# totally exhausted the day after a hard 70 mile ride.



## tindrum (Mar 5, 2008)

so yesterday was my longest competitive ride of the season, about 70 miles at speed. felt pretty broken down by the end but as soon as i was off the bike and back home i felt good. had a shower, couple beers and dinner, went to bed pretty early. woke up today early, feeling pretty groggy, figured it would go away but it hasn't. i have just been totally spent all day, essentially feeling hungry, thirsty, and like i could go to sleep at any time. it's about 330pm and i've already been putting off riding today since 9am. should i just call it off? is it normal to feel so blown-out after a tough day? really haven't felt this bad yet in my cycling career, so i am having trouble comparing it to anything. i am thinking it is almost what bonking hard must feel like, though it is coming the next day?


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## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

tindrum said:


> so yesterday was my longest competitive ride of the season, about 70 miles at speed. felt pretty broken down by the end but as soon as i was off the bike and back home i felt good. had a shower, couple beers and dinner, went to bed pretty early. woke up today early, feeling pretty groggy, figured it would go away but it hasn't. i have just been totally spent all day, essentially feeling hungry, thirsty, and like i could go to sleep at any time. it's about 330pm and i've already been putting off riding today since 9am. should i just call it off? is it normal to feel so blown-out after a tough day? really haven't felt this bad yet in my cycling career, so i am having trouble comparing it to anything. i am thinking it is almost what bonking hard must feel like, though it is coming the next day?


Assuming you ride regularly and this wasn't utterly off the charts, I'd be surprised that any one ride could destroy you, but sure, a hard ride can merit some extra recovery. Did you eat and drink (sensibly) during and promptly after the ride? Not that a couple of beers is crazy, but it doesn't help. But a one-time thing could be the result of anything (e.g., high pollen count, a cold, dehydration) rather than the ride itself.


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## tindrum (Mar 5, 2008)

it certainly feels like i am disproportionately worn out. i generally have been doing about 20-30 miles a day. i ate oatmeal with bananas and honey and a bit of pasta before the ride, a clif bar, 3 bottles of water, and 2 gels during, and plenty to eat afterwards. i'm wondering if is dehydration. my legs don't feel terribly sore for whatever that is worth.


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## TampaUKfan (May 18, 2009)

Sounds like dehydration but don't count out a sinus infection or allergies.

If your 70 was a group ride then you shouldn't feel too terrible. When I go out for a solo 100 miler I feel whipped for the next two days but I still do my scheduled workouts.

You may have a sinus infection , i had one and did not even know it. My fatigue level after 40 mile ride a few weeks ago was off the charts. The following day I could not hold my usual wattage and felt like I was going to die. I went to the Dr. that afternoon and was diagnosed with bad sinus infection. My Dr. said its very common for cyclists and runners to blame extreme fatigue on a hard workout when its actually a bad sinus infection.


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

Its normal, get used to it, the training/racing cycle should be race/train Vhard recover, rince repeat. Basically you should never really actually get to enjoy your fitness for too long, that just means another session is needed, aaaaand repeat for years. You get to feel fresh for the morning of your next training ride/race and thats it!


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## mootinator (Apr 4, 2003)

tindrum said:


> it certainly feels like i am disproportionately worn out. i generally have been doing about 20-30 miles a day. i ate oatmeal with bananas and honey and a bit of pasta before the ride, a clif bar, 3 bottles of water, and 2 gels during, and plenty to eat afterwards. i'm wondering if is dehydration. my legs don't feel terribly sore for whatever that is worth.


I would say:
1. Only doing 20-30 miles per day up to a hard 70 mile race is insufficient. I think getting in a 50-60 mile training ride a couple of weeks before that would be important. IMO

2. 3 bottles seems waaay to little for a 3-4 hour race. On a training ride for 3-4 hours, I put down 4-5 bottles...depending on heat. Then after a ride, I'm drinking another 2-3 bottles for the next few hours...of course, chasing it with some beers. Again, my 2 cents.

Did you have headaches a while after the race or the next morning? Sometimes that can mean you were dehydrated...


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## tindrum (Mar 5, 2008)

hm. something is still definitely wrong. took a nap yesterday, then slept about 14 hours last night (up from my usual 8 to 10). i'm about to go ride but i still feel like i could easily fall back asleep in no time, even after a good breakfast. my legs feel totally fine today but the general fatigue is crazy. i'm wondering if it is a sinus infection, my nose was running like crazy about 3/4 of the way into the ride. anyway, it's all very irritating. hope the doc can help, going to see him this afternoon.


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## f1oored (Jan 16, 2005)

Did the doc tell you anything? Sounds like you just rode yourself into the ground. Not enough water or food for a 70 mile ride.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

our Saturday racing club hammerfests are 70+ miles of cat 2 and 3 guys just beating each other up... yeah I am wasted on Sunday...

all you can do is rest. hydrate, eat right, go for a walk or short/slow recovery ride.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Probably not enough on-the-bike nutrition during the race. Do you smell ammonia in your urine?

What did you eat/drink?


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