One of the things I enjoy about all this running and general exercise lark is observing the effects and results of various methods and types of training, techniques of doing things etc. You can read all the books and articles but actually experiencing the results firsthand is so direct and ... well, interesting. to oneself, of course. My wife and kids find my excitement about heart rate zones and cadence possibly not quite so absorbing.
Wife and kids, however, are off on holidays for two weeks at the moment, sunning themselves while I stay behind to feed gerbils, fish, cats, dog, chickens, sheep, pigs, cows etc. Well the sheep and cows pretty much feed themselves, but you get the picture. The upside of this arrangement is that I can go out and run or go to the gym whenever I want when not working or feeding animals, so I have been getting at least two sessions in every day, running and spinning, and weights workouts as and when, which is great.
Which leads me to my observation du semaine: at first I was getting up and going for my run at 5AM, then doing my work and going to spin in the evening. This was a disaster. Spin sessions were absolute murder. Not form a cardio point of view but just my leg muscles, thighs specifically, simply had nothing left in them. I could barely turn the pedals, and they ache ferociously afterwards, even with foam rolling and ice. If I spin first and then go for a run, however, I have no problem at all, and actually find the run easier. It doesn't make a difference if I run immediately after or hours later.
Weird, n'est ce pas? Any theories?