Draggin'

The mighty dragon raised his head, ready to unleash a fiery death upon the town dwellers below. But wait; what's this? A lovely young maiden stepped from the crowd. She offered herself to the dragon, pleading that he spare the others and take her instead. The dragon was so taken by her beauty, that he began shedding tears of joy. Unfortunately, his tears were so massive that they flooded the town and all perished...
Oh, wait...you mean "dragging", not "dragon", huh? What I meant to say is that I have been dragging the last few days. I was feeling so rundown yesterday that I could not pull together the strength to ride in to work. Had to admit defeat and take the car. I know I should not complain, but the heat in San Diego has been unforgiving. After days of it, I am completely drained. It just has been too hot to get a good, restful sleep. Sometimes, as much as I hate to admit it, I need a break from the normal bike commute.
So, what do you do when you're just too tired to ride? Commuters can be notorious for riding in "no man's land". We are riding in a constant physical effort zone that does not offer much physical improvement, but is a hard enough effort to wear us down over time. Alternating easy and hard effort days can help. On the easy days, ride at a pace that feels too easy, maybe even guilty. Use lower gears and spin easy. On the hard effort days, push it a bit and throw in a few really hard effort bursts. This can help to "wake up" your muscles. I'll admit that I am a victim of "no man's land". I find it difficult to ride easy when I have to get to work, plus I have hills to climb, no matter what. But, I am trying to be aware of it and force myself to ride easy on the easy days. Altering your route, even by just taking a different side street for a block or two, can provide the visual variety you need. Bike commuters will often seek out different routes to work or home. Sometimes even a longer route can be just the change to revive the soul.
If you are already worn or burnt out, go ahead and skip a day or two. Take public transit if available, bum a ride with someone, take the car if you have to. You body needs to recover or it will only get worse.
You know it's true - eat right and get plenty of rest. Riding takes a lot of energy. Make sure you are replenishing you body of the water and nutrients it needs. Riders just starting out may not realize how much more food they need to eat. Just make sure it is healthy food. You'll need carbohydrates and protein. Eat sensibly and you should be fine. Commuting by bike does not give you the excuse to eat an extra doughnut or cookie at work, although I have been guilty of it once or twice.
If you are more mentally than physically tired, a non-commuting type ride may be in store. After work or on the off day, plan a leisurely ride with no real time commitment. It can be a planned destination ride or just a wondering ride with no set route. Either way, this is a ride to break away from the daily got-to-get-to-work-right-now routine. Let you body and soul rediscover the pure simple joy of riding a bike.