Hi Bryan. I read your initial query at the top of this thread and identify with it in a couple of ways. First, you say you have trouble sleeping at night and feel down. Well, this definitely sounds like overtraining, except that you don't seem to be pushing yourself hard enough to overtrain, thank goodness.
I experience sinilar symptoms, and I only ride about 25 miles/week (2-3miles everyday commute to work, plus a little extra). If I ride 30-25 minutes on my day off, at 105 rpm, but not too hard/fast (I don't know how to gauge my max, but I would say it is 60% at best), I can end up feeling terrible, and not able to sleep for 2-3 days peacefully. I have not been able to figure this out for a couple of years, and no one I speak to understands what I am saying. But I came across last week several articles on Restless Legs Syndrome, where one has a creep-crawly feeling in the legs, and has a lot of trouble sleeping, and is depressed, irritated by these symptoms, as the legs don't feel relaxed. And yes, riding or running helps one to feel better. It is when off the bike that one feels bad. And, while sleeping, the person with RLS will often jerk his body, esepcially legs, in the middle of the night.
Your symptoms might be caused, as the others say, by not building up gradually enough. When I used to ride more (250-300 miles/week), I was better off, but that was 4 years ago. NOw I work so much, stand up all day, and do not have the chance to ride leisurely enough. I am 33, by the way. I weigh 135.
One more thing. I have a theory that the simple action of spinning at high rpms could cause some of the malaise. For example, my ride last week of 30 minutes easygoing, at 105-112 rpm most of the way, it shipped me downriver. I felt an awful creepy-crawly spinning sensation in my legs for the 2 days following. Whenever I have symptoms related to this, I feel as if the muscles in my legs, the very muscle cells, their cytoplasm, everything, is sort of churning and churning at high speeds for at least 36 hours afterwards, because our cells are simply not used to powering such prolonged spinning on a bike - it is not natural. Our legs internalize the external pressures we force them into, and our deepest, most basic cells suffer, and so we suffer from it.
I know this sounds ridiculous, but I believe there could be truth. Maybe building up slowly to faster spinning, or riding, is the key, more for us than for some people. And yes, I do stretch a lot, and drink enough water, recovery drinks, etc. So I really believe it is something like RLS or similar causing your problem. There are medications for RLS, or other treatments. it is a possible path to explore for you.
GOod luck.
gabe
bryanquinn said:
Hi Rick,
I weigh around 145 lbs.
My performance does not seem to decrease during these times in fact I feel strong. When I take a day off my attitude does get better though.
You may be right about needing to build up to the amount of days.
This problem occurs after riding say 30mi on Sunday, then after commuting to work on Monday 16mi. Then I take Tuesday off the bike compleately, then resume at a moderate pace on Wed. Try to go easy Thurs. & Fri. (maybe skip one of these days also some times) so I am fresh for my
Intense or long ride on the weekend.
Am I riding at too intense a pace on my long day? (85%max on this day).
Today I rode more closely to 65 to 75% max and spun at around 105 to 110rpms. I did some short distances at 85 to 90% max because I felt like I was going really slow. Also I thought it would be good to kick it up a notch for good measure. I felt kind of strange at on point? I felt like I was having heart palpatations but it lasted longer than I am used to. It was during one of those higher HR times. I've felt o.k. for the rest of the day so I'm thinking it could have been just one of those weired things that happen. I had a cardiac workup 5 years ago at 40 and nothing came up wrong.
Do you think I should get another one? or is 5 years ago o.k.
Thanks for your feed back,
Bryan
