Increased mileage and recovery

[jpaulwhite]

OK. Felt a lil worse than normal after the ride in this morning. Drank a bottle of chocolate milk. I’ll see how the ride home goes tonight. When I wake up in the morning I can tell if my legs feel normal and they felt a lil sore but not too bad. I have been off the bike since Oct and just started back in January so I still have a few more weeks to go before I’m back up to speed.

The first week I rode 3 days, 2nd week I rode 3, after that I rode 4, and this week I rode 5. I always take the weekends off too. We’ll see how I feel the week after next. I think I’ll do the chocolate milk thing in the evenings and see if that helps.

I might try the deep tissue massage thing at Ballston too, but I’ll have to do that on my lunch breaks. Probably do it one time during the week, most likely on a day when my legs are killing me.

[jrenaut]

Yeah, what Tim said. His description of riding with a trailer is very much like my experience, but he did a much better job describing it.

My one difference is climbing – it doesn’t feel nearly as jerky to me as he describes. But a coworker of mine said it IS jerky when he climbs with his trailer. So I guess it’s just me. I must be awesome at smoothly climbing with a trailer.

[Tim Kelley]

@jrenaut 14216 wrote:

Yeah, what Tim said. His description of riding with a trailer is very much like my experience, but he did a much better job describing it.

My one difference is climbing – it doesn’t feel nearly as jerky to me as he describes. But a coworker of mine said it IS jerky when he climbs with his trailer. So I guess it’s just me. I must be awesome at smoothly climbing with a trailer.

Are you standing up out of the saddle when you’re climbing? Like most everyone when I stand, my downstroke (2 o’clock to 6 o’clock) is so much stronger than the rest of the pedal stroke that I get the jerkiness. Granted, I noticed this pushing 900 watts trying to keep up with the front of the Conte’s ride…

The other thought that occured to me is how the trailer is attached to the bike. Here’s mine (quickly sourced from Google Images), which might allow for some give in the connection:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]697[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]699[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]698[/ATTACH]

[eminva]

@Tim Kelley 14210 wrote:

a tote for grocery shopping or hauling.

Why, Tim Kelley, did you need to mention another item that has now been added to my lengthy bicycle gear wish list?

Inspired by this thread, I took the day off today and gave the Orange Line my business. I’m not very scientific, but if I feel a little tired in the morning, I RUN up the steps from the basement to the main level. If I have to pause at the top of the steps lest my legs collapse under me, I know it’s time to take a day off.

Liz

[jrenaut]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]700[/ATTACH]
This is my connection.

On the big hill on my way home from my daughter’s school, I start off sitting and stand when I lose momentum. Where that happens depends on a lot of factors, but I’ve never tried the whole hill sitting.

[Tim Kelley]

@eminva 14219 wrote:

Why, Tim Kelley, did you need to mention another item that has now been added to my lengthy bicycle gear wish list?

It’s pretty cool–I just take it off, roll it around through the grocery store and when it’s full I know it’s time to go home! The contents of one of the hand baskets fits into my backpack pretty easily.

@jrenaut 14220 wrote:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]700[/ATTACH]
This is my connection.

On the big hill on my way home from my daughter’s school, I start off sitting and stand when I lose momentum. Where that happens depends on a lot of factors, but I’ve never tried the whole hill sitting.

Yeah, looks like you have a bolt that goes right through it keeping it a little more secure. That’s a minor, but very interesting, difference in trailers!

[Greenbelt]

Today’s one of those days when it’s hard to NOT listen to the bikes. The wind is calm, the temp isn’t terrible, and they want to go out to play! Or at least to take me on errands.

But this is what my legs want:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]707[/ATTACH]

[americancyclo]

I was thinking about this thread this weekend. I had some soreness in my back that moved to my kidneys over the weekend. I was totally drained of energy, took it really slow on friday, and didn’t ride at all over the weekend. I’m feeling pretty good now, but took metro today, just to be safe. The Lady blames overexertion and lack of hydration. I could be convinced to agree with that. In any case, I hope you’re feeling better this week, and I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike tomorrow.

[jrenaut]

I feel much better today, thanks. Aside from perhaps drinking more DC Brau than I should have last night. Hope you’re better tomorrow.

[pfunkallstar]

@americancyclo 14344 wrote:

I was thinking about this thread this weekend. I had some soreness in my back that moved to my kidneys over the weekend. I was totally drained of energy, took it really slow on friday, and didn’t ride at all over the weekend. I’m feeling pretty good now, but took metro today, just to be safe. The Lady blames overexertion and lack of hydration. I could be convinced to agree with that. In any case, I hope you’re feeling better this week, and I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike tomorrow.

Ditto on feeling drained today, maybe I should have taken the day off – oh well too late! Was definitely chugging this morning and couldn’t put my finger on why. I took two days off this weekend and didn’t over indulge last night – so it is mystery to me. Hopefully it’ll work itself out over the week.

[sethpo]

Read through this great thread that I came across looking for specific nutrition and diet information from the high-miles commuting folks.

As the weather has turned from vortex to pollen, I’ve upped my weekly miles and am on track for a record month in May. The legs generally feel good and are responding well but I’m finding it difficult to get enough food during the day so my evening commutes home have been dragging and then I get home starving and end up eating too much at night. So, a few questions:

— This is a legit thing, right? I’m not just using the extra miles as an excuse to eat more food. I mean, I would think that more calories out means more fuel needed coming in. Logic and all.

— Do you have tricks for eating enough during the day? My standard two yogurt cups w/ granola in the morning (10am) and lunch (1-2pm) and small afternoon snack just don’t seem to be getting it done and leave me hungry for my 5:30-6pm commute home (19 miles). Protein powder during the day? Should I just start bring in a big thing of pasta? Any other ideas?

Thanks.

[americancyclo]

I started making skratch labs rice bars last summer to supplement my usual food routine. Only real problem I face is that I have less room for clothes in my backpack

[ebubar]

I do from 15-18 miles back and forth (30-36 roundtrip miles). My food plan: morning – cup of yogurt and perhaps a piece of toast and a couple sips of juice. Drink about half a bottle of water on the ride in. Snack once I get to the office (maybe a power bar, string cheese or handful of trailmix) and a bowl of Cheerios with a full bottle of water. For lunch I have a PBJ sandwich and munch on more trail mix (I like the Trader Joes sweet and salty mix with raisins, peanuts and m&m’s). Then I have an afternoon snack of two apples around 1 or 2 hours before heading home. I make sure to drink water throughout the day as well. Get home and immediately down a couple of tall glasses of milk. Then a sensible dinner and maybe a small sweet treat for dessert. That seems to work for my roughly 30 mile roundtrip commute.

I’d love to hear other people’s food routines too! I’m starting to try and pay more attention to what I’m munching on in an effort to lose some bit of belly fat (#DTSScoffeeclub excepted).

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Terpfan]

@sethpo 85918 wrote:

Read through this great thread that I came across looking for specific nutrition and diet information from the high-miles commuting folks.

As the weather has turned from vortex to pollen, I’ve upped my weekly miles and am on track for a record month in May. The legs generally feel good and are responding well but I’m finding it difficult to get enough food during the day so my evening commutes home have been dragging and then I get home starving and end up eating too much at night. So, a few questions:

— This is a legit thing, right? I’m not just using the extra miles as an excuse to eat more food. I mean, I would think that more calories out means more fuel needed coming in. Logic and all.

— Do you have tricks for eating enough during the day? My standard two yogurt cups w/ granola in the morning (10am) and lunch (1-2pm) and small afternoon snack just don’t seem to be getting it done and leave me hungry for my 5:30-6pm commute home (19 miles). Protein powder during the day? Should I just start bring in a big thing of pasta? Any other ideas?

Thanks.

Sounds like you’re healthy to me. I have a similar commute (17-18 miles with fun climbing), but I eat horribly. By horribly I mean if I go to Whole Foods, I somehow leave with pizza or stromboli or a sandwich each time despite that great salad bar. By my wife’s estimation, I could have lost much more weight than I have cycling if I would remotely approach a sane diet. Yet that’s what I consider the beauty of the tradeoff.

[Subby]

@sethpo 85918 wrote:

— Do you have tricks for eating enough during the day? My standard two yogurt cups w/ granola in the morning (10am) and lunch (1-2pm) and small afternoon snack just don’t seem to be getting it done and leave me hungry for my 5:30-6pm commute home (19 miles). Protein powder during the day? Should I just start bring in a big thing of pasta? Any other ideas?

Thanks.

That sounds like a decent amount of sugar. I would try to replace as much sugar as I could with good fats and protein. Almond butter and celery, whole natural almonds, hardboiled eggs, etc..

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