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01-12-2007, 06:44 AM

> Halfway through this final stretch, I catch sight of two more guys ahead
> of me. But there is no way I can follow them. At the end of the day, I
> have 172 km in the legs, 6:45 hours on this (too) new Brooks saddle. And I
> feel too tired. The kind of tiredness with which I don't eat well and
> don't sleep well. And this was _not_ my first ride since months. I have
> done another century last week-end (slower but which left me less tired,
> by the way), and another in late november. And I have my short ride to
> work every day. And I don't think I am overdoing it. And I have done
> faster _and_ longer rides. Why then am I so slow and so tired ? Is it
> because of winter ? This is depressing.

My guess is that it's simply the colder weather taking a bit of a toll on
things. My lungs aren't nearly as efficient below about 45F, turning me into
something of a wheezing steam engine. Your body's probably expending energy
dealing with the cold air coming into your lungs, and temperature regulation
in general is a lot tougher when you're dealing with either being too cold
or too warm (sauna effect inside anything remotely waterproof). Add to that
not being quite as flexible, which means the road is going to take more of a
toll on your body as you ride over even small bumps.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

"fastturtle" <fastturtle@answertonewsgroup.com> wrote in message
news

an.2007.01.07.19.16.11.688674@answertonewsgr oup.com...
> Yesterday was warm for the season, a mild +6°C, with a moderate but
> definite west wind. So I took my brand new randonneur bike and headed
> west, against the wind, for a day out on the road. It was a nice, slightly
> melancholic kind of day, with high clouds and an occasional dim ray of
> sun, with water flowing noisily in the creeks and confused birds
> mistakenly celebrating spring.
>
> After some 90 km of slow but steady spinning against varying winds and
> climbs, I turned back east and naturally accelerated a bit. After a while,
> suddenly there comes another cyclist from behind, and passes me fast, a
> bit too fast for my ego. I try to catch up, painfully, discover that
> yes I still do have some good strength in my legs, that I can spin the
> same cadence with a higher gear, and after a few km I am in his wheel, and
> we talk a bit. The guy seems very fit, but when I describe my ride he
> tells me "whaouw, I never ride that long except on races". His ride today
> is some 35 km total. We split after some more km. I am still 30 km from
> home.
>
> Halfway through this final stretch, I catch sight of two more guys ahead
> of me. But there is no way I can follow them. At the end of the day, I
> have 172 km in the legs, 6:45 hours on this (too) new Brooks saddle. And I
> feel too tired. The kind of tiredness with which I don't eat well and
> don't sleep well. And this was _not_ my first ride since months. I have
> done another century last week-end (slower but which left me less tired,
> by the way), and another in late november. And I have my short ride to
> work every day. And I don't think I am overdoing it. And I have done
> faster _and_ longer rides. Why then am I so slow and so tired ? Is it
> because of winter ? This is depressing.

01-12-2007, 06:44 AM	#6 (permalink)
Mike Jacoubowsky Posts: n/a	Re: Beautiful ride but too tired. > Halfway through this final stretch, I catch sight of two more guys ahead > of me. But there is no way I can follow them. At the end of the day, I > have 172 km in the legs, 6:45 hours on this (too) new Brooks saddle. And I > feel too tired. The kind of tiredness with which I don't eat well and > don't sleep well. And this was _not_ my first ride since months. I have > done another century last week-end (slower but which left me less tired, > by the way), and another in late november. And I have my short ride to > work every day. And I don't think I am overdoing it. And I have done > faster _and_ longer rides. Why then am I so slow and so tired ? Is it > because of winter ? This is depressing. My guess is that it's simply the colder weather taking a bit of a toll on things. My lungs aren't nearly as efficient below about 45F, turning me into something of a wheezing steam engine. Your body's probably expending energy dealing with the cold air coming into your lungs, and temperature regulation in general is a lot tougher when you're dealing with either being too cold or too warm (sauna effect inside anything remotely waterproof). Add to that not being quite as flexible, which means the road is going to take more of a toll on your body as you ride over even small bumps. --Mike Jacoubowsky Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReaction.com Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA "fastturtle" <fastturtle@answertonewsgroup.com> wrote in message newsan.2007.01.07.19.16.11.688674@answertonewsgr oup.com... > Yesterday was warm for the season, a mild +6°C, with a moderate but > definite west wind. So I took my brand new randonneur bike and headed > west, against the wind, for a day out on the road. It was a nice, slightly > melancholic kind of day, with high clouds and an occasional dim ray of > sun, with water flowing noisily in the creeks and confused birds > mistakenly celebrating spring. > > After some 90 km of slow but steady spinning against varying winds and > climbs, I turned back east and naturally accelerated a bit. After a while, > suddenly there comes another cyclist from behind, and passes me fast, a > bit too fast for my ego. I try to catch up, painfully, discover that > yes I still do have some good strength in my legs, that I can spin the > same cadence with a higher gear, and after a few km I am in his wheel, and > we talk a bit. The guy seems very fit, but when I describe my ride he > tells me "whaouw, I never ride that long except on races". His ride today > is some 35 km total. We split after some more km. I am still 30 km from > home. > > Halfway through this final stretch, I catch sight of two more guys ahead > of me. But there is no way I can follow them. At the end of the day, I > have 172 km in the legs, 6:45 hours on this (too) new Brooks saddle. And I > feel too tired. The kind of tiredness with which I don't eat well and > don't sleep well. And this was _not_ my first ride since months. I have > done another century last week-end (slower but which left me less tired, > by the way), and another in late november. And I have my short ride to > work every day. And I don't think I am overdoing it. And I have done > faster _and_ longer rides. Why then am I so slow and so tired ? Is it > because of winter ? This is depressing.