Keeping a cool head

[Donk]

Cycling up the hill, I suddenly felt weak. Very weak.

 

Ok, I'm getting on a bit, but I cycle that hill most days and I'm reasonably fit. I pulled over and considered the matter. Checked pulse - fast but strong, so probably not a heart attack. Any other symptoms? None that I could see, just the overpowering need to curl up on that nice soft pavement over there and go to sleep for a while.

 

The temperature was subzero, so I was wearing a little woollen hat, by order of Her Majesty. I took it off to scratch my head, and within seconds started to feel better! In less than a minute I was back up to strength and riding away, with the hat in my pocket.

 

So, what was that all about? Clearly my brain didn't like the combination of exercise and warm covering. I've tried it since, with the same result. No feeling of heat, just weakness, tiredness, mental lethargy.

 

Questions:

 

1) Is it just me? Or is everyone affected to a greater or lesser extent?

2) Does this explain why I work better (and think better) in the small hours of the morning? I've always thought it was a miscalibrated body-clock, or lack of external noise. Could it simply be that it's cooler?

3) And why some of my best ideas come when I'm out walking? Not the fresh air and exercise - just extra air-cooling for the brain?

4) Do IQ tests show differences between warm climates and cold ones? In my case, I'm pretty sure there'd be a HUGE difference.

5) Does this explain why guys wearing thick headgear (police, traffic wardens) often seem stupid and humourless? ;)

 

And so on. Any thoughts?

[Dd'sEvilTwin]

What kind of bike you got...I'm guessing a Hybrid or mountain type.....(yeah I know it's not really related to the question but I'm curious....being bound to my 71 schwin continental winter has been largely off limits thanks to skinny treadless rubber)

 

As to your question I find that the nighttime is the righttime to ride.....because the air has a different cleaner cooler quality...

 

Do you have trouble sleeping at night....too much energy creative and otherwise? an urge to be out and about so to speak ?

[Donk]

You're right - it's a mountain bike. I used to ride racers, but we now have all these great new "cycle tracks" to keep us off the roads and away from the traffic - but the cycle tracks are just part of the pavement with a line painted down the middle. Humps, bumps, potholes, tree roots... you have to have a sturdier wheel to ride over that kind of stuff.

 

I used to have a lot of trouble sleeping, but now I simply stay up until I'm ready for sleep. It's 4.25am right now, and I'm starting to taper off. Maybe in another half-hour... ;)

[Dd'sEvilTwin]

I think a study should be done to prove/disprove great minds tend to be insomniacs

 

As to your experience on your bike I've had the same before.... mostly back in my trail riding days and yeah I think the combination of exertion with heat traps causes the brain to tell the body not to work so hard lest it over heat.....I always tried to wear as little to trap heat as possible.....even in winter it was shorts a light jacket no hat....mostly because it seemed to suck the life right out of me to wear more.