How to know when to give up and get off of your bike (Bikeradar)

When do you stop ignoring the pain and get off the bike?

When you’re working towards a cycling goal, it’s tempting to push yourself hard and not get enough rest. This can lead to overtraining syndrome.

The most common symptom is fatigue, but you may also suffer from sleep problems, irritability, depression, decreased appetite, aching muscles and a marked lack of enthusiasm for riding.

An unexplained rise in your resting pulse rate is another clue. Continuing to push yourself increases your risk of injury or illness and can lead to a decrease in performance — so take heed and take a break...

Read the full article here: https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/fitness-and-training/how-to-know-when-to-give-up-and-get-off-of-your-bike/

Rides That Went Horribly Wrong... & Why That Made Them So Good (PinkBike)

The Pinkbike Podcast: Episode 48 - Rides That Went Horribly Wrong... & Why That Made Them So Good...

It's always nice when a ride happens to go far better than you expected. Maybe you spun up the climbs like gravity didn't apply to you, then took in an amazing view at the top before nailing all your lines, corners, and gaps on the way back down. And you know you greased that big sender, of course. Those are the days... Or are they? Of the thousands and thousands of rides I've been on, it's often the ones that went completely south that I'll remember first. Not because I find myself cursing those memories, either, but the opposite: ''Man, sitting on that urine-covered outhouse floor in a bike helmet, lips blue and unable to speak clearly was such a good time!''

Okay, not that particular memory, but maybe it's the hard times that make the good times? Maybe it's the icy rainy or relentless heat, the huge open wound or long hobble out of the forest, the ''f*ck, I don't have a spare tube,'' and the not having any food or water at all. It's the character-building, formative rides that we end up recounting years later, and usually with the wound or jump way bigger than it actually was.

Episode 48 is all about the rides that went horribly wrong and why that might make them so good.

Hosted by Mike Levy (usually) and featuring a rotating cast of the editorial team and other guests, the Pinkbike Podcast is a weekly update on all the latest stories from around the world of mountain biking, as well as some frank discussion about tech, racing, and everything in between.

Avoiding the bonk! (Canadian Cycling Magazine)

Make sure your body, and your brain, are properly fuelled to avoid bonking...

“Eat? While we’re biking?” I asked my friend whose back wheel I’d been chasing for the past two hours. I was sure that I must have heard him wrong, but I was feeling a little light-headed. In fact, I was actually ready to stop pedalling and call someone for a lift, as I was unsure if I’d make it the last 10 km home. Ready to start crying, I trusted him as he handed me a chocolate gel.

Read the full article here: https://cyclingmagazine.ca/spotlight/avoiding-the-bonk/