Work stress impact on cycling performance

[MORNE]

most of my riding also happens over weekends during normal times but my bike time is generally my alone time. Ive found myself some days so busy thinking about things or working something out in my head that i go on auto pilot. The next thing i know i'm a block away from home with full water bottles and cant remember exactly how the ride even went haha.

[Grease_Monkey]

most of my riding also happens over weekends during normal times but my bike time is generally my alone time. Ive found myself some days so busy thinking about things or working something out in my head that i go on auto pilot. The next thing i know i'm a block away from home with full water bottles and cant remember exactly how the ride even went haha.

 

That's how my weekday rides tend to go. Going for a ride in the morning clears my head for the day, going for a ride after work is a stress reliever and I like those solo.

 

But my Friday afternoon and weekend rides are with friends, and I am missing that sorely!

[ChrisF]

That's how my weekday rides tend to go. Going for a ride in the morning clears my head for the day, going for a ride after work is a stress reliever and I like those solo.

 

But my Friday afternoon and weekend rides are with friends, and I am missing that sorely!

 

THIS is why I love commuting by bike.

 

Clears your head in the morning, AND relieves the stress after a busy day ....

 

 

Weekends ....

Saturdays are my time with Maritz

Sunday mornings in ME time !  Nice long solo ride.  Getting to know a few like minded people at the coffee stops.  Enjoy a cup and a chat, and head off solo again ....

[Duane_Bosch]

I just did a Zwift session now. I just had to do it to blow off a little steam.

 

With this whole work from home thing the big danger is that the lines become a little blurred and your clients become a little more demanding and you become a little more accommodating till eventually all you are doing is working and sleeping.

 

Even a little indoors session helps me blow off some steam and reboot.

 

BTW all things going well I would have been rolling across that floating bridge at Scottborough about now to collect my finishers medal for Sani. Sigh.

Edited May 14, 2020 by Duane_Bosch

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I just did a Zwift session now. I just had to do it to blow off a little steam.

 

With this whole work from home thing the big danger is that the lines become a little blurred and your clients become a little more demanding and you become a little more accommodating till eventually all you are doing is working and sleeping.

 

Even a little indoors session helps me blow off some steam and reboot.

100%. 10 - 15 minute breaks every couple hours to ease the spreadsheeting and adminning and projections etc etc. 

 

Amazing how much that helps. 

[Patchelicious]

Stress..... It will affect you as much as lack of sleep, poor diet and needing to poo....

 

Don't let poor weeks on the bike add to the stress. Anxiety is a slippery slope and once you start being anxious about 1 or 2 things, performance across the board starts waning leading to more anxiety, less productivity and more anxiety..... The cycle is devastating.

 

Just take it on the chin, deal with work, make good small decisions which lead to finishing things and achievable goals, which will alleviate the stress and get you feeling strong and full of oomff again.

Could not agree more.

 

I often find myself in over running meetings, getting irritated because I know that I might miss my planned ride. This means I then don't give the meeting my full attention and then still end up missing my ride. Now I have screwed up two things. Knowing this further adds to the stress. 

 

I have not learnt to deal with this correctly yet.

Edited May 14, 2020 by Patchelicious

[Jewbacca]

Could not agree more.

 

I often find myself in over running meetings, getting irritated because I know that I might miss my planned ride. This means I then don't give the meeting my full attention and then still end up missing my ride in anycase.

 

I have not learnt to deal with this correctly yet.

This is one reason why I haven't yet made the transition to the 6-9 slot properly. If baba has a bad night or the wife needs to lie in or or or it puts pressure on that timeslot so I see it as a luxury as opposed to the be all and end all.

 

I refuse to put myself under pressure for what I regard as pleasure.

[ChrisF]

Could not agree more.

 

I often find myself in over running meetings, getting irritated because I know that I might miss my planned ride. This means I then don't give the meeting my full attention and then still end up missing my ride. Now I have screwed up two things. Knowing this further adds to the stress. 

 

I have not learnt to deal with this correctly yet.

 

Uhm ... ja .... I might have gotten mildly agitated after some 5 hours of meetings in one one day, when I was asked if I mind explaining it again .....

 

 

The trainer has saved much more than just my legs ... 

[The Ouzo]

I just did a Zwift session now. I just had to do it to blow off a little steam.

 

With this whole work from home thing the big danger is that the lines become a little blurred and your clients become a little more demanding and you become a little more accommodating till eventually all you are doing is working and sleeping.

 

Even a little indoors session helps me blow off some steam and reboot.

 

BTW all things going well I would have been rolling across that floating bridge at Scottborough about now to collect my finishers medal for Sani. Sigh.

whilst it helps, I find the IDT to not be as stress relieving as out on the road. But I'll take what I can get.

[Patchelicious]

whilst it helps, I find the IDT to not be as stress relieving as out on the road. But I'll take what I can get.

I recently did some exec assessments and evaluations, one things that the coach has told me to do, is park all my difficult decisions to the end of the day.

 

Put 1.5 hours in the calendar each day for a out doors cycle. During that time while out on the bike, when your mind is clear, you will likely make a higher quality decision because you are not in a stressed situation. 

 

Will be starting next week. 

[The Ouzo]

I recently did some exec assessments and evaluations, one things that the coach has told me to do, is park all my difficult decisions to the end of the day.

 

Put 1.5 hours in the calendar each day for a out doors cycle. During that time while out on the bike, when your mind is clear, you will likely make a higher quality decision because you are not in a stressed situation. 

 

Will be starting next week. 

whilst not consciously doing this, I've found it does help. 

My problem would be time, I get home to late. Plus I find I'm lazy after a days work.

 

But, one of the positives out of the LD is that I've found I can spend longer than the max of 30min I used to on the IDT, so perhaps I'll start using that more in the evenings. 

[Patchelicious]

whilst not consciously doing this, I've found it does help. 

My problem would be time, I get home to late. Plus I find I'm lazy after a days work.

 

But, one of the positives out of the LD is that I've found I can spend longer than the max of 30min I used to on the IDT, so perhaps I'll start using that more in the evenings. 

Yes, I also get lazy after work. But I have been told to make this part of my actual work day. 

[The Ouzo]

Yes, I also get lazy after work. But I have been told to make this part of my actual work day. 

i guess its the same as waking up early to go for a ride, difficult in the beginning, but once you get used to it no problem at all.

I actually used to ride most afternoons, but then i was getting home a few hours earlier than I'm currently doing.

Like waking up early for a ride, the trick is probably to have everything ready before hand, give yourself less excuses to not do it.

[Patchelicious]

i guess its the same as waking up early to go for a ride, difficult in the beginning, but once you get used to it no problem at all.

I actually used to ride most afternoons, but then i was getting home a few hours earlier than I'm currently doing.

Like waking up early for a ride, the trick is probably to have everything ready before hand, give yourself less excuses to not do it.

In SA I would go out early too, but I would come back more stressed and ready to moer somebody than before I left. 

 

As you say, the trick is to prep the night before. If I have the smallest excuse to not get up at 5am, I wont. "Oh goodness, I have not taken out the matching socks for todays jersey..." back to bed for me. Even my coffee gets put out. 

[Frosty]

This is one reason why I haven't yet made the transition to the 6-9 slot properly. If baba has a bad night or the wife needs to lie in or or or it puts pressure on that timeslot so I see it as a luxury as opposed to the be all and end all.

 

I refuse to put myself under pressure for what I regard as pleasure.

My wife says “You struggle to get up at 06:00 to get ready for work, but you’ll get up at 05:30 to be out on the road at 06:00 on a Saturday (lockdown) or 05:00 start for a club ride.

 

I do it because it’s the chance to get away from many things, plus (1) a club ride starts on time, (2) lockdown has a three hour window.

[Grease_Monkey]

My wife says “You struggle to get up at 06:00 to get ready for work, but you’ll get up at 05:30 to be out on the road at 06:00 on a Saturday (lockdown) or 05:00 start for a club ride.

 

I do it because it’s the chance to get away from many things, plus (1) a club ride starts on time, (2) lockdown has a three hour window.

And a ride is a hell of allot more fun than work so there's that....