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For the past month i've ramped up my activity levels, so riding at least 6 out of 7 days, usually a bit of football chucked in too.
I'm not "training" for any particular reason, just to feel good, stronger, fitter.
Is one or two proper rest days the only way to sort out the fatigue my body feels? I find it easier to fit in smaller sessions but more often, rather than just 3 or 4 big sessions a week.
I take a recovery drink after bigger exertions, have been making my meals less carb rich but much more protein rich, hopefully losing fat, but stopping my body demolishing my muscle.
I am getting faster and fitter, just haven't felt "fresh" in a long while now and would like to fix it.
The P90X stretch video is really helpful on a rest day. It's easy, takes an hour (or less if you skip the pointless Dreya forearm stretch) and really works.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/9437358/x_stretch/
How old are you mate? A 20 year old body can take a lot more training than a 40 year old body I reckon. Also what are you doing? Do you ride hard, doing intervals, attacking hills?
The obvious answer from your OP is to give yourself more rest days and eat carbs on the days you're riding. Eat the lower carb meals on the rest days. There are so many variables... But ultimately you have to listen to your body to some extent. If you're not feeling fresh, rest for a week, change the type of riding you're doing, swap a ride for a weights session or a swim once a week etc etc
Do you need an easy recovery week? Longer term training programs include cycles at different levels (easy/hard sessions within the week, easy/hard weeks within the month etc). you can't just keep upping the workload week in week out. By the end of an easy week you'll be raring to go again.
How many hours do you sleep each night?
To be fair on the sleep thing im normally a religious 8 hours, Christmas off has interrupted that pattern somewhat, down to about 6 at the mo.
Could be the one.
Most training plans work in blocks, depending on the end goal and time available these blocks are usually 4 - 6 weeks. So a 4 week block would be (in terms of effort) something like 5/10, 6/10, 7/10, 3/10. Your body only gets stronger during the rests between workouts not the workouts themselves so continually pushing yourself without having proper rests just wears things down.
Professionals benefit not from being able to train when they want but they can [b]rest[/b] when they want or the training programme requires them to do so. For most of us we don't have that luxury. The other point with training is that people don't train hard enough or rest easy enough, that is most people's training days are 6/10 but rest days are 5/10 when they should be 9/10 & 2/10.
PS, i've just turned 28. As i say i have no real goal with "training", not training as such, just want to feel fit and strong and keep up with any "fit" riders i end up riding with, without the worry of burning out.
At the moment, it's usually 3, 10 mile fire road hacks, one 30ish mile trail/fireroad hack, with a couple of fun whilst covering some ground rides.
I don't go out thinking i'll treat this as a fast one, or a slow one, just do what i feel my body is capable of, i generally keep it at a level just off of uncomfortable, with bursts of uncomfortable, too much? At football, i run until my legs fall off.
Good that you're considering muscle catabolism. Perhaps you just need a little more sleep, and increased carbs pre-cardio?
Your body needs the carbs to recover. Make sure you eat plenty of low gi carbs like brown pasta and ride, sweet potatoes etc. its sugar which you want to avoid if you want to lose the flab. The body uses sugar as it's source if energy first and the liver will convert unburned sugar to fat.
Eat more carbs I would say, infact eat loads. If you don't you'll lose muscle. Exercising pretty hard for 6/7 days a week; I reckon you'll find you don't put on weight no matter what you eat.
I had something similar recently....had been riding a lot because I had some time off work but ended up hitting a wall one day. I couldn't do a simple ride which I've done many times. I had forced time off the bike for the following week due to work commitments and felt great after that. In fact, I'd say my fitness is better than ever.
If you are riding lots you won't feel fresh. A few more days off will help. My rest periods are usually enforced by outside factors (work/life etc.) Coming back after a short period off makes a huge difference. If you are fitter the recovery gets quicker.
You needn't quit riding, just slow it down and take it easy. I tend to go exploring as there is less flat out riding and more wondering/looking at maps and walking back up tracks.
You can get an idea of how your body is doing by looking at your resting heart rate. IF you know what normal is then if you wake up and it is high then your body is struggling.
You don't need special food to ride bikes. A balanced diet will be more than adequate for a normal person, I'd skip the recovery drink and just have food.