[Yosoyway]

This is my first time I post something even though I visit the site almost every day and I've learned a lot.

Recently I did the Tour de Cure and I did the 50 mile ride. At about the 14 mile mark we had our first rest stop and my riding partner needed work done on his bike. It took about 30 minutes before we were on our way. By then we were the last ones. It was quite a hilly ride but so far I had been doing pretty good on the hills. But as soon as we started again on the first big hill I just had no power and it seemed that hill just zapped all my power. After that I felt like I had no energy and at one point I considered quitting but somehow I kept going.

The first week in April I did a 62 mile ride which was pretty flat and I did pretty good but then I developed a throat infection and I rode maybe 50 miles after that until the Tour de Cure.

Could the lack of riding have affected my stamina at the Tour de Cure or was it the long wait after the 1st rest stop? Or was it that I was just not prepared for all the hills? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JoePAz]

Sounds to me like your body shut down. You did 14 miles and then rested so the body said "Ok we are done for the day" and quit. I think the lack of riding since early april did not help you any as I bet most fo those rides were probably short.

So you in effect trained for and tricked your body into "short ride" mode. I was on a long ride once where I was about 3hrs in got a flat. So it took me about 20 min to change it not particularly rushing much. After that I still had 30 min ride to get home and I had nothing left in tank for that 30 min. My body came close to "rest and recovery" mode. At the time 4 hr rides were a bit on the long side for me so stopping at the 3hr mark is sort of why my body was used to.

 

[PJ352]

Could be a number of things, or combination of a few. You may not have stayed hydrated, lacked nutritional intake, and/ or your body fighting the infection may have worn you down some. Not riding much between April and this ride certainly didn't help, either.

Then again, we all have days that our legs lack that certain spring. This is why recovery is important. Although, in your case I'm not sure it applies. I wouldn't dwell on it. Get back to a riding/ training regimen with a balance of exertion/ rest/ recovery that's right for you.

 

[Yosoyway]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, they had been short rides except for a 30 mile ride the week before but it was at a very slow 9 mph pace. I had been anticipating that I wouldn't be in good shape as I had been prior to the 62 mile ride. So I planned on going slow and steady, drinking plenty of liquids and eating like I normally do. I was just surprised to lose so much energy right after that rest stop.

Like I said thanks for the replies. Best thing to do now is get back to riding often.

 

[froze]

That body response is typical when taking a break for longer then 5 minutes, because the blood rushes to the legs and makes them feel lethargic, however at about the 45 minute mark of resting that feeling should go away. Also once you resume riding with the lethargic feeling it should take about 20 minutes for the legs to get going again.

 

[tom93r1]

I recently decided it's entirely not worth resting longer than whatever it takes to refill a water bottle because of this. Any more than 5 minutes rest and it really does take 15-20 minutes to feel good riding again. I feel better just not stopping at all.

 

[froze]

I recently decided it's entirely not worth resting longer than whatever it takes to refill a water bottle because of this. Any more than 5 minutes rest and it really does take 15-20 minutes to feel good riding again. I feel better just not stopping at all.

I rarely stop myself unless I'm going over 100 miles and I need food and water, then it's no more then 5 minutes.

 

[QuiQuaeQuod]

I rarely stop myself unless I'm going over 100 miles and I need food and water, then it's no more then 5 minutes.

If I do stop longer, I don't sit the whole time. Maybe a bit of sitting, stretch the back out, then walk around. Another option is to take 5 to rest, then slow spin the lowest gear until ready to go. Pedal, coast and stand on the pedals. That kind of thing. Just a bit of movement seems to keep things from shutting down, for me at least.

 

[froze]

If I do stop longer, I don't sit the whole time. Maybe a bit of sitting, stretch the back out, then walk around. Another option is to take 5 to rest, then slow spin the lowest gear until ready to go. Pedal, coast and stand on the pedals. That kind of thing. Just a bit of movement seems to keep things from shutting down, for me at least.

The only time I stop longer is if I'm touring and pass a river or lake that I had intended to fish, then I may stop for an hour or so to see what's biting. I haven't done any long tours, but when I do I see no reason not to stop at a restaurant get a bite to eat and hangout for an hour or so before continuing. I'm not sure how Adventure Cycling's guided tour programs do their food stops but I would think its the same thing, and their tours are not rushed like one touring agency led by a former pro racer and his wife who get across America in less the half the time it takes Adventure Cyclist to do it, you have to be in really good shape to do that one.

 

[Kerry Irons]

I'm not sure how Adventure Cycling's guided tour programs do their food stops but I would think its the same thing, and their tours are not rushed like one touring agency led by a former pro racer and his wife who get across America in less the half the time it takes Adventure Cyclist to do it, you have to be in really good shape to do that one.

Adventure Cycling supported tours do less than 70 miles per day which is a fairly relaxed pace when you have all day to cover the distance. Lon Haldeman's PacTour rides are aimed at those wanting to get in roughly double that mileage. Totally different target market for these tours.

 

[froze]

Adventure Cycling supported tours do less than 70 miles per day which is a fairly relaxed pace when you have all day to cover the distance. Lon Haldeman's PacTour rides are aimed at those wanting to get in roughly double that mileage. Totally different target market for these tours.

I know that, but my idea of touring is taking it slower and take in the sights instead of push push push; and Haldeman's is more expensive...well to be fair so far all guided touring places I checked are more expensive then Adventure Cycling, but one would think that since Haldeman gets it done in half the time it should be the cheapest!

 

[Kerry Irons]

I know that, but my idea of touring is taking it slower and take in the sights instead of push push push; and Haldeman's is more expensive...well to be fair so far all guided touring places I checked are more expensive then Adventure Cycling, but one would think that since Haldeman gets it done in half the time it should be the cheapest!

The level of support provided by Haldeman is huge compared to Adventure Cycling. A van-supported Adventure Cycling tour means they haul your luggage and provide a SAG if you break down. You sleep in a tent and help prepare meals. With PacTours they provide all meals, hotel lodging, mechanical support, etc. Completely different goals and level of support.

 

[froze]

The level of support provided by Haldeman is huge compared to Adventure Cycling. A van-supported Adventure Cycling tour means they haul your luggage and provide a SAG if you break down. You sleep in a tent and help prepare meals. With PacTours they provide all meals, hotel lodging, mechanical support, etc. Completely different goals and level of support.

I realize that, and I'm ok with the way Adventure Cycling does it, I just haven't found anything cheaper then Adventure Cycling so it's a good deal...at least to me.

 

[Kerry Irons]

I realize that, and I'm ok with the way Adventure Cycling does it, I just haven't found anything cheaper then Adventure Cycling so it's a good deal...at least to me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm an Adventure Cycling life member and active volunteer. I just wanted to be clear on the differences between something like a PacTour and an ACA tour. Each serves a completely different audience in completely different ways.