Exhausted,/overtraining?

[puffdaddy]

I have been training for several races through the summer,Just recently I have started to use gels etc on my training rides and getting improved performance,However after a very tough 115 training ride "over 23 km of hard climbing" "Waitakere ranges for those who know NZ" The following day I was physically ok but mentally flat to say the least,Too tired to sleep ,,yep first I have heard of it as well ,My doc has said no training ,racing maybe for several weeks or more I have been training hard all year for the summer months and now ,I can only assume that lack of sleep may have played a major part as I was seldom sleeping before 12 am,,,,enough bleet,,Question is have any you had or know of a similar experience ?
Puff :

[Missy24]

Do what your doctor says, maybe you don't need to take as long off as he suggested, maybe just a week.

When your too tired to sleep your body needs you to STOP and relax and re-group, I went through this when I first started cycling... I'm ok now, but I take regular breaks.

A lot of the other guys will probably know more about it than me...

Missy

[USM TOM]

i big mistake i think many people do is train hard all the time
you wont get anywhere if you dont rest and recover so follow your doc's orders and take a little break and you will come back feeling so much better and motivated to ride again

[toolonglegs]

Actual "over training" is not that common...people usually get sick before they ever reach that state.Overtraining could be classed as being sick.Usually we just get exhausted and take a few days off then bounce back.If you have really dug yourself into a hole then you may need to back right off.I trained hard last winter and raced every week from March till July...my form deserted me in June and I should of rested for two or 3 weeks then started again...but as I didn't it took 6-8 weeks or so to get back into some form.I couldn't hold 80% of my peak and couldn't even start a VO2 effort.Next year I will listen to my body more!...but I wouldn't say I was over trained either...just exhausted.
Did your Doc give you a blood test?...if not get one with all the normal indicators...iron,hemocrit,test etc...take a week totally off the bike and see how you feel.If OK come back slowly and stay away from intensity for a while...or take a bit longer off.Eat healthy but watch the weight and hopefully you will bounce back.
Remember recovery IS training...we only get stronger when we are recovering.You should have at least two recovery days a week if going hard...either very very gentle flat riding for 45min to an hour or no riding at all!.

[mikesbytes]

115k including the Y'tacks will kill many and be a walk in the park for others. As your fitness improves, this ride will become easier, but it will always be an effort.

What route are you riding thru the Waitakere ranges?

[brendancg]

+1 to all the above. I usually get sick if I haven't given myself enough rest, a mild cold or something. Also an indicator for me is I will be riding, heart rate going nowhere but I feel like I have nothing left in the legs. I will usually take a couple of days off here to rest and recover. Listen to the doctor, and as the guys said above after about a week, have a little test and feel how the legs are on a flat ride, 60 - 65% max hr.

[puffdaddy]

What I find strange is physically I feel ok ,,Mentally I cannot stay awake,Blood test results are 5 days or so away,Appear to be more mentally tired,,If I could clear the "fog" so to speak I would be riding ,,Maybe just a major lack of sleep catching up,The real impact hit two days after the ride,I spent a lot of my riding that day in the 75 % and above zone on the ride and did not feel real flash before the ride so in hindsight should have given it a miss,,One very interesting point in recent months is on the 4-6 hr weekend ride I would pull muscles ,,the same ones on a weekly basis! I guess lack of recovery,Maybe the writing was on the wall so to speak,,I have not adhered to my training plan"due to weather" ,250-400 km a week,,not many km but maybe toooo higher intensity,
Thanks for the replys
Puff

[puffdaddy]

115k including the Y'tacks will kill many and be a walk in the park for others. As your fitness improves, this ride will become easier, but it will always be an effort.

What route are you riding thru the Waitakere ranges?

I cycled from North Shore out to back of Massey,,then Bethels Beach,,back to scenic drive,up scenic along to Titarangi around West coast rd back up to Scenic Drive along the drive again then out the back of Kumeu back to Massey and on to North Shore,,The flatter sections I was sitting on 39-42 kph so no recovery and onto the next hill,I also done mountain hill,the last 3km before reaching Scenic Drive "again" is a 16 % gradient ,,yep lift the front 1st,,,That the basics several rds missed but thats the basics,
puff

[mikesbytes]

Sounds like more hill K's than you mentioned in the post. Don't know Mountain Hill

Last time I jumped the ditch I noticed that a few riders were going down to Piha

[puffdaddy]

Yes Piha is a good ride,,Just got in from a night in hospital chest pain was badly pulled chest wall muscles,kidney levels where not so flash but all ok ,Just dehydration and a need for more sleep,,The reason they where keen to check me out is I have had a hospital super bug "esbl" got in my blood stream earlier this year and almost croaked,So all is ok ,Going to rest for a week sleep well and then go like hell ,,,and then rest even
Puff

[mikesbytes]

Mate that sounds serious, the term "don't kill yourself" really applies to you.

[jules21]

The following day I was physically ok but mentally flat to say the least,Too tired to sleep

i'm no doctor but it's certainly a fact that insomnia can have many causes. my quality of sleep varies with a range of things, most particularly my level of anxiety. for a few periods in my life when anxiety was high, i had chronic insomnia.

to put it down to being "Too tired to sleep" sounds a bit like jumping to conclusions to me.

[puffdaddy]

The following day I was physically ok but mentally flat to say the least,Too tired to sleep

i'm no doctor but it's certainly a fact that insomnia can have many causes. my quality of sleep varies with a range of things, most particularly my level of anxiety. for a few periods in my life when anxiety was high, i had chronic insomnia.

to put it down to being "Too tired to sleep" sounds a bit like jumping to conclusions to me.

You where right ,,Iron levels found to be low along with magnesium,Iron appears to be the culprit been taking one a day for a week or so and hell I have bounced back with a vengance,As for the anxiety ,,Yes there was some as the trip to The hospital earlier in the year was no fun not that I remember much the hospital blood tests did not find any iron to be low ,,Not sure I was tested for it ,It was found via "Live blood Analysis" ,,Another story,,,
Thanks for the advice
Mike ,