training

bikermartin

i have read previously that to go out training on the bike when you are tired is very ineffective for progress . cant remember the source of this information !
why i ask is, i went out yesterday morning , was exhausted before i went even. got through it allright and felt better after breakfast and shower when i got home !

whats your opinions ?

Quigs Snr

Scientifically speaking there is probably merit in that theory. However if you are going to be doing stage races, there are going to be days when you will struggle to lift your spoon when having your cornflakes and you are still going to have to go out there and ride a stage.

I reckon training when you are beat is not something to do all the time, sometimes you just need a rest. But it should be done if necessary at times to develop a bit of mental toughness if nothing else. I am a bit old skool in that regard though.

Lumen

I was off the bike a fair bit at the end of last year with back problems and recurrent tonsillitis (three courses of antibiotics over a few weeks, not nice).

Now whenever I push the training too hard without proper rest I first get a creaky back and then feel a tickle in my throat - I force myself to rest for a couple of days and recover. Touch wood I've now been healthy for a few months.

If you're young enough and healthy enough it might not do that much harm, but overtraining can take a fair while to recover from and ultimately if you're losing the quality it's a bit of a waste of time, IMO.

Sleep is your friend.

Ryaner

I would regularly train while tired, its the benefits of 5am starts for some days. However like you said, you generally feel better afterwards unless it is an epic. You will be down on power compared to a day when you are fresh.

I've always found that it is the really cold days that slow me down compared to the tired days anyhow.