Best recovery tips?

I've started doing a HARD 20 mile group ride on Thursday evenings. The group is really beyond my level, so I'm going at 95-100% max effort for the whole hour plus ride just trying to not get dropped (and getting dropped anyway). For a solid two minutes during the ride last night I couldn't remember where I bought my bike....that I got less than a month ago. And just went back into for a fit last week. So, definitely max effort!!

This is a pretty different type of riding for me, as before this year I was a long+slow type of rider. I have no idea how to recover from this type of effort. I do have chocolate milk as soon as I get home, and a reasonably protein-heavy light dinner/heavy snack. I telework on Fridays, so I sleep in - last night I slept from 10p until 7a - and then drink lots of coffee when I wake up, but I am just physically and mentally WORN OUT. My legs are aching and my brain is on vacation. It is affecting my work performance!

Any suggestions on how to recover from hard efforts, so I don't get fired and have to sell my bikes? :p

Don't forget to massage your legs, arms, neck... It's part of recovery and not just what you eat and drink. And stretch while your muscle is still warm.

I'm not up on what you should be drinking or eating after a hard training ride anymore so my information is outdated. But I will say that to replenish any electrolyte you may have sweated out. Electrolyte can be taken up fairly quickly while hard food takes time except for simple sugar... If you need quick pick up of sugar, eat a banana, boiled potato with skin on, and drink OJ.

"Junk food" for me was fig newton. It has the sugar and some minerals. Great on rides as it can get crushed and still taste good.

Don't neglect your pre-ride nutrition. With an evening ride, it's easy to go out without having eaten since lunch, with your muscles already glycogen depleted. (That can actually happen quicker with a sedentary job, since your body will send sugar to your brain by preference.) If you can eat at work, try having two cups of brown rice or other complex carbs, about three hours before your ride start. If you can't eat at work, try having some simple carbs on the way to your ride, like a 300+ calorie energy bar, a tray of fig newtons, or a package of shot blox. You might replace your water with a caloric drink like HEED, too, but I'd try pre-ride food first. The early stages of depletion don't feel like hunger or bonk to me - it just feels like muscle fatigue, and even if I top up after an effort, I'm not recovered as well the next day, either.

Foam rolling and stretching is good advice. You might try compression hose or an ice bath, though IMO those are more important with efforts lasting 3+ hours.


Or - just to throw something else into the mix, since it's ragweed season here and even with weekly shots, midweek immunotherapy drops and two daily pills I'm still having some body fatigue and brain fog (though not even remotely close to what I'd have without all that treatment!) - is it possible that it isn't the riding at all that's the issue (other than the extent to which you get a whole lot more pollen exposure by breathing hard, outdoors, in the late afternoon)??

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Or - just to throw something else into the mix, since it's ragweed season here and even with weekly shots, midweek immunotherapy drops and two daily pills I'm still having some body fatigue and brain fog (though not even remotely close to what I'd have without all that treatment!) - is it possible that it isn't the riding at all that's the issue (other than the extent to which you get a whole lot more pollen exposure by breathing hard, outdoors, in the late afternoon)??

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Oh this is a very good point. My allergies have definitely kicked up in the past week or two.....breathing hard outdoors for a couple hours could explain a lot of this!!

After a hard effort the body needs carbs to rebuild glycogen levels and a lesser amount of protein for muscle tissue. I’ll have something like a zip lock bag of homemade granola with almonds and dried apricots and maybe some greek yogurt. I drink something with electrolytes and anti-inflammatories (lime, grated ginger, salt and sparkling water works really well for me) or maybe just a V8 which provides carbs and lots of sodium. I rehydrate slowly over the next couple of hours. Later I’ll have something like a salad with beets and sweet potatoes, a fruit smoothie and then maybe a protein shake a couple of hours before going to bed.
After a strenuous effort I start my recovery with a cool down spin the last 15-20 minutes of my ride. When I get off the bike I stretch and/or get a massage or do a self massage

I preload with electrolyte before a hard ride. After, I have a protein/carb snack within 30 minutes, and then a real meal as soon as possible. I am a big fan of Recoverite... it's made a huge different in how I feel the next day after a bug push.

I think part of the issue I'm having is that its only a 20 mile ride, so I don't feel like I get a pass on calories the same way I do after a 50 or 70 mile ride. I don't think I'm under-nourished - my default state of living is always eating a little more than I should ;-) - but having a dedicated recovery drink after feels like overkill to me.

I did have some Gatorade on the ride and ate a banana and granola bar before.

That's the same attitude I had when I used to do an evening ride with a group that was somewhat over my head. Sounds similar to yours. I didn't think I needed to eat for a 25-30 mile ride, I just thought I couldn't keep up. I discovered it completely by accident, one day I'd had a late lunch of beans and rice around 3:00, and I rode SO much stronger that night it was unbelievable. After that, I started making sure I was fueled before the ride, and I hung with the group MUCH better.

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Originally Posted by fallstoclimb

I think part of the issue I'm having is that its only a 20 mile ride, so I don't feel like I get a pass on calories the same way I do after a 50 or 70 mile ride. I don't think I'm under-nourished - my default state of living is always eating a little more than I should ;-) - but having a dedicated recovery drink after feels like overkill to me.

I did have some Gatorade on the ride and ate a banana and granola bar before.

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Going at 95-100% max effort for over a hour+ is what I would call a very hard ride, no matter the distance covered. I prefer natural ingredients for pre-ride, ride and recovery food. Allen Lim’s book ‘the feed zone’ is a good source for maximizing nutritional input before a ride, nutrition on a ride, and getting the most out of you post-ride food.

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Originally Posted by rebeccaC

Going at 95-100% max effort for over a hour+ is what I would call a very hard ride, no matter the distance covered. I prefer natural ingredients for pre-ride, ride and recovery food. Allen Lim’s book ‘the feed zone’ is a good source for maximizing nutritional input before a ride, nutrition on a ride, and getting the most out of you post-ride food.

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I should check that out -- is it vegetarian friendly?

I think it is veg friendly.
I also have to eat right before a ride. If it's in the morning, it doesn't matter how carefully I prepare my pre-ride breakfast. About a half hour before the ride, my stomach starts growling. I usually eat half a Lara Bar or half a banana. I have found out lately that I need to eat more during long rides where I might not be going fast, but I am working hard from climbing. And today, for example, I swept a 30 mile ride. The pace was very moderate, and as the sweep, my pace was even slower, as 2 women were a little bit back and slowing as the ride went on. There were a couple of harder climbs. Despite a good breakfast of egg whites, lox, red pepper, slice of spelt toast, and blueberries, at about 11:15 I felt famished. I had eaten about 1/2 of a Lara Bar after 10 miles. All I could think of was lunch. Goodthing I was going slowly and it wasn't hot.
I led 3 after work rides this year. I had a very large snack at 5 PM, for a ride that started at 6. Ate dinner when I got home, at 8. The pace of these rides is fast for me, and I felt like I was dying the whole time. When I ate a little more before, it was better. I also need more sleep as I get older, and more recovery in general.

I’m vegetarian….there are vegetarian (and gluten free) ingredient alternatives to meat and fish and many just vegetarian recipes. The book made me think more about fueling myself and recovering in more of a scientific way with fresh natural foods.
The ‘feed zone portables’ book has some great recipes for nutrition when riding/hiking etc. The blueberry & chocolate coconut rice cakes are one my favorites.
If there is a barnes and noble near you check their website to see if it’s in stock at that store…that way you can take a lot at the book to see if it’s something you might like.

I will definitely check that out, thank you!

I have all their books. There is something for every diet. Vegan, dairy free, gluten free...

Fails to Climb, I don't think I ever work that hard on a ride, although I do some very long rides or rides with extensive climbing (4000-6000 feet).

That said, I really agree with the comment about making sure you've got something in the tank before you go out on the late afternoon/evening ride. Last week I was riding home from work (just 11 miles) around 6 pm. Lunch at my school is at 11 am, and I don't think I had a snack in between and I didn't have anything with me to eat. I very nearly bonked on the way home. My route is out on the edge of the desert and along a bike path, and it has no services between about mile 5 and mile 9. I thought I could make it home but about mile 6 I felt horrible. I barely made it to the first convenience store. And that was just on a casual ride. (And like you I usually eat more than enough....)

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Originally Posted by rebeccaC

I’m vegetarian….there are vegetarian (and gluten free) ingredient alternatives to meat and fish and many just vegetarian recipes. The book made me think more about fueling myself and recovering in more of a scientific way with fresh natural foods.
The ‘feed zone portables’ book has some great recipes for nutrition when riding/hiking etc. The blueberry & chocolate coconut rice cakes are one my favorites.
If there is a barnes and noble near you check their website to see if it’s in stock at that store…that way you can take a lot at the book to see if it’s something you might like.

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They have some of thier recipes on their website.