Cycling Fitness / Training Advice

Over the weekend at ISSN course Team Sky nutrionist presented on periodisation of carbs for pro cycling. Train low, race high with caveats.

Another research paper on subject for footballers

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640414.2015.1106574

'carefully selected training sessions'

Scherrit spoke with Asker J about this back when I used to be good at 24s. It was deemed as something useful to try in the off season but likely too harmful during proper training weeks where the effect of the low carb fueling would knock on over multiple days and recovery would suffer, leading to poorer 'big days'.

I cut and pasted that stuff whilst eating a Krispy Kreme.

Similar to the irony of me posting in a cycle fitness thread given the recent action in the Beer thread.

Made a couple of tweaks and applied some text. Almost finished.

I struggle to find the time in the week to train, so like you have to jump out of bed then straight on the turbo.
I can't face food 15 minutes before an hours session regardless of its intensity.
I usually glug 500ml of skimmed milk straight after with a little nesquik powder.
Then breakfast, usually 3 eggs scrambled.
I'm not sure if it's good or bad but it's all I can do really.

Nice one.

I've recently found that the day after a hard ride I almost have a 'hangover' of not feeling physically shit, but mentally just really terrible and lethargic.

A bit of google-fu and did some reading on cortisol levels and stress (I've been fucking stressed all year doing a (shite) full-time masters and working (terrible) jobs around it to pay for my (hovel) flat) and as a result I've been consciously a) trying to cut out stress (masters is finished which helps, but now just onto looking for gainful, meaningful employment...) and b) limiting riding a bit to try and let my body recover.

I've done a few turbo sessions over the last week and thought it was going ok, but today I've got the same dread feeling that I would normally get the day after long ride.

Anyone had similar and is there any way to keep riding/manage/offset the cortisol produced by exercise? I thought it was supposed to be good for stress ffs!

Sleep more. Eat healthier.

This all sounds very familiar. I spend about half of my year working jobs that involve insane hours, much stress, poor diet and not enough sleep. I've learnt (the hard way) that I simply cannot train hard during these periods or I will make myself ill. The most I can do is maintenance, just keeping the legs and cv system ticking over. It's frustrating, but that's life.

When I do hard sessions during these times I need to give myself extra recovery time too.

The season is well and truly over. Don't "train", just ride if you feel like it... and what skinny said.

Yeah... I guess it makes sense. There's just that perceived 'exercise is good for you and you should enjoy it' which I do when I'm doing it, but it's just the mental effects afterwards-far from feeling that warm-endorphin-fuelled-high the way I would before, the downs are getting quite pronounced and harder to deal with.

So it's that damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't thing. Maybe I'll try yoga or aikido or something for a while, see if that helps mellow me out a bit whilst staying limber. Getting a decent job and regular income might help too...

Don't you think cycling helps with the stress/frustration bit when you're actually doing it though?

I really enjoy being out riding, and that's why it's such a kick in the balls to then feel like I'm overwhelmed the next day... kind of like I've surpassed my mental/physical limits and everything's gone into shock a bit.

But next sunny day (not that this happens very often atm) I feel the obligation and desire to be out pedalling and it feels like a cop-out to say 'naw, going to stay in as I'm too hard up against it to enjoy myself...' Balls. Piss. Shit. Cock. Balls.

Maybe I just need to keep some E or valium on hand to soften the blow. Pro styleee.

Maybe stopping the blow altogether would be a better idea? #prostylee

Just go out riding, but riding around the the little ring and dont push the cranks. Not cycling will be worse than cycling as you'll be unhappy. You won't tire yourself out and it'll be nice to get out too. And sleep more. Sleep is so important.

So I should stop exercise and just take recreational drugs. Gotcha.

I generally snooze like a mad cat once I'm actually in bed, it's getting out that's the problem...

Being the King of the Granny Ring does sound better than being Sir Does Not Allot too.

If you drink alcohol stop that, also caffeine. Both are terrible for cortisol levels. Stopping it will help your body to recover, then in a month or so, you can re introduce if you wish. Also you are what you eat.

Seriously, you're ruining me here.

Lack of sleep, check
Loads of booze, check
Loads of caffeine, check

Next you'll tell us we should watch what we eat or something... Sheesh

But yeah, stop hard riding, as it's just trashing your body. You're not able to physically take it. Just ride around for fun and then when you're feeling good, try some training.

I did that already.

You are what you eat.

Hippy is an anomaly who can treat his body like shit and train decently. Though he's a lot more serious than he'd let you believe.