Exhaustion the day after a ride

[kajero]

I went on a 34 mile ride yesterday. The weather was gorgeous. I went on trails.

Today I am exhausted but have no sore muscles. All I want to do is sleep and eat chocolate. It isn't too much of problem (well the chocolate probably is) because I don't have a job anymore and can "loaf" during the day. I still don't like the lack of energy feeling.

This happens frequently when I got on rides over 12-15 miles.

What causes this? Am I eating/drinking incorrectly before/during/after the ride? How many miles should I ride before taking a break? How long should the break be? I do take breaks of about ten minutes every 20 miles.

I usually have a banana and peanut butter toast before the ride
I had been eating the Special K protein bars during the ride, but I really don't like them that much.
I do make sure to eat protein (cottage cheese, cheese, almonds), have an apple or orange, and drink lots of water after the ride.

[Penny4]

This used to happen to me when I first started riding. But as I became better conditioned it didn't occur unless i pushed myself to a new milestone.

[Owlie]

I think some of it's down to conditioning. How long are your rides normally? Are your trails hilly or flat? A banana and toast wouldn't be enough for me before a ride, but I think you'd notice it ON the ride first.

[OakLeaf]

Do you have your recovery snack within an hour after the end of your ride? Your muscles are primed to replace the glycogen you've burned, but the window starts closing half an hour after you stop, and returns to baseline within about two hours. For me it manifests in both ravenousness and lethargy for four or five days, if I neglect my recovery nutrition, although it usually does take a longer ride/run for me to deplete.

[Crankin]

+1 to everything, but...
I know now that I need more recovery time, as I age. I hate to admit this, but it's true. Even if I eat perfectly, drink, and all the stars line up, I have to be careful, or I send my body into overdrive. Now, I am prone to over training syndrome (since a young age), but now, I have to take 2 rest days a week. Usually, one of them is an active recovery, like walking or yoga, but some weeks it's 2 full days off. I find that since i added in the boot camp, the recovery is even more important. For example, Friday I did a short ride, Saturday, a fast 40 mile ride, with small rolling hills. Sunday, I took a 3 mile moderate hike, and yesterday I went to boot camp. I started feeling horrible yesterday after boot camp; my immune system is in overdrive, as usual. I should have skipped the hike on Sunday, even though it was a "recovery" activity. When I do a fast, hard effort for me, I need more time. It's either this, or not be able to do all of the stuff I love.

[PamNY]

+1 to everything, but...
I know now that I need more recovery time, as I age. I hate to admit this, but it's true. Even if I eat perfectly, drink, and all the stars line up, I have to be careful, or I send my body into overdrive. Now, I am prone to over training syndrome (since a young age), but now, I have to take 2 rest days a week. Usually, one of them is an active recovery, like walking or yoga, but some weeks it's 2 full days off. I find that since i added in the boot camp, the recovery is even more important. For example, Friday I did a short ride, Saturday, a fast 40 mile ride, with small rolling hills. Sunday, I took a 3 mile moderate hike, and yesterday I went to boot camp. I started feeling horrible yesterday after boot camp; my immune system is in overdrive, as usual. I should have skipped the hike on Sunday, even though it was a "recovery" activity. When I do a fast, hard effort for me, I need more time. It's either this, or not be able to do all of the stuff I love.

+1 to what Crankin said.

The need for recovery time is one of the most important things I learned when I returned to cycling at age 58.

In addition, it's quite normal to feel tired if you more than doubled your usual mileage on the 34-mile ride. If you increase you distance gradually, you should be able to handle longer rides with no problem as long as you schedule rest days.

[ny biker]

I went on a 34 mile ride yesterday. The weather was gorgeous. I went on trails.

Today I am exhausted but have no sore muscles. All I want to do is sleep and eat chocolate. It isn't too much of problem (well the chocolate probably is) because I don't have a job anymore and can "loaf" during the day. I still don't like the lack of energy feeling.

This happens frequently when I got on rides over 12-15 miles.

What causes this? Am I eating/drinking incorrectly before/during/after the ride? How many miles should I ride before taking a break? How long should the break be? I do take breaks of about ten minutes every 20 miles.

I usually have a banana and peanut butter toast before the ride
I had been eating the Special K protein bars during the ride, but I really don't like them that much.
I do make sure to eat protein (cottage cheese, cheese, almonds), have an apple or orange, and drink lots of water after the ride.

Protein is for repairing and growing muscle. Carbohydrates are for replenishing energy. If you're craving sugar then you probably need more carbs.