Cycled to work - feel crap
Discussion
The title say it all, I'm just baffled as to why.
My normal workday routine is get up at 0530, crap, walk dogs for 15 mins, followed by breakfast, shower and an 8 mile commute by car/van.
Today I have finally achieved an ambition which has long eluded me, mainly for practicality reasons (i.e. needing vehicle for carrying/travelling during day) of cycling into work on mtb. I got up at normal time, ate breakfast and headed straight out. I didn't take the most direct route, opting to add in some of the Cannock Chase Follow the Dog and some cheeky singletrack sections I know, and despite this, plus losing my bearings in a council estate and taking a sub-optimal route through it, I did the trip in an hour dead. But I feel knackered - like I've been up all night, or stepped of a redeye flight - and don't really know why.
I normally ride faster and for longer, midweek evenings or during the weekends, so I've no idea what's up. Any ideas/help?
My normal workday routine is get up at 0530, crap, walk dogs for 15 mins, followed by breakfast, shower and an 8 mile commute by car/van.
Today I have finally achieved an ambition which has long eluded me, mainly for practicality reasons (i.e. needing vehicle for carrying/travelling during day) of cycling into work on mtb. I got up at normal time, ate breakfast and headed straight out. I didn't take the most direct route, opting to add in some of the Cannock Chase Follow the Dog and some cheeky singletrack sections I know, and despite this, plus losing my bearings in a council estate and taking a sub-optimal route through it, I did the trip in an hour dead. But I feel knackered - like I've been up all night, or stepped of a redeye flight - and don't really know why.
I normally ride faster and for longer, midweek evenings or during the weekends, so I've no idea what's up. Any ideas/help?
It could be, although I've done that at weekends for leisure and have also cycled after lunches without similar.
It was unusually overcast and dark here today, especially at the highest point of the ride and I did wonder if the light levels were partly to blame. I had a feeling of gradually wanting to go back to sleep, rather than the adrenaline waking me up.
It was unusually overcast and dark here today, especially at the highest point of the ride and I did wonder if the light levels were partly to blame. I had a feeling of gradually wanting to go back to sleep, rather than the adrenaline waking me up.
Body shock
When I first started commuting years ago, Id hit 2pm then I would feel like s
tte! Couldn't work out why, as I cycled a fair bit , but the ride in really killed me! After a few months I felt fine.
For me it was just the shock of exercising intensely so early, my body wasn't used to it, I find commuting different from normal riding, as you ride at times and conditions that you wouldn't normally. For example, would you normally get up at 7am to ride 10 miles at a good pace in the cold and rain? NO, you would normally choose a nice warm evening and a bit of time after so you can sit down and relax!
The above applied to me anyway, I also need to up my food and calorie content if I ride everyday, as otherwise I wither away to nothing, I'm already a huge eater!
When I first started commuting years ago, Id hit 2pm then I would feel like s
tte! Couldn't work out why, as I cycled a fair bit , but the ride in really killed me! After a few months I felt fine. For me it was just the shock of exercising intensely so early, my body wasn't used to it, I find commuting different from normal riding, as you ride at times and conditions that you wouldn't normally. For example, would you normally get up at 7am to ride 10 miles at a good pace in the cold and rain? NO, you would normally choose a nice warm evening and a bit of time after so you can sit down and relax!
The above applied to me anyway, I also need to up my food and calorie content if I ride everyday, as otherwise I wither away to nothing, I'm already a huge eater!
I think I could have eaten more yesterday and I'm feeling hungry now, so that certainly fits with what you're saying.
Earliest I ever set off for a ride at the weekend would be about 0830, but TBF I wasn't caning it this morning and would usually ride harder and faster either night rides or weekends. In fact, it was not as 'fun' as I thought it would be - I was fluffing rooty sections that I;d normally piss on, partly due to running higher tyre pressures for speed/road sections but mostly due to feeling dull.
Right now though, I don't feel too motivated for the return trip, especially since it's more uphill to kick off with!
Earliest I ever set off for a ride at the weekend would be about 0830, but TBF I wasn't caning it this morning and would usually ride harder and faster either night rides or weekends. In fact, it was not as 'fun' as I thought it would be - I was fluffing rooty sections that I;d normally piss on, partly due to running higher tyre pressures for speed/road sections but mostly due to feeling dull.
Right now though, I don't feel too motivated for the return trip, especially since it's more uphill to kick off with!
Digga said:
Normally out walking dogs in all weathers and have, in the past, run at that time of day too.
The reason I ask is because when I first started to train early, I struggled with energy levels. Took me a while but now its my preferred time to train, as long as its under 2 hours for practical reasons. Wacky Racer said:
Did you go to bed at your usual time?
I reckon it was just because of your change of routine.......
Yes, and probably, yes.I reckon it was just because of your change of routine.......
JEA1K said:
The reason I ask is because when I first started to train early, I struggled with energy levels. Took me a while but now its my preferred time to train, as long as its under 2 hours for practical reasons.
It is a distinct possibility, although given it is only ever going to be random days that I'm able to bike in, i think I might just can the idea.WinstonWolf said:
Give it a chance, you'll get used to it and feel ace in time 
This ^^and This...
TwistingmyMelon said:
When I first started commuting years ago, Id hit 2pm then I would feel like stte! Couldn't work out why, as I cycled a fair bit , but the ride in really killed me! After a few months I felt fine.
And perhaps a ropey nights sleep to cap it all off.You can over think these things. You could have low blood sugar, crappy sleep, mild infection on the way in & all sorts. The thing is to put it behind you & keep plugging away. Cycling regularly will reward you quite quickly but over doing it or going out on days when you're out of sorts for one reason or another are can be very dispiriting.
Justin Cyder said:
You can over think these things. You could have low blood sugar, crappy sleep, mild infection on the way in & all sorts. The thing is to put it behind you & keep plugging away. Cycling regularly will reward you quite quickly but over doing it or going out on days when you're out of sorts for one reason or another are can be very dispiriting.
Yep.Sometimes I really don't feel it in the morning, but usually once I've had a shower and got to my desk I feel great. Last night I wasn't feeling the ride home at all until about halfway home when I got the hammer down. When you're starting up especially I think it's important to stretch properly after the ride too, just a couple of minutes running round the major muscle groups, get the tightness out.
All of the above. I started exercising in the morning about 6 years ago. Took me about 3 months to adjust and make habit of it. 6 - 8 months in I got to the point where if I didn't exercise first thing three or four times a week, I felt something was wrong / missing.
I'm just about to get back in to cycling, but do 90% of my gym work and running before 8am (even on a weekend) and love that keeping myself healthy doesn't detract from the rest of my day.
Keep going. It's even better in winter when you're one of the only ones out there.
I'm just about to get back in to cycling, but do 90% of my gym work and running before 8am (even on a weekend) and love that keeping myself healthy doesn't detract from the rest of my day.
Keep going. It's even better in winter when you're one of the only ones out there.
ShortShift811 said:
Keep going. It's even better in winter when you're one of the only ones out there.
Pretty amazing right now:
I know the terrain well though, and it will be a real slog in winter - a lot of places that have not a bit of 'roll', even on slight downhill gradients!
Only snag for me is that work/transport requirements dictate the need for four wheels, so I'll only ever be an occasional cycle commuter. I'm not abandoning the idea though, perhaps I'll just see it it goes next time and try to rest and fuel accordingly.
Jayfish said:
You lucky bugger having Cannock on your commute, did Dalby, Sherwood Pines and Cannock last week, Cannock was easily the most fun.
I tried to ad in some 'interset' on the way in which was all of about 1 section of FTD (newly resurfaced, flowy bit from Tackeroo) and some guerilla singletrack - perhaps a mile out of the 8 commute - and I reckon it perhaps added about 10 mins over the direct journey at that. So it's not all beer & skittles here. 
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