Biking is about to break my motivation

kiwikuchenvogel
kiwikuchenvogel Posts: 9
in Fitness and Exercise
I got a question that bothers me a lot.
I started biking a week ago on Monday, since then I bike every day for about 45 to 65 Minutes, depending on if I bike home from work ( around nine miles ) or on off days, where I have some more energy.
But here is the thing, I don't see any improvement. Like from day one after sitting the first time on a bike since 14 years :) to today biking every day....
What happens is I get on the bike and my legs instantly hurt. Some days after biking 20 minutes it gets better, some days its worse. I don't get it. Why don't my legs get more trained and used to it? Am I expecting to much to soon? I'm getting really upset.
I also do the 30DS and there I see day to day that I can do more and better and ...well, what you think?
Any advice or input or something?
PS: I actually had one day no biking, that was Sunday but on Monday ( thinking that after the rest I will do great, I did horrible)

Replies

  • jad54
    jad54 Posts: 192
    It's been a week. No exercise program is going to give you a significant change in that amount of time. Give it a few more weeks. As long as your diet is in check, you'll start to see changes...for the better.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    If you are constantly experiencing pain during ANY exercise, including biking, stop. My current best guess with the little information we've been given is that perhaps your legs need a significant time to heal. If you keep exercising a sore area over and over, it simply compounds the problem. Your body probably has never been able to fully heal the legs.

    Additionally, it also depends a lot on the bike. Some bikes allow you to coast while others require that you peddle as long as you want the wheels to move (so the wheels stop if you stop peddling!). A 9 mile bike trip on a bike that allows for coasting is not even remotely close as the other type of bike.

    As for any weight loss related to it... really depends on your diet.
  • kiwikuchenvogel
    kiwikuchenvogel Posts: 9
    I'm wondering about the healing thing ...cause It's not like a pain you have when you are injured right, it's rather just a sore pain.
    The road I drive is also a constant up and down and clearly the up part brings the pain.
    Ahhh it's just frustrating to not get any results. Results in terms of less pain. I wish I could just hop on my bike and drive home without it being a fight.
    But I guess that's what working out is about...sight
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    I didn't noticed you only been biking a week... thought much much longer.

    Okay, things change now... lol...

    If it feels like an injury... STOP. Now. Stop biking a whole week.

    After that, bike 2 days in the week, maybe Monday and Friday. Give yourself two days between each to rest.

    If you bike on Monday, and it still hurts Friday, then just stop, there is something wrong and consult a doctor. If it is just "sore" such as from exercise, then just do 1 day a week until you are not sore during the week. Then up to two days.

    Exercise is a gradual step. If you go in full force, you are usually hurt and thrown out quickly.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    Take a day or two off from biking for recovery. Going from nothing to 9 days in a row is going to naturally make you tired and sore. Too much too soon.

    Also, you need from 3 to 6 weeks to fully adapt to a new level of training. That is assuming you are getting appropriate recovery which it looks like you are not.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    You answered your own question.....you started a week ago and and are biking every day & haven't biked for 14 years........

    Your body takes time to adapt to any new routine, if you haven't been biking for a while it's perfectly normal to be sore. Try riding every second day for a while - give your muscles a chance to recover.

    Too much, too soon.
  • jonesey10
    jonesey10 Posts: 9
    Also check your bike set up, it may not just be the exercise that's affecting your legs.
    The bike set up is a very important part of cycling.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    have you been properly fitted for your bicycle? it sounds like a geometry problem to me.
  • NaomiDollar
    NaomiDollar Posts: 49 Member
    I know this is going to sound odd but is your seat fitted properly for you height?

    If it isn't it will make your legs feel tired faster and make them more sore.
  • staceyseeger
    staceyseeger Posts: 778 Member
    I suggest you take your bike in to a bike shop & have it properly fitted. Good luck! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • NaomiDollar
    NaomiDollar Posts: 49 Member
    have you been properly fitted for your bicycle? it sounds like a geometry problem to me.

    AMEN!!
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    when seated on the bike, your leg should make a full extension. you knees shouldn't bend at all (indicating your seat is too low)

    also your hips shouldn't move back and forth (indicating your seat is too high)
  • curtnrod
    curtnrod Posts: 223 Member
    have you been properly fitted for your bicycle? it sounds like a geometry problem to me.

    ^^^This^^^ Take your bike to a bike shop and have it properly adjusted for your body.

    Also...what the others have said, too much of a good thing too soon is not a good thing. Build up gradually
  • cavewoman15
    cavewoman15 Posts: 278 Member
    a week isn't long enough to see any changes. i've been doing one hour spinning classes twice a week since february and biking 15-20 miles a week outside (commuting) for about 2 months. i noticed last week that i have new muscles in my legs. seriously - muscles i've never felt before. amazing.

    changes do not happen in a week. it will get easier with time, but i think you are doing too much too fast. my commute is 3 miles round trip, which is doable. 45-65 minutes a day is a lot, especially for a beginner. back it off to a couple times a week, or shorten your time, then add as it gets easier. there is no reason to kill yourself over it - it will just lead to injury.

    and as the others said, making sure your bike properly fits you is step #1. biking is AWESOME!! get it right and enjoy it.
  • kiwikuchenvogel
    kiwikuchenvogel Posts: 9
    Ok, I get it, thank you so far for the replies. It helps to hear I might overdue things from someone else since I don't trust myself on that matter. I don't want to quit just because of some pain that I could overcome but I guess maybe 2 more breaks a week would rather help. ( Even though I do have to drive back from work by bike if I don't want to walk :P )
    I actually had it fitted and everything so I at least hope that the Man in the Bike store knows his job :)
    I probably wouldn't even been so frustrated if not for the fact that push ups, sit ups and all that stuff improve on a daily basis...but as soon as I do Cardio its like bewitched.
  • michelechavez
    michelechavez Posts: 56
    I will echo some of the other comments.

    It takes time to adapt to a new activity. Our bodies also need a sufficient recovery time. And it takes time doing any activity before you will notice results in stronger muscles and improved aerobic capacity.

    You can cycle every day, but alternate harder days with easier days, so that you recover enough for harder effort.

    If you are riding a geared bike, make sure that you shift depending upon whether you are going more uphill or downhill or with a headwind or tailwind. Find the easiest gear for the conditions you are encountering.

    Learn to Spin. That means pedaling more revolutions per minute (Cadence) instead of powering through each pedal stroke (Mashing). If you can't spin in the gear you are in, shift to an easier gear that will allow you to spin. You will be able to ride longer and easier if you do that. If you can, maintain a Cadence of 85-95. There are inexpensive cycling computers that can measure this. They have a sensor that attaches to a wheel to measure it.

    On hills, get into a lower gear (if it is a really steep hill, that means the lowest gear), relax your arms and torso as much as you can, and try to keep a Cadence in the 50s or 60s.

    Definitely make sure your bike has been fitted properly for you. Or at the very least, adjusted to you as much as possible. I had problems with this when I began cycling, as my bike had not been fitted for me. My new bike shop worked with me as much as possible to adjust the bike, but eventually I bought a bike that fit me much better. It makes a huge difference to have a bike that fits.

    If you are eating nutritiously, you will lose weight. A good book on the subject is Selene Yeager's Ride Your Way Lean. I've lost 25 lbs in 3 months cycling.
  • NaomiDollar
    NaomiDollar Posts: 49 Member
    Ok, I get it, thank you so far for the replies. It helps to hear I might overdue things from someone else since I don't trust myself on that matter. I don't want to quit just because of some pain that I could overcome but I guess maybe 2 more breaks a week would rather help. ( Even though I do have to drive back from work by bike if I don't want to walk :P )
    I actually had it fitted and everything so I at least hope that the Man in the Bike store knows his job :)
    I probably wouldn't even been so frustrated if not for the fact that push ups, sit ups and all that stuff improve on a daily basis...but as soon as I do Cardio its like bewitched.

    Since you have had your bike fitted, just remember slow and steady wins the race. When I started my plight to get healthy and fit, I decided to take baby steps. This has made it easier to stick with and I have had less injury from over doing it. Just always remember that you are taking the right steps in the right direction!

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