I just got a trek 1500 for christmas. The school has invited me to race on the cycling team. I participate in varsity soccer and consider myself pretty athletically sound. I have a couple of problems, and questions that go along with them.

My main problem is I have 2 soccer practices everday 5 days a week and by the time I'm done, I'm too tired to ride (not to mention its dark). This means the only days I ride is on the weekends.

I basically don't ever have a day off, however I do take glutamine to prevent my muscles from breaking down. Am I still overtraining?

And if not, I don't feel like I'm getting any stronger. Is once or twice a weak ( one hour ride hard intensity) enough to build my muscles and prepare myself for racing in about 3 of 4 months. (soccer does end in 2 months so I'll have 2 months before racing dedicated to cycling only)

I basically need some help figuring out what I'm going to do and what will and wont work.

By the way, I'm new to this forum and the cycling world, but loving it greatly!

Overtraining? Hard to tell...curious why they would have you on two-a-days, but without knowing what you are doing at practice, it's really impossible to know if you are overtraining...and even then, it's a matter for you to decide, but give you don't have an option to not attend practice, you're stuck with what you've got in that dep't.

As far as adding in the bike, I would do the following:

1. Until the season is over, just have fun riding at an easy pace on the weekends, maybe commute to practice on the bike (don't know where you live in regards to weather). Don't kill yourself trying to train seven days a week.

2. Work on your bike handling, get comfortable, maybe pick up a racing tactics book, hang out with your future teammates, pick up the culture, get your body used to being on a bike.

3. Once the season ends, do some testing of your strengths and weaknesses. You should have a great cardio engine from soccer with good explosive strength for sprinting, but you'll have to spend the months after the season is over trying to adapt that to cycling.

Overall, I'd say wait to heavily train on the bike until soccer is done (but still ride a little to get your body ready for the training to come and to learn handling)...and then...have some fun. It'll be your first season, you'll have a lot to learn. The biggest things to work on will be pedaling form and handling the bike in a group...not reaching out to grab people when you want to go by them like you do on the field :cool:

Also, where did you hear glutamine keeps your muscles from breaking down? College is a time to expand your mind and question what you're told...I'd suggest doing that in this case.

Which leads to my usual "pay attention to your nutrition" lecture...very important for athletes of all ages, but something most college athletes tend to ignore.

And finally to answer your specific question, yes, the two months after your season is over is plenty of time to get ready for racing...hell, you could race tomorrow and probably do okay...get in there and have fun, just go easy while your skills try to catch up to your athleticism.

Best of luck and welcome to the sport.

I just got a trek 1500 for christmas. The school has invited me to race on the cycling team. I participate in varsity soccer and consider myself pretty athletically sound. I have a couple of problems, and questions that go along with them.

My main problem is I have 2 soccer practices everday 5 days a week and by the time I'm done, I'm too tired to ride (not to mention its dark). This means the only days I ride is on the weekends.

I basically don't ever have a day off, however I do take glutamine to prevent my muscles from breaking down. Am I still overtraining?

And if not, I don't feel like I'm getting any stronger. Is once or twice a weak ( one hour ride hard intensity) enough to build my muscles and prepare myself for racing in about 3 of 4 months. (soccer does end in 2 months so I'll have 2 months before racing dedicated to cycling only)

I basically need some help figuring out what I'm going to do and what will and wont work.

By the way, I'm new to this forum and the cycling world, but loving it greatly!

if you can't ride as training, my best suggestion is to ride to class, between class, to the dining hall, to the mail room, etc. any time you're on the bike, you can work on being a better bike handler. as long as you're doing some other training, you will be ok for the season. of course, take that with a grain of salt, b/c i'm just a college racer myself

Cervelo-er, thanks for your post. I'm basically going to get used to riding my bike and enjoy flying down hills and working on my handling. My pastor used to ride professionally so he has really been helping me get everything together. I think I'm just going to stick to riding on the weekends, I'm pretty juiced after practice.

I learned a pretty important (and some-what expensive) lesson today. I was riding in a gated neighborhood that a lot of people ride in because of all the hills and lack of cars. I was going down a rather steep winding hill about 40mph, with a car following behind me (the speed limit was 35mph). I made the mistake of giving him room to pass and he did. He passed right when I was going around a corner and I only had about a foot of shoulder. Ended up I got pushed off the road at about 35mph and hit a concrete drainage ditch sending me about 3 feet in the air bending the crap out of my rim when I landed (An experienced rider could have stayed on the road, but I couldn't take the tight turn at high speeds with such a small space) . It pissed me off the guy ran me off the road, but it was my fault I gave him room to pass instead of driving in the middle of the road so he would keep his distance.

don;t think that getting run off the road is ever the riders fault, but...
i would have called the cops with a plate number

Avidvoss,

You are lucky to be able to type after after such an impact at 35 mph. Consider it a Christmas miracle.

I'm not saying it was all my fault, I'm just saying I could have prevented it. I would have taken the plate number, but I was on the ground and more worried about the bike.

The ditch was a broad u shaped concrete ditch for water to have a passage way into the creek. There was about a 3inch lip on both sides and thats what sent me in the air. I landed still on the bike, but then fell off after loosing control. Sorry I think I confused some people on my previous explanation. I didn't hit a wall at 35mph, just hit the ditch at 35mph which sent me flying and luckily I landed in grass. It hurt, but broke no bones. Sorry I think I confused you 99trek5200.

Overtraining? Hard to tell...curious why they would have you on two-a-days, but without knowing what you are doing at practice, it's really impossible to know if you are overtraining...and even then, it's a matter for you to decide, but give you don't have an option to not attend practice, you're stuck with what you've got in that dep't.

As far as adding in the bike, I would do the following:

1. Until the season is over, just have fun riding at an easy pace on the weekends, maybe commute to practice on the bike (don't know where you live in regards to weather). Don't kill yourself trying to train seven days a week.

2. Work on your bike handling, get comfortable, maybe pick up a racing tactics book, hang out with your future teammates, pick up the culture, get your body used to being on a bike.

3. Once the season ends, do some testing of your strengths and weaknesses. You should have a great cardio engine from soccer with good explosive strength for sprinting, but you'll have to spend the months after the season is over trying to adapt that to cycling.

Overall, I'd say wait to heavily train on the bike until soccer is done (but still ride a little to get your body ready for the training to come and to learn handling)...and then...have some fun. It'll be your first season, you'll have a lot to learn. The biggest things to work on will be pedaling form and handling the bike in a group...not reaching out to grab people when you want to go by them like you do on the field :cool:

Also, where did you hear glutamine keeps your muscles from breaking down? College is a time to expand your mind and question what you're told...I'd suggest doing that in this case.

Which leads to my usual "pay attention to your nutrition" lecture...very important for athletes of all ages, but something most college athletes tend to ignore.

And finally to answer your specific question, yes, the two months after your season is over is plenty of time to get ready for racing...hell, you could race tomorrow and probably do okay...get in there and have fun, just go easy while your skills try to catch up to your athleticism.

Best of luck and welcome to the sport.

what he said... good advice.

also, search this board for tactitcs, training advice, active resting, skill building.
as for rebuilding muscles... glutamine?!?!? you're better off with a cheese burger. Protien is your friend to rebuild. And eat ASAP after excersize.

what he said... good advice.

also, search this board for tactitcs, training advice, active resting, skill building.
as for rebuilding muscles... glutamine?!?!? you're better off with a cheese burger. Protien is your friend to rebuild. And eat ASAP after excersize.

Since you're in college and money may be tight...

1. Powdered non-fat milk for making protein and carb smoothies after exercise would be cheapest...powder, water, two bananas, some frozen fruit...throw in flax oil if you can afford, perfect way to go.

2. Get some whey protein, even at $21.00 a can from Whole Foods, still a cheap way to go with the same above mix. Get the organic variety with no added crap (HFCS or other additives). Great source of BCAA for rebuilding and replenishing muscles. Again mix with fruit and get your muscle glycogen replaced as well. Can't rebuild muscle without also having the carbs there.

Why do I always start writing these nutrition posts and then realize I'll be here all day if I don't ultimately say...

GO TO THE LIBRARY AND GET YOURSELF A SPORTS NUTRITION BOOK!!!

Muscles, Speed, and Lies is a great place to start. Monique Ryan's isn't bad, take what you can from Friel's...hell, even Carmichael's is better than nothing...

One way to get cheap protein is the egg/white.
I guess I'm am an old school but I personally prefer getting the protein intake from all natural food like chicken, fish and egg.
The protein powder is ok when you are busy but I'm a firm believer that you are what you eat and better to imit the process food when possible.

Also, check you bike make sure everything is ok.

Glad hear you are ok.

One way to get cheap protein is the egg/white.
I guess I'm am an old school but I personally prefer getting the protein intake from all natural food like chicken, fish and egg.
The protein powder is ok when you are busy but I'm a firm believer that you are what you eat and better to imit the process food when possible.

Also, check you bike make sure everything is ok.

Glad hear you are ok.

I agree with you for getting it from normal sources but your post is a bit misleading. Getting protien from poweder like whey or soy isolates really isn't the "processed" food many advise to stay away from. Do you not use flour because it's processed grain? If something is "processed" many are refering to foods that have been much further altered then their natural state. You're getting the same thing eating soy protien isolate as you'd get eating soy beans. (less insoluble fiber perhaps but thats about it)

Sorry for not clarifying.
I meant to say that I rather get the protein intake from all natural not the protein powder form that is made artificially(not the whey protein).
I also failed to mention the protein absorbtion rate.
I read it somewhere that the egg has the highest rate than any other food.

Sorry for not clarifying.
I meant to say that I rather get the protein intake from all natural not the protein powder form that is made artificially(not the whey protein).
I also failed to mention the protein absorbtion rate.
I read it somewhere that the egg has the highest rate than any other food.


I've heard the same about absorbtion rates... can't recall what book i read that in... Body for life perhaps?

but egg absorbs best, red meat close behind, then other meats, whey, and soy is less then half the abosrbtion of the egg and red meat...
fish was somewhere in the neighborhood of chicken and whey...