Beginner's Cycling Problem -- Please Help!



mbattle78

New Member
Jun 4, 2012
1
0
0
Hey friends -- I have a training / cardio question and a problem that I have been experiencing and hope that some here can relate and / or provide some insight and advice into what might be going on. First, a little bit about myself and my fitness level. I have never been very physically fit and I have never been an athlete; I am 33 years old, weigh 200 pounds. Over the past few years, I have made attempts to work on my fitness level and get 'into shape' and each and every time I try, I get dealt with some very discouraging and frustrating post-exercise symptoms. I have tried running over the past few years -- the first time I tried, I think I may have pushed myself too hard and tried to do too much too fast. The second time, I followed a running regime which started me up very, very slowly over the course of 6 months. I lasted 5 months before giving up. After every run, I would just feel like I had beat up my body -- very exhausted, a lingering, general 'unwell' feeling that would last most of the day. I finally threw in the towel and figured it was the impact and something to do with my physiology and being unfit for running. Now, a year or so later, I am trying cycling. Low impact, low stress, etc. I figured this would be a great exercise and I really had high hopes. What is happening is the same thing: I ride 30-45 minutes, 4-5 times a week -- i'll push myself a bit, but not too much. I will return home and most of the time will just feel terrible. I am unable to sleep / rest, will occasionally feel nauseous on and off throughout most of the day afterwards and just feel run down. This is confusing me because I don't think I'm doing that much exercise to warrant these types of symptoms. Instead of feeling 'good' after a 40 minute ride, I feel like I just beat the **** out of my body for 40 minutes and I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I don't think hydration is the issue as I drink tons of water all day, every day and during the ride. Is this at all normal? I feel like I'm in the vast minority -- where most people feel great after a cardio workout, I feel sick and what's worse, it tends to last half the day or the entire day! It is possible, I suppose, that diet could be at play -- but I have tried eating, eating light, not eating at all before and after each ride and the results are similar. Could I be doing too much too fast?? Seems unlikely ... I know this sounds odd, but sometimes it really feels like my body is allergic to physical exertion. Any prolonged, consistent cardio regime wears me out. The best way to describe what I'm feeling is 'run down.' Sometimes I think that it's just something I have to 'fight through' but when I try that, it just gets worse. Please help !!! Thanks ! -Mark
 
I would say you need to get some blood work done to check for any abnormalities. In the mean time back off a little and be patient. I remember being off the bike for years and then starting back. It took a while to get my form back and I didn't feel great after every ride either.
 
I would see your doctor, could be a heart issue or something as simple as an imbalance, like low iron
 
+1 on seeing your doctor, just to be sure something is not amiss. If you have never been physically active, you have to approach the whole process of becoming physically active/fit very slowly. None of your muscles, and associated connective tissues are "experienced" and you have to allow them time to develop and adapt to the stresses you are applying. I would suggest you just ride your bike for a while at a nice easy pace and stop before you start to feel tired. You should feel like you could go twice as long. I have watched the trainers at my gym work with previously sedentary individuals and the process of indoctrination is taken a what seems like painfully slow pace to keep them active and working at it. If you are feeling this way after 30-45 min on a bike, and absent an underlying medical issue, ride half as long and see how you feel. Increase your times by maybe 10% each week and see if you can get the "feeling better" factor under control.
 
I promised myself not to join this forum- I waste enough time in various ones as it is- but I registered just to reply to your thread.
I was exactly like you describe about 4 years ago. I changed jobs 3 years prior to that to a less active one and I slowly stopped doing anything. I did walk a fair bit and the occassional bike ride meant I thought there was no problem. However, I ballooned from a consistant 15stone to nearly 18.
Then, when I tried to exercise, I had exactly the symptoms you describe. Any attempt at effort would result in me feeling weak, feeble, sick and throroughly tired and dejected. I too longed for the endorphins and natural high all my friends were raving about getting from exercise.
In the end, I changed jobs back to a very physical one and very slowly (over two years), the weight fell off and I got my life back.
Finally, I ditched my then fiance of ten years and got a whole new lease of life.
Now, I weigh 14 stone and am really enjoying a new attempt at cycling- further more, I feel buzzing after a ride, really satisfied.
So what was wrong with me?
Well, I was adament it was diabeties or something else but various tests showed there was nothing wrong.
I honestly (based on nothing other than intuition mind you) believe the key was my metabolism. I went from eating very little yet still gaining weight, to eating loads and not putting weight on.
On top of this, I think I was depressed to an extent. Once i'd removed the factor causing that effect- I felt a new lease of life.
I would definately go to your doctor but dont't be suprised if they can't help.
I'd reccomend a change in mindset.
Exercise HURTS, it really hurts! But the rewards will come. Make fitness your passion, keep a long view on things and don't give up. Expect to finish training sessions a sweating, gibbering idiot.
Hope you can get there, looking back, I hated being where you are now- I regret wasting the years of my life I was like it but I was in denial.
Start today- you can do it!