Something's Not Right - Any Ideas?

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Hi everybody.

Normally, I feel that I have a very good grasp on the happenings of my own body in relation to cycling. If I have an off-day, I can usually figure out the cause of it, and make alterations to nutrition/rest/training routines to get back on track.

Lately however, I have been having some serious problems on the bike, and I'm wondering if there might be some others out there who have gone through the same issues and could offer some advice.

Here is my situation: After a great season, including some great race results and many wonderful summertime miles, I had to move back to school and take up the undergraduate lifestyle (as I have had to to every autumn for the past few years.) Obviously, this means less riding - but I've still been able to get in 150 or so miles per week of spirited "maintenance" rides. This is not anywhere close to my summertime averages, but modest enough to keep me happy and allow me to focus on school. Over the past few weeks though, my legs have been feeling awful. I mean, seriously horrible. My heart-rate in the mornings is normal, but while on the bike, even small efforts cause my quads to tighten, and my HR to skyrocket in a matter of seconds. I keep track of my caloric intake to make sure I'm not bonking (which is doubtful anyway because of the short time it takes for these symptoms to set in), and it all seems normal.

The only things new to my routine are more walking to class ( though I commute on a bike as well), a little less sleep, and weight lifting 3X a week. I had carried this lifestyle out for 3 years prior with no problems on the bike.
Another large concern is that my body weight has dropped by about 8 lbs since coming to school - and I am NOT in need of weight reduction at all. (I'm trying to gain weight actually.)

Has anybody ever had a problem like this develop??? I am considering going to the doctor and having tests run, because something is SERIOUSLY off with my body lately. Do I just need a good break from cycling, or could something else be to blame here?

Thanks for your help, let me know if there's any other information I could give that might help.

...Over the past few weeks though, my legs have been feeling awful. I mean, seriously horrible. My heart-rate in the mornings is normal, but while on the bike, even small efforts cause my quads to tighten, and my HR to skyrocket in a matter of seconds ... Another large concern is that my body weight has dropped by about 8 lbs since coming to school - and I am NOT in need of weight reduction at all. (I'm trying to gain weight actually.)

I was going to ask if you thought you could be somewhat sleep deprived but then you got to the weight loss. That's a lot of weight for someone not needing to lose. I'd get to the doctor. Good luck.

Thanks for your reply.
I have been monitering my sleep actually. I was behind on rest due to school work and such, getting only about 6-7 hours of sleep for a two and a half week period of time. My weight has stabilized, but I'm still down 4 lbs from where I was when I arrived. I'm wondering if this might have been the first signs of overtraining syndrome now. In addition to the log of my sleep, I've been trying to cut down on training-related activities, and recording my morning resting heart rate.

HR is good, actually going down about 1bpm every four days. Mid summer it was 42 in the morning, right now it is about 44, was 49 when I started recording it due to my concerns - seems to fit overtraining syndrome criteria.

Overall I've been feeling a bit better. I called my doctor, who said I should focus on resting a bit more and see how I feel in a week or two. I just want to make sure I'm fit enough (in a health sense) to begin winter training in a couple weeks, and be strong enough to get the most out of the regimen.

Thanks for your reply.
I have been monitering my sleep actually. I was behind on rest due to school work and such, getting only about 6-7 hours of sleep for a two and a half week period of time. My weight has stabilized, but I'm still down 4 lbs from where I was when I arrived. I'm wondering if this might have been the first signs of overtraining syndrome now. In addition to the log of my sleep, I've been trying to cut down on training-related activities, and recording my morning resting heart rate.

HR is good, actually going down about 1bpm every four days. Mid summer it was 42 in the morning, right now it is about 44, was 49 when I started recording it due to my concerns - seems to fit overtraining syndrome criteria.

Overall I've been feeling a bit better. I called my doctor, who said I should focus on resting a bit more and see how I feel in a week or two. I just want to make sure I'm fit enough (in a health sense) to begin winter training in a couple weeks, and be strong enough to get the most out of the regimen.

How is your stress level? I find that when I am under significant stress, I notice it on the bike. This is particularly evident around changes in heart rate (higher or lower) at rest or at a given known effort level.

How is your stress level? I find that when I am under significant stress, I notice it on the bike. This is particularly evident around changes in heart rate (higher or lower) at rest or at a given known effort level.Definitely on the high end as far as stress goes. I like to think it is a positive stress http://cyclingforums.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif, which is leading to my academic growth though! Haha, well, I guess we'll see. This is a good point, though, because it has gotten me to think about my sleep patterns of late, which seem have been a little worse than I initially thought. Catching up on rest has been a big help. My legs are still not as strong as they used to be, but they're regaining a bit of spunk.

I have been taking time off the bike, and realizing that I was probably experiencing the early signs of overtraining syndrome... Does this seem right? I'm thinking 3-4 weeks easy spinning 2-3 times a week, and seeing how I feel. Not going to push it.

Any other advice for getting through this, perhaps from people who have been there themselves?