Cycle ride 'comedown'

[2PedalsTez]

Does anyone ever suffer from a down point after a ride, whether it be an event, sportive, audax or even (in my case) day off big ride?

I find I have all the excitement of the build up, the fun of the ride etc and then have that 'aah crap' feeling the next day (much like how people feel at the end of their holiday I guess)

Just curious to see if I am odd or it is a cyclist thing!

 

[roundisland]

I know I'm going to feel crap getting home after my cycle tour in France

 

[Rouge Penguin]

Why have an off day? I'd be out every day if I could. Even after a big event, nothing better than a light ride to loosen sore legs

 

[2PedalsTez]

Why have an off day? I'd be out every day if I could. Even after a big event, nothing better than a light ride to loosen sore legs

Very true!
Maybe that is the point. It is wanting to be out riding again

 

[Steve H]

I generally have a very satisfied smile on my face all evening, even if the body is aching, after a long day ride of any sort.

Not really noticed being down the next day. Well if I have, I've associated it with being back at work rather than post ride blues.

 

[oliglynn]

I think I had a comedown after doing the Cotswold spring classic sportive the other week. The most I'd ridden before was a 90 mile sportive, after which I was in pretty high spirits. I usually finish my regular 30-60 mile rides feeling great!

This Cotswold one was a completely different story. 107 miles in total. The first 40 miles or so were nice and flat, which I really enjoyed, but then after being punished for the remaining 67 with unrelenting ridiculously steep climbs (the steepest I think i'd ever done) requiring some walking, and twisting blind descents which you could get no speed up on, I felt absolutely drained by the time I limped over the finish line with a relatively poor time. I felt crap for the rest of the day, wondering why the hell I'd just put myself through all that, and thinking of jacking in doing sportives.

I consoled myself a little with a beer and a massive burger for dinner.

A day or 2 later it set in that 107 miles is a hell of a way to ride, let alone with all those hills involved, and felt better about having completed it!

 

[funnymummy]

I've been told to rest my knee for a 'few days'...48 hours not on a bike & i'm serioulsy getting the blues - Not sure how long a few days is really - think i'll last another day The weather is fabulous, my bubs want to ride too..Oh Bloody silly knee

 

[ttcycle]

I've noticed very recently the joy of a bike ride does dissolve the following day and kicks off a bit of a low/depression for me- this could be a longer ride or a short one- I'm trying to work out why that is and I think that it's about energy expenditure at the moment.

It could just be the fact that the cycling itself releases feel good hormones such as serotonin etc and if you've had a big release of serotonin etc it might just be a recovery from a large neurotransmitter release the following day; so you have a slightly smaller amount in the brain..however, that is just a hypothesis. This is what happens on come downs from taking illicit substances in the brain-it's the pharmacology of it - however, the high and the spike upwards is much higher than a cycle ride...!