# Varying performance levels between rides?



## bdreynolds7 (Dec 13, 2019)

Lately been wondering what the right recipe is for having gobs of energy on rides. One weekend I am struggling a bit more than usual on the climbs, next weekend I'm riding faster than I ever have before up and down with seemingly endless energy and the next weekend I'm doing ok but not like the previous; all 3 of these were very similar rides in the same area. This last ride I tried to mimic my food/water intake as close as I could with the previous weekend but that wasn't it. I know I have capability to drop the hammer but haven't found what could be causing the different swings in performance.

I typically ride once or twice a week on weekends, stretch when I can (but probably could stretch more), generally eat healthy, have 1 cup of coffee every morning, don't drink energy drinks, get 7ish hours of sleep every night, drink at least 64oz of water a day etc etc. 

Have you experienced this? If so, what did you find helped the most for relentless energy on rides?


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Some suggestions (I don't know your whole situation):

Make sure you get enough GOOD sleep. 

Make sure you're not overtraining. You do need breaks, and a lot of people get hurt by overtraining (riding too hard too often).

Take a look at your diet as a whole. It really does vary from person to person. While you eat healthy, it can vary from person to person. For me, eating healthy means no dairy and lean means (I get my fats other ways). Some people can do keto, I can't. Some people are vegan, tried that. So maybe take an honest look at it.

I have a history of hypoglycemia and currently have asthma. I found that I have to have some type of sustained sugar before the ride (usually a banana or a piece of toast with honey), and keep drinking electrolyte drinks the entire time or I'm really miserable and slow. 

Other things that vary my performance: I suck in the heat. The heat really drains me. Other people, it's the cold. Could be the time of the day for your rides. Some people are better for midday, some mornings, some nights.

Also for me: staying on top of my maintenance inhaler before a ride, and making sure I have enough lean protein so I don't get a sugar crash. I also have to eat during a ride or I'll bonk. This is related to the hypoglycemia issues I've had in the past.


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## Finch Platte (Nov 14, 2003)

Covid?


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## EKram (Oct 30, 2020)

Consider rest as an integral part of your program. So many factors influence rest length and time. Experiment to find your "sweet spot". Read up on autophagy. Short Naps are good too. Lot of people dislike them. Magic for my body.



stripes said:


> Some suggestions (I don't know your whole situation):
> 
> Make sure you get enough GOOD sleep.
> 
> ...


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

EKram said:


> Consider rest as an integral part of your program. So many factors influence rest length and time. Experiment to find your "sweet spot". Read up on autophagy. Short Naps are good too. Lot of people dislike them. Magic for my body.


Short naps are amazing. Autophagy is why I do fasting every few weeks.

You're replying to the OP right?


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## slimat99 (May 21, 2008)

Sounds like normal stuff to me. Everyone has days when they struggle, and others when they feel strong. You can create good consistent fitness by always climbing in the same gears. Find a gear for every climbing section that you can maintain no prob without blowing up, but also not too easy. Also pick a climbing section or two where you stand up for an extended period of time but don't hammer. Just crank out a consistent cadence out of the saddle you can maintain without breathing much harder than spinning in the saddle. Do this for at least 3 rides per week and you'll see more consistent energy levels.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

That’s called “being human”.


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

You sound human.

When I was a few years younger I was indestructible. I'd train in heat. Run 5 days a week. A few small supplemental rides to recover. I'd eventually get a little burned out and had to skip a run day or run longer distance easily instead of train hard that day. After a week of adjusting a few of my efforts I was back in track.

Now I'm not in the same shape as an athlete. I know I don't eat well. I've never fully regained my fitness after being sick over a year ago. I ride enough to be better than I am but it's just not there. I do 'better' when my diet is on track but not eating a real dinner for 3 or 4 days doesn't help one bit.

Sleeping good and staying on track with diet are important. Other than that, you need to find the balance that works for you. I will plan to ride a decent loop one day and within 5 minutes know my ride is going to be spent riding in 30/50 gears up anything that isn't flat. I'm okay with it, finally -however I know I should be stronger.
If you are comparing yourself to 3 years ago and things have changed in your life, like aging, this is definitely normal.

Take a week or 2 and ride for fun and don't push it. That may be all it takes to get all your rides back to full performance mode.

I would be happy with one ride at full performance. ha maybe I should have dinner all weekend.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Could be anything. I had the same issue every now and then. Some days are better than others. Your energy levels can be different every time you go out on the bike. It would be hard to replicate it for every single ride. One thing that helped me a ton was taking a magnesium supplement. For many years, my muscles would not recover from any cycling ride I performed. It didn't matter how much I warmed up or stretched. It didn't matter how much water I drank every day. My muscles would never recover properly and I felt like crap for an entire week at a time. I paid for a body massage once a month. The VA also paid for acupuncture which actually helped. 

When I switched to a magnesium supplement, my muscle fatigue went way down and I was more functional during the work week. I started riding way better on the weekends too. My magnesium levels were fine in my body but the supplement really helped me out with muscle fatigue.


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

If you really track it, I think you will find that your average output is somewhat constant...esp. if your nutrition is constant.

Thinking another way: no matter how you feel, your output may very likely be nearly constant (plateau).

I've had days where I feel "wrong" but the avg speed is the same.

There are "off" days, but those are outliers. I've come back a day after an "off" day simply out of spite, and proven that the "off" day was just that.

I also know that corrupting my system with bad food or too much...whatever...causes me "limitations"; to put it mildly.

-F


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Try a Whoop strap


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Drink lots of water the day before and get good sleep.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

It appears you've accounted for it, but for me, hydration is the best predictor of performance.


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## Dave Mac (Jan 9, 2017)

for me the biggest positive change after having a semi good diet, was legs workouts during the week like squats on one leg squats, twice a week. I have only been riding on sat and sunday and do legs work out twice a week and this has done more for my speed then riding three times a week without the leg work out


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

So many potential variables when it comes to one's power and endurance on any given day of riding. So many....

There is a science to it in terms of timing out the days when you'll most likely be stronger and faster.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Dave Mac said:


> for me the biggest positive change after having a semi good diet, was legs workouts during the week like squats on one leg squats, twice a week. I have only been riding on sat and sunday and do legs work out twice a week and this has done more for my speed then riding three times a week without the leg work out


 You'll be amazed what riding 6 or 7 days a week does for your riding, then.


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

You aren’t riding enough
You aren’t sleeping enough
Work stress adds up

I have no idea what you are eating, but if you are doing any type of modern diet on days before your rides, you will also feel flat. I would make sure you are eating lots of high quality carbohydrates. When I ride with weekend warriors and they eat any type of low carb high protein leading up, or attempt to eat at a caloric deficit to be “healthy”, they ride like ****. 


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## tick_magnet (Dec 15, 2016)

FJSnoozer said:


> You aren't riding enough
> You aren't sleeping enough
> Work stress adds up
> 
> ...


Exactly. I don't know the OPs diet, but the folks in my area who are constantly complaining about "not feeling it" are usually on some type of low carb diet or are afraid of calories.


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## Champion_Monster (Nov 30, 2014)

I thl;kjljk


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

So.Many.Factors....


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## bingemtbr (Apr 1, 2004)

If you want to improve, talk to a cycling coach. There's lots to be said about rest days, tapering, nutrition, cross training, and making sense of it all. What's right and works for one person, may not work for you.


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## jchow (May 4, 2021)

When I started doing my long swims I noticed that I didn't have energy on my last half. I even felt hungry. I never used to eat during long workouts but I couldn't finish my long swims. I started using a product called Cytomax, which essentially is a mix of complex carbohydrates and other stuff but no stimulants. It gives me the energy I needed to finish my long work. You have have half a bottle before your ride and hydrate with it as you ride. It works for me very well. I'm not a young chick either!


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## radirpok (Feb 1, 2006)

Nobody - not even the pros - can perform constantly at the highest level. It is completely normal that your performance fluctuates - the more "hobby" rider you are (if you ride only 1x-2x a week, that's _very_ hobby), the more swings you will see. You can get more consistent with better - smarter - training. But should you? What happens if you don't smash your PRs every weekend? Try to enjoy the ride.

Also, as a wise man once said, if all your trainings are high intensity, then none of them really are. Meaning that in order to perform close to your max, you should vary your training intensity. Having low intensity training rides is actually more productive than always pushing it. If you don't feel that you have the boogie in your legs, don't push it. Slow down, do a technical session, do a ride with your significant other or your kids, or read a book.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

Yep, all of the above. 

Mentally challenging work can also wear you out more than you expect.

I saw a significant step change when I filled off refined sugar. No more sugar high and associated low.


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