Rest when you feel fatigue during a long ride



Corzhens

Well-Known Member
May 26, 2015
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Unless you are physically fit and has the training for a long distance ride, listen to your body when it is complaining. Fatigue is not felt when you are enthusiastic or excited. With a long ride that is boring, you will certainly feel the fatigue. Don’t force yourself and risk a torn ligament or swollen muscle like what I have now. Rest for a moment to catch your breath or walk for a 100 meters to recover from the fatigue.
 
Definitely, resting is a big part of your exercise and training just as drinking fluids is, and it allows your body to recover and free up the muscle strain after riding, and it allows you to avoid injury and continue cycling on your next ride.
 
Especially the older you get like I am who is now 65. I use to ride every day when I was racing, not even one rest day...well the one rest day was on the bike doing what was called easy pedaling for about 20 miles. As I got into my middle years I started to take one day off in the middle of the week, now I ride every other day, or sometimes I may ride more often but the "off" days are easy pedaling short days. I just base it on how I feel the next day, if the energy level is up it's a long hard day on the bike, fatigued then I either rest or do the easy thing. I know I can check my resting pulse upon waking but I've lived in my body for 65 years and I can tell what's going on.

There is more to cycling then just riding distance, a lot of fatigue can be controlled if you work in intervals into your riding schedule, and by doing intervals 2 or 3 times week (don't do these back to back) your longer rides will become faster and more productive.
 

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