've found this doesn't happen as much when I stick to the above.

I felt very tired the first winter I commuted, the cold and the dark gets to you mile after mile.

I'm fine now though and wouldn't say it makes me particularly tired. I’ve ridden the last 4 days into a fairly stiff headwind for the way in and this morning my legs were a bit tired but I really can’t wait for the journey home, last night was a blast. I usually do about 3 times a week but I’m doing 5 this week as I need to get some miles in (doing the Etape Caledonia mid May). And I know I’ll still be up for a ride at the weekend.

Sleeping well and eating the right food makes a massive difference. I usually have toast or cereal for breakfast then a banana as soon as I get to the office. I drink plenty of water during the day and have a home made cereal/fruit/nut bar mid morning and mid afternoon and then sandwiches at lunch time. When I get home I usually have a glass of milk then dinner, but I don’t feel the need to eat all the time. If I eat crap I feel crap.

The best thing I found when I started commuting, and now when riding into a headwind, is to take the journey a section at a time. Don’t think ‘I’ve got x miles to do and I’m struggling’, just take it to the next lamppost, bend, traffic lights or whatever. This means you’re achieving something all the time and will give you the motivation to carry on when it’s tough.

Best advice though is to just enjoy it, I love my commute.

7 miles a training ride? It takes me longer than that to warm up.

Oh and also meant to say that I always carry an 'emergency' bar of chocolate in case the man with the hammer comes knocking. Although on a 7 mile ride 'the bonk' shouldn't really be an issue, but doesn't do any harm to carry one.

I've been plotting a 17 mile (34 round trip) commute in now it's gotten lighter.

Don't think it'll be too bad, despite some of the comments here - I'm looking forward to it, anyway 🙂

17 miles each way will be fine Aidy, just don't do it every day at first. Took me about a year to get comfortable with riding to/from work 5 days a week.

7 miles a training ride? It takes me longer than that to warm up.

I'm with you on that.

My (direct) commute is pretty short at 5 miles each way. I used to thrash it both ways every day, and all I did was develop sore legs and an ability to race between traffic lights. It did nothing for my fitness, and I regard it now as "junk" mileage.

Now, I ride in less often, but when I do, i make it a 15-20 mile trip each way. That way, I can decide whether to ride at recovery pace or thrash it, but either way I get some benefit.

Also, in terms of what you're eating, be careful: 7 miles of riding each way doesn't really require that much more calorific intake for the day (especially if you have a sedentary job - arguably, you don't need any extra calories). I find a high carb diet (as described by woool) just makes me more hungry, and crave carbs more. The result for me is to get fat.

If you're going to consume protein (which I do after training rides and other hard efforts), the DON'T mix it with milk. The protein in the milk (casein) results in slower absorption of the (usually whey) protein in protein shakes. This makes the shake less effective (even if consumed within the 20 minute window post exercise).

The best piece of advice given my many above (including TJ inadvertently), is to slow down. Ride steadily. You'll be much less tired and will give your body a chance to adapt fully to the change in expectation on it.

It really is just a case of getting out there and doing it.

When I first started commuting I went from riding once a week at the weekend to commuting 5 days a week plus a weekend ride. It seemed like hard work for a while (translated: it was killing me!) but now I'm commuting 5 days a week, doing a couple of evening rides and doing a least one 3-4 hour ride each weekend.

My 6.5 mile route was taking around 40 minutes and I can now do it in 20 minutes if I push hard.

19.5mph! Thats an impressive average speed Bob.

Thanks for the replies 🙂

I think my main issue is blasting it and going too fast. I took it steady this morning and feel a load better already.

aP - Member

7 miles a training ride? It takes me longer than that to warm up.

Thats just where my thoughts had got to on this. I used to ride just 2.5 miles each way, mostly flat but going home the last section was uphill, albeit not steep but I invariably struggled up it. Sometimes I'd keep going past home and ride up the valley for a bit and found that 2-3 miles later I was fine and wanted to keep going. So now on my 5 mile each way commute I just take it as easy as I can, use it as gentle exercise NOT training.

I think my main issue is blasting it and going too fast. I took it steady this morning and feel a load better already.

Good choice. And remember not to overdo the food..!

Now, instead of working (well, you're on here aren't you... 😉 ), plan an extended route (say 15 miles) to ride home. If necessary, going at the same steady pace.

You'll be fitter than a butcher's dog in no time, and not in the least bit tired..!

😀

19.5mph! Thats an impressive average speed Bob.

Aye that's beasting it the whole way and it's not done very often! 😆

I thought I was doing well with a 19.2mph average last night, you've made me feel inferior now 😉 I'll have to try harder tonight.

Hope you don't mind my jumping in on this on - your thoughts please folks..

Just started my 8 mile each way commute, having harldy done any riding on months...today will be just the 2nd consecutive day.....
45 mins to get in today, typically 55 to get home (based only on the last 2 days... down the canal on the way in, back up 39 locks on the way home.......), i try to just keep things moving in the one gear, not pushing it for now (saving that for later when I plan to perhaps use the locks on the canal as an 'interval' for example, or divert off ....... 8) )
Job is 'sedentary' i.e. - sat sitting all day....

Couple of q's / clarifications...
Ultimate goal is to be fitter an[i] lose weight[/i] - do I need amend my diet - i.e. i'm cleaning up what i eat so, do as stay as I am - brekkie + coffee b4 I leave for work. Coffee on arrival, lunch at 12'ish, ride home at 5'ish...
Building up water intake through the day as I know I don't drink enough and that alone can lead to feeling tired.

So, given the above should I look to change anything or leace things as they are whilst I adjust to the commute - current plan is to do 4 days, Weds off as I'm up at 5.30 that day and simply cannot be bothered... i'll let the train take the strain 🙂

Cheers
Chris

marsdenman,

difficult to say without knowing what you are eating at the moment and how tall / how much you weigh / want to lose etc...

people likes to eat different things.... It's proabably best on a new thread.

Kev

Like TJ says. SLOW DOWN!

Commuting is not a race. There are no medals and glory at the end. Have a nice spin and vary your route.

I did 40 miles a day, 5 days a week for 8 months, through wind, rain and snow. I've never felt fitter or happier. These days its a paltry 26 miles a day. Everybody has days when they feel slow and rubbish and tired. Listen to your body, slow down, eat well, rest up. You'll feel fitter and stronger again soon.

If you wear a watch, take it off, or if you time your commute, stop. Spin. If you're getting into the commuting thing, or if you're now in the habit of just getting to work ASAP, chances are you're using your fitness to just push harder and harder. Back off, take it easy, enjoy the flowers in the verge. Stop at a pub for a swift half, get chatting to a fellow commuter.

marsdenman -

It's the old adage: energy in vs energy out.

[b]Energy in[/b]

What many people forget when consideringh how mcuh they need to eat and what exercise they take, is this: a man needs [b]on average[/b] 2,500 calories a day to maintain an equilibrium. This means that some people need more, and some less.

So, assuming that the amount you are taking in based on your existing exercise levels is not making you any fatter.... then, doing c90 mins of exercise a day will definitely help lose weight. But - if you're alreay taking in too much, and are getting fatter, then your exercise will only slow or stop the rate of weight gain.

Therefore, you need to look at your diet in the round. Don't try to change it all at once, and don't think that you can ride and not eat anything. If, say, you eat a bar of chocolate a day, then drop one bar a week, then two a week and so on. same goes for everything else: make it gradual.

My advice re breakfast would be to eat nothing before you get on the bike in the morning, but then to have your breakfast at your desk when you arrive in work. I believe that there is a theory that doing steady exercise at this time of day increases the rate of your metabolism, thus having a lasting effect on calories used during the day. This also means that small meals more often is a good way to go - don't leave yourself to feel starving before having something to eat.

[b]Energy out[/b]

There are differing schools of thought on how hard you should ride and of there are "fat burning zones" of exercise. The traditional view is LSD: long steady distance to burn fat.

However, a 45 minute commute can be used to achieve this quite well. I'd say ride steadily to and from work. Don't try to kill yourself on the way in and out, but ride at a pace where you could still hold a conversation if someone were riding alongside you.

Assuming you have addressed the energy in aspects, then ytou'll gradually start to lose weight, as your exercise is upped on a daily basis.

[b]Fitness[/b]

Cycling fitness is something that is built up over time. You need to load (or overload) your body and then let it recoover (and thus build itself stronger). Therefore, assume that you gradually build up your steady riding to and from work over a period of weeks to the point that your body has adjusted to this new level of workload. After this, it's the time to use the return journey as an opportunity to batter yourself. But don't do that every day - maybe only a couple of times a week.

Think of it all as a long term plan, and gradually integrate all of the changes into your lifestyle. As ADH says, it shouldn't be a time when you thrash yourself - quite the opposite. To that end, don't try to make it too "hair shirt" - one gear may work in the future, but don't force yourself to singlespeed it while you don't have to.

Top points still coming in 🙂

For lunch today at 12:30 I had a large bowl of pasta, potatoes, tina and sweetcorn and I am now starving, I think I need to look at what i am eating a little more closely.

When you guys say I should learn to spin, what is it you mean, sorry for being a nubbin 🙂

A lower gear than normally required and spin the cranks in a smooth manner rather than grinding away in a higher gear at a lower crank speed

uh-huh, I used to be a real grinder, still am on occassion, but riding on the road I notice I tend to be spinning along 30-40 rpm higher than most of my buddies, yet this feels totally natural now.

[i]Commuting is not a race.[/i]

Wrong. It's just that there is no start line, no finsih line, no prizes and no podium but it's the best racing I've ever done 😉

Spinning helped me no end when it came to improving my climbing technique.

I'd grind my way up then have to stop for a breather every so often but now I just spin my way to the top and it's so much easier.

Keva - for sure, had thought about the new thread idea but it seemed to fit in with this in a way, figured resulting answers could potentially assist anyone else viewing the thread.

OMITN - cheers - the 'single speed' thing is actually trying to keep to just the one from the large selection available 🙂 and I do keep it to a pace where i am comfortable and I guess, could talk... no pushing it just yet, once fitness etc picks up then it'll be steady away into the office, looking to work myself more 1-2 times a week on the return trip, figure it will be 2-3 months before i start on that kind of activity though.

Food, need to do a calorie count - as leader of the STW Fatclub I've not exactly lead from the front - 'stayed the same' for about 6 weeks now - 15st 2lb (5ft 10in, age 40....) so not going up anymore.... nor has it been dropping.... Target is 14st.

I have a little fridge in the studio so could easily adopt a 'quailty cereal' at the desk policy in the morning and I guess I could start to take mayo (light) and pickle out of my sandwich at lunch...... 🙂 , cheese will be removed just as soon as i finish the organic mature lancashire we picked up last week......
biggest downfall is the bag of crisps a day.... my one vice, I know i need to start the weaning process.... that would take 170 calories a day out of the equation, and I know they are not 'quality calories' either......

Thinking about this, bit of prep and I can knock up pasta salads etc for lunch, couple of days worth in the fridge at home, bring me lunch box in each day (as i do now anyway).

As the penny starts to drop I see it really is incremental rather than step changes which I need to make, no bad thing....

Cheers again
Chris

MartinGT -spinning is a good thing - i used to grind along taking everything in the middle ring - even thought of going to a 1 x 9 setup at one point, then I went to see a physio about knee issues and he showed me the error of my ways.......

Others have mentioned the need for rest days.
It can be very difficult to keep your speed and effort down, especially when people pass you and so on.
I find a heart rate monitor great to help me keep the speed down. Sometimes on the hills your heart can get up to 80% without you realising it, and on a rest day you'll be trying to keep it down around 60%.
It also means when people go past (as they undoubtedly will) you simply remind yourself today is a rest day and keep an eye on your heart rate.

marsdenman; if you can, try and do some more miles on the way home - and add some hills into the mix - it'll increase your calorie spend and up the training benefits.

...oh and if all else fails, I look at some commute photies for impetus. From yesterday's:

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[img] ?v=0[/img]

acjim - thats my 'medium term' plan 😀
Short term is to make the commute a real fixture in my day, making sure i enjoy it and feel comfortable at the end of each trip. Once I settle into a routine / pace (nothing fast, not in this to kill meself....) then i'll start upping the ante as i'm pretty sure there's fun to be had 'beyond the towpath......'

woool - nice shots, I will be packing my 'point and shoot' as of next week.....
Bluebells are starting to show...... 🙂

Chris - no worries. FWIW I don't always practise what I preach, but have, since a weight "high" in Jan this year, worked my way down by a stone. I have another to go.

Stoner makes good points about a HRM - I use one. However, it is by no means essential. Just sticking to the "talking" pace thing works pretty well as a rough guide. And, also, go by feel; if some days it's really windy or you just aren't feeling it, don't push it. On others, you'll feel like you can fly, so let go a bit.

The food thing I find harder. There is a lot to be said for keeping a (real and realistic) food diary for a week to see where you can make improvements. But, as I said, don't try to starve yourself - that won't work either.

The plan should be long term down (weight) and up (fitness).

For lunch today at 12:30 I had a large bowl of pasta, potatoes, tina and sweetcorn and I am now starving, I think I need to look at what i am eating a little more closely.

Yep, going wrong there - waaaay too many calories if all you're doing is riding 7 miles home after sitting at a desk all day (not too many of that becomes a 50 mile ride home).

Read up about the glycaemic indix (aka GI) and how high GI foods - starchy stuff like pasta - make you feel more hungry that low GI foods.

woool - nice pics. Wish my commute looked like that....

I used to do a 6 mile each way commute 5 days a week (20-25 mins each way) and would eat a fair amount through the day. My once a week commute is now 34 miles each way... 6 weetabix for breakfast, sausage roll and danish pastry when I get to work, and then what ever else I can find to stuff down my neck during the day. I'm always surprised by how knackered my legs can feel during the day, but then come to life again on the way home... just as long as I don't bonk!

Usually takes me 2 hours in, 2.5 on the way home 😉

Usually takes me 2 hours in, 2.5 on the way home

will probably take me that long for the homeward trip in summer - passing the Riverhead Brewery having 'done a ride', sun out etc etc etc.... will test any man! 8)

omitn - thanks again.

Chris

[i]My (direct) commute is pretty short at 5 miles each way. I used to thrash it both ways every day, and all I did was develop sore legs and an ability to race between traffic lights. It did nothing for my fitness, and I regard it now as "junk" mileage.[/i]

Well this just shows how different people are, and with the comment about the food above. I ride about 10 miles per day Mon-Fri thrashing it through the traffic and I'm plenty fit for sprints, climbs and all day rides. No problem doing 50 miles in Wales over six hours. And I eat like a horsey (two big platefulls per day plus brekkie & snacks) and only weigh 9st with 14% body fat. I use high gears most of the time and rarely ride at a leisurely pace. by the end of the week I've usually clocked up about 85miles and a 1hr swim (70-90 lengths, mood depending)

different folks have different strokes and all that.

Kev

different folks have different strokes and all that.

True enough. I've cut my commuting mileage (unless it's an extended commute), but upped my non commuting riding. Still not doing a vast amount - no more than 150 miles a week, but feel better when I do it than when doing short bursts to and from work.

Mind you, I'm not sure thrashing myself straight out of the door and then sitting down at a desk for 12 hours did much for the dispersal of lactic acid..!

yep. different people have different body types, some of us are built for long distance and endurance whilst others are built for sprinting and some are in-betweenies. I'm pretty good at short fast stuff and ok-ish at long distance. I wouldn;t want to ride over 60miles xc in a day and if I did that much I probably wouldn't want to ride the next day. Some people can do 50 miles day after day after day. See, if i did 150miles in a week I'd be slaughtered !

Sorry, 150 miles road. 🙂

I'm built for sprinting, which is ace, cos it means that I become good at it very quickly, but it doesn't do me any favours for distance fitness, which I always have to fight at building and maintaining.

150 miles a week on the road is nothing, alas. I too would be slaughtered if I was doing 150 miles a week off-road..!

Right, I'm off for my first club time trial of the year - 10 miles of embarrasment..!

I no longer feel inadequate BoardinBob, tonights average speed 20.0mph, new personal best of 59.25 set, amazing what a wee bit of sunshine and a strong tailwind does 😉

The bar has been raised! 😆

And my bike computer died tonight!

Think there are so many factors, I struggle to do my 6 mile commute 5 days a week, my trip to work is easy and takes around 23 mins almost all downhill and a drop of 370m, my trip home takes around 50 minutes and I then have to climb back up that 370m, I generally try and take it easy as even one day would break me if i forced it. If those 6 miles were flat I would have no issue doing it every day.

Well last night I took it steady, stayed in a high gear, got home felt loads better.

I am going to do it all week next week and see how I feel 🙂

Cheers guys 🙂