Commuting Daily - Tips for recovery

holdcrop

I'd like to get some tips from you guys who are cycling daily. I've been commuting a 20km round trip 5 days a week for the past 2 months and find that I'm still feeling my legs quite tired during the week. I also play football twice a week but I don't find the same tiredness in my legs with the football, different muscle groups I guess.

We're moving office soon and the commute will pretty much double, 38km round trip. So before I end up not being able to function after getting off the bike in the evenings, have you guys any tips or recommendations for recovery I should be taking a look at. I'm relatively fit, mid thirties but never really took cycling too seriously until I started this commute so excuse the noobity of my question!

Paddigol

Food/ diet. Find what's right for you in terms of providing a decent amount of fuel before you head out without bloating you. Eat something small as soon as possible after you arrive.

My routine is porridge/ natural yogurt with sprinkling of nuts/ berries etc, banana and coffee before commute.

Shower (colder the better) on arrival. Coffee, two bagels with chocolate spread or Nutella and, my most recent and vital discovery... Goody Cao!! It's lidl's hot chocolate powder but contains some whey in it unlike most other big name brands like Cadbury etc. I just drink it with cold milk.

Important to have something decent to eat at lunch, and a snack not too long before leaving too.

The better your diet, the quicker you'll notice improvements in your commute.

Kinet1c

How long does it normally take you?

Have you worked out the most efficient route? I don't mean the shortest either. I take a slightly longer route, probably 1-1.5k extra, but it ends up being quicker as I meet less traffic lights and make less turns. I found that the momentum required less effort then the start/stop nature of my old route.

Are you carrying much gear with you? I tend to leave shoes/toiletries in work so I don't have to ship them in/out each day.

Are you doing any stretching afterwards? (or at any stage) I'm finding that stratching and/or foam roller work will help my legs throughout the week.

petethedrummer

You need time to adapt to any new physical activity. You may be fit but not specifically fit for cycling just yet. So do some proper recovery. i.e more sleep, complete rest days, very gentle commutes.

holdcrop

Thanks guys. I normally have some cereal in the morning before leaving with a cup of tea. I have a shower on arrival, then usually a cup of coffee and a banana. Lunch is a sandwich, apple, banana and a chocolate bar. Then usually just a dinner in the evening. I haven't been taking any shakes/supplements etc. I'll usually have the odd snack in the evenings, a few biscuits and the like, but nothing particular to my new routine.

The commute is taking on average about 24 minutes in, 26 minutes on the way home, more uphill on the way home. Traffic lights wise there are about 4 or 5 stops, sometimes you get lucky and miss them though!

I carry a backpack with my clothes for the day, a towel, some tolietries (in smaller bottles!) and my lunch. Probably about 5 or 6 kilos worth of gear all told.

I haven't been doing anything really on the stretching front either. It's pretty much my thighs at the moment where all the fatigue seems to be.

Peterx

as petethedrummer says take complete rest days.

I used to cycle a similar commute 5 days a week and got very fit but no faster.
I went on shift which essentially forced rest days on me and found my average speed went up.

Kinet1c

holdcrop wrote: »

I haven't been doing anything really on the stretching front either. It's pretty much my thighs at the moment where all the fatigue seems to be.

It sounds as if you could just do with extending your rest period, especially with soccer on as well. If I'm ever taking a break from the commute, I'll always do it on the last day of the work week as doing it at the start can hit your motivation and you will be tempted not to cycle again the following day.

Defo do some stretching, it really does help. Even for 2-3 minutes after your cycle or before bed.

QueensGael

holdcrop wrote: »

Lunch is a sandwich, apple, banana and a chocolate bar.

…

I carry a backpack with my clothes for the day, a towel, some tolietries (in smaller bottles!) and my lunch. Probably about 5 or 6 kilos worth of gear all told.

I'd recommend a bigger lunch - something like chicken & pasta with veg, stir fry with rice, shepherd's pie, etc if you have a microwave and could re-heat it. A sandwich and a bit of fruit wouldn't cut it for me (and I have a 11km roundtrip commute)

Also ditch the backpack and get yourself a set of panniers to clip onto the carrier (various options for this, check with your LBS if you're not familiar). Lidl and Aldi do good deals in these from time to time. You could also reduce the weight of your cargo by using a camping towel instead of a standard cotton one.

Good luck and stick at it!

holdcrop

I guess something a bit more substantial during the day at work is one of the main things I could improve. The Goody Cao certainly seems like something I would enjoy @Paddigol! Maybe sandwich at 11 and something warm a bit later in the afternoon?

On the stretching front, is there anything in particular that's a good routine specific to cycling? Most of the ones I've done with the football focus on calves, hamstrings and groin! Thanks for all the feedback guys

QueensGael

Here are some good stretches for cyclists
http://www.menshealth.com/yoga/cms/uploads/1/MH-yoga-cycle.pdf

holdcrop

Thanks QueensGael, homework for tonight sorted

CramCycle

Definitely sounds like you could take a bit more food on board, I'd also recommend (on experience not on any great insight) to eat the extra when you get in rather than just eating more at lunch.

NeedMoreGears

My own commute is 21km each way. Throw in five a side, longer spin at the weekend and it can be a recipe for getting really tired. My two pronged solution involves eating and rest. My guestimate is the commute costs 800 calories/day. I would agree that eating soon after you get in is better. I can't sustain that amount of physical activity for an extended period. In practice I commute around 3-4 days/week and do a longer spin 3 out of four weekends. It probably be took me the best part of a year to get used to it.

cdaly_

holdcrop wrote: »

I carry a backpack with my clothes for the day, a towel, some tolietries (in smaller bottles!) and my lunch. Probably about 5 or 6 kilos worth of gear all told.

Leave a week's worth of clothes/towel/toiletries in work. Carry only lunch, wet gear and pump day to day...

Beasty

If rest days are impractical, take it really easy on some days - get in a low gear and spin away (particularly if you're going to play football on the same day). Mix that up with harder efforts when you're feeling more refreshed. Make the most of the days you do get a proper rest.

Over time, as petethedrummer says, your body will adapt, and you will feel stronger and hopefully recovery will then become quicker/more efficient

UDP

Op, maybe you are just pushing yourself too hard when cycling. Just go slower until you are used to commuting - Cycling with a very small amount of pressure. As long as you are not cycling a mountain bike with chunky wheels the bike should nearly cycle itself. You will probably find the time saving of pushing yourself when cycling and taking it easy to be just a few minutes. Also make sure your tires are correctly pressurised.

holdcrop

Started today taking it a little easier today, a lot more coasting and even following some people in front of me! I'm going to make today a rest day. Makes a nice difference! I'm going to have some breakfast bars this morning with my coffee, and I have a few extra bits with me for lunch to nibble on over the day.

We're moving office next week so I think I'll drive a few of the days, ease myself into the longer commute and also bring extras with me I can leave in the office, things like towels and toiletries. Hopefully that will save me a nice bit of weight and maybe introduce a rest day to help me along. Thanks for all the tips guys!