No energy on cycle home
Discussion
Hi, I have about 9 months until I'm forty so I thought I'd try to shed a few stone before then. The main excercise I have started is cycling to work.
It is 10 miles of moderate hills, roads and towpaths so nothing too strenuous and currently it takes me about 40 minutes each way on a heavy old mountain bike. Currently I am only doing this 3 times a week.
My biggest issue is that I run out of energy in my legs completely about half way home. I can only assume it is diet as I can do 20-30 miles at weekends. If I eat too much at lunch I just want to sleep in the afternoon.
What do other people do about eating if they are cycling to and from work, bearing in mind it is weight loss and fitness I am looking for.
Many thanks.
Phil
It is 10 miles of moderate hills, roads and towpaths so nothing too strenuous and currently it takes me about 40 minutes each way on a heavy old mountain bike. Currently I am only doing this 3 times a week.
My biggest issue is that I run out of energy in my legs completely about half way home. I can only assume it is diet as I can do 20-30 miles at weekends. If I eat too much at lunch I just want to sleep in the afternoon.
What do other people do about eating if they are cycling to and from work, bearing in mind it is weight loss and fitness I am looking for.
Many thanks.
Phil
First thing to realise is that if you have just started exercising where you were not before, it's possible that you need to eat MORE, not less. You need energy for all that new cycling you're doing 
I find that I get some fluids in me (lucozade sport thing) half hour before I ride home, a chocolate bar mid-afternoon, and a good but not silly huge lunch and that sees me ok. When I get home I need to eat fairly quickly though.
What sort of lunches are you having? Big long pub ones?
I find that I get some fluids in me (lucozade sport thing) half hour before I ride home, a chocolate bar mid-afternoon, and a good but not silly huge lunch and that sees me ok. When I get home I need to eat fairly quickly though.
What sort of lunches are you having? Big long pub ones?
I'm finding the same at the moment, but I have dropped to only cycling once a week while it is so dark. Getting tired and slow about halfway home.
My commute is 28 miles each way though.
Been having a SIS energy nutrition bar on the way home which helps a bit.
I'm sure things will improve when it gets a bit brighter again. Only about 5 months to go.
My commute is 28 miles each way though.
Been having a SIS energy nutrition bar on the way home which helps a bit.
I'm sure things will improve when it gets a bit brighter again. Only about 5 months to go.
I'm waiting to see how adding 6 miles to my commute will change the craving for food...
Before I'd have two eggs and one bit of bread for breaky, then either a 2x sarny lunch or some pasta and then ride home and nothing till dinner...that was 24 miles per day.
But now its 35 miles per day (I'll average 4 times a week over the course of a year I would think) I'm wondering whether upping breakfast by another bit of bread will be enough!
Still, not felt 'bonky' yet!
Before I'd have two eggs and one bit of bread for breaky, then either a 2x sarny lunch or some pasta and then ride home and nothing till dinner...that was 24 miles per day.
But now its 35 miles per day (I'll average 4 times a week over the course of a year I would think) I'm wondering whether upping breakfast by another bit of bread will be enough!
Still, not felt 'bonky' yet!
To be honest, over that kind of distance, if the goal is weight loss, I'd just carry on and tough it out. It's counter productive to load up with calories beforehand to see you through the ride when the purpose of the ride is to leave you with a (sensible) calorie defecit.
Fair enough if you had a really long or intense ride home and you needed the energy just to complete the ride or if you weren't looking to lose weight and just ride for training purposes and needed the fuel to allow you to train to a particular intensity.
Edit: As for me it's a bowl of bran flakes at 4:30am, 15 mile commute @ 21mph at 5am, wholemeal wrap with ham/chicken/tuna/spinach etc at 11am, 15/19 mile commute home @18mph (traffic) at 3:15pm and then I'll have my evening meal at around 4:45pm.
Fair enough if you had a really long or intense ride home and you needed the energy just to complete the ride or if you weren't looking to lose weight and just ride for training purposes and needed the fuel to allow you to train to a particular intensity.
Edit: As for me it's a bowl of bran flakes at 4:30am, 15 mile commute @ 21mph at 5am, wholemeal wrap with ham/chicken/tuna/spinach etc at 11am, 15/19 mile commute home @18mph (traffic) at 3:15pm and then I'll have my evening meal at around 4:45pm.
Edited by Uriel on Monday 21st November 13:41
Audicab said:
Hi, I have about 9 months until I'm forty so I thought I'd try to shed a few stone before then. The main excercise I have started is cycling to work.
It is 10 miles of moderate hills, roads and towpaths so nothing too strenuous and currently it takes me about 40 minutes each way on a heavy old mountain bike. Currently I am only doing this 3 times a week.
My biggest issue is that I run out of energy in my legs completely about half way home. I can only assume it is diet as I can do 20-30 miles at weekends. If I eat too much at lunch I just want to sleep in the afternoon.
What do other people do about eating if they are cycling to and from work, bearing in mind it is weight loss and fitness I am looking for.
Many thanks.
Phil
I do eight miles each way and more often than not do a 4 mile run at lunchtime. It is 10 miles of moderate hills, roads and towpaths so nothing too strenuous and currently it takes me about 40 minutes each way on a heavy old mountain bike. Currently I am only doing this 3 times a week.
My biggest issue is that I run out of energy in my legs completely about half way home. I can only assume it is diet as I can do 20-30 miles at weekends. If I eat too much at lunch I just want to sleep in the afternoon.
What do other people do about eating if they are cycling to and from work, bearing in mind it is weight loss and fitness I am looking for.
Many thanks.
Phil
Cereal for breakfast salad and tuna for lunch then a proper cooked evening meal.
My ride sounds about the same as yours, both in distance and frequency. I have a decent cereal breakfast, with sandwiches and raw carrot or apple for lunch, and then ride home between 1 and 3 hours after that, depending on schedule.
I'd recommend making sure that you drink enough liquids - even when it's cold this is important - and maybe eat a banana before setting off. Don't be tempted to eat rubbish, especially if you're keen to lose some weight.
My problem is lack of willpower when it's cold and dark, not lack of energy!
I'd recommend making sure that you drink enough liquids - even when it's cold this is important - and maybe eat a banana before setting off. Don't be tempted to eat rubbish, especially if you're keen to lose some weight.
My problem is lack of willpower when it's cold and dark, not lack of energy!
For 12-16mile commuting rides each way I wasn't easting any more than normal during the weight loss side of things as you shouldn't need it - the body needs to get to a stage where it's burning that fat - it won't do it if you fill with extra large lunches and sticky, sugary, carb-loaded drinks.
For exercise up to 2h I'd suggest a bottle of electrolyte only drink (High5 Zeros or Nuun tablet) and if you feel lethargic prior to the ride then maybe a small handful of nuts or a maximum of 2 Ride/power shots just to give you a sugar buzz/temp energy boost and the psychological uplift.
The sooner you can train your body to get used to burning fat for exercise the better, even on training rides I'll not take carbs for anything under 2h most of the time.
Breakfast I'd always eat after the ride in, more time to do so plus , again, breaking the fast and burning fat for the ride in.
Lunch something with some protein, carbs but not silly. I'd only go for a pasta dish or similar if I was also squeezing a gym session in between the commutes.
This was based on a 3 day a week routine (sometimes 4) both on a 16 mile commute and on a 12 mile (that's each way, round trip double the distances)
For exercise up to 2h I'd suggest a bottle of electrolyte only drink (High5 Zeros or Nuun tablet) and if you feel lethargic prior to the ride then maybe a small handful of nuts or a maximum of 2 Ride/power shots just to give you a sugar buzz/temp energy boost and the psychological uplift.
The sooner you can train your body to get used to burning fat for exercise the better, even on training rides I'll not take carbs for anything under 2h most of the time.
Breakfast I'd always eat after the ride in, more time to do so plus , again, breaking the fast and burning fat for the ride in.
Lunch something with some protein, carbs but not silly. I'd only go for a pasta dish or similar if I was also squeezing a gym session in between the commutes.
This was based on a 3 day a week routine (sometimes 4) both on a 16 mile commute and on a 12 mile (that's each way, round trip double the distances)
Audicab said:
Hi, I have about 9 months until I'm forty so I thought I'd try to shed a few stone before then. The main excercise I have started is cycling to work.
It is 10 miles of moderate hills, roads and towpaths so nothing too strenuous and currently it takes me about 40 minutes each way on a heavy old mountain bike. Currently I am only doing this 3 times a week.
My biggest issue is that I run out of energy in my legs completely about half way home. I can only assume it is diet as I can do 20-30 miles at weekends. If I eat too much at lunch I just want to sleep in the afternoon.
What do other people do about eating if they are cycling to and from work, bearing in mind it is weight loss and fitness I am looking for.
Many thanks.
Phil
Try pedalling twice as fast, that way you'll run out of energy just as you get home. It is 10 miles of moderate hills, roads and towpaths so nothing too strenuous and currently it takes me about 40 minutes each way on a heavy old mountain bike. Currently I am only doing this 3 times a week.
My biggest issue is that I run out of energy in my legs completely about half way home. I can only assume it is diet as I can do 20-30 miles at weekends. If I eat too much at lunch I just want to sleep in the afternoon.
What do other people do about eating if they are cycling to and from work, bearing in mind it is weight loss and fitness I am looking for.
Many thanks.
Phil
Audicab said:
Hi, I have about 9 months until I'm forty so I thought I'd try to shed a few stone before then. The main excercise I have started is cycling to work.
It is 10 miles of moderate hills, roads and towpaths so nothing too strenuous and currently it takes me about 40 minutes each way on a heavy old mountain bike. Currently I am only doing this 3 times a week.
My biggest issue is that I run out of energy in my legs completely about half way home. I can only assume it is diet as I can do 20-30 miles at weekends. If I eat too much at lunch I just want to sleep in the afternoon.
What do other people do about eating if they are cycling to and from work, bearing in mind it is weight loss and fitness I am looking for.
Many thanks.
Phil
If you're averaging 15mph on a heavy, old mountain bike with some moderate hills, then you're already going some. Are you sure you're going as quick as that?It is 10 miles of moderate hills, roads and towpaths so nothing too strenuous and currently it takes me about 40 minutes each way on a heavy old mountain bike. Currently I am only doing this 3 times a week.
My biggest issue is that I run out of energy in my legs completely about half way home. I can only assume it is diet as I can do 20-30 miles at weekends. If I eat too much at lunch I just want to sleep in the afternoon.
What do other people do about eating if they are cycling to and from work, bearing in mind it is weight loss and fitness I am looking for.
Many thanks.
Phil
That sort of speed for 10 miles with a mountain bike and a few hills will be burning something like 600 calories (give or take 10% or so depending on body weight etc.). There's no point eating 300 calories of extra food to help you as you'll be seriously harming your weight loss efforts.
Just MTFU instead.
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