How much 'rest' after a bike trip?

[easterbird]

Hi, I rode BikeVA last week and completed 322 miles, not walking any hills(many folks did) and getting some reasonable speeds for several days (I am a C+ rider in my club i.e.13-14 mph for 30-45 miles with 50-60'ascent/mile). Reasonable to me for this terrain was lowest 12.5 to a high 14.3. There was plenty of elevation change except for my fast day(only 55'/mi)

Not bragging(no, Really,setting the stage. I did it but arrived home feeling like I worked VERY hard. Achy,sluglike. So I took two days off the bike and rode on Sat(a hilly club ride @>70'/mile for 45 miles). I expected to feel good,getting in shape and all that;however, instead it was a real struggle to come in at 12.9 mph!
Question is how much recovery time do you expect it to take to recoup after a 5 day back to back ride of 320+ miles. Should I still be taking it easy or am I just goofing off. Should I just keep pushing it?

I'm 61.5 years old and biking about 3 years. I need input-Thanks for any suggestions

[shootingstar]

Congrats. for a good ride that you did!

EAch person is different for recovery. Reward yourself with a rest day or cycling slowly for a shorter distance locally. Enjoy yourself.


Got any photos for us?

[Thorn]

An item missing from stage setting is how many miles do you normally do per week vs the tour distance?

Shootingstar has a good point, "everyone is dffierent". I'm 10 years your junior, but I ride at about the same speed as you. I normally do about 150-ish miles/week. After a ride that covers twice my distance, I'd reward myself with a week of taking it easy -- walks if I felt like it and shorter, flat distances (don't push yourself--ride at an effort that feels like a casual stroll).

I'd not be surprised to feel sluggish for a week or so after that--more if I pushed it really hard. Studies show that the rest phase is more important the older we get--easy days after every hard effort and an easy week ever 3-4.

You'll see gain from your effort if you make sure to give your body rest. Not necessarily a day -- just a day at lighter effort.

http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/8844.html

[tulip]

That was a hard ride. I took Monday off because I had to work, but I'm glad I did. Five hard days straight takes some time to recover from. I bet you'll be back to your normal speedy rides in another week.

[easterbird]

Thanks for your comments. I believe I see what I should do: however, doing it will be the trick. There is something about my bike(must be possessed?) that makes it want to go as fast as it's 'motor' can make it go. Riding slower is really difficult for me,go figure. It is usually easier for me to stay off the bike than to actually 'do' a recovery ride. I tell myself I will and then... But okay, I checked out the link and considered what you've all said. Tomorrow a slowish,flatish ride it is. And sorry, no pictures from Bike VA but oh what beautiful scenery in my memory!

[easterbird]

oh,forgot. Mileage: I didn't ride much this year about 300 miles a month for March, 250 April and 280 May. In June I started ramping up.First week 150 and second week 220 and third week(BikeVA) 320. Looking at numbers now I am thinking I may have tried to ramp up too quickly?

[Jiffer]

It's extremely normal for your body to need more recovery time after a ride like that. There are some folks who wouldn't need so much, and you might become one of those people eventually, but right now your body is apparently telling you to take it easy this time around.

It's typically good to do a "recovery ride" after a strenuous ride (in your case rides, plural). My friend and I typically do a 20 mile flat and "easy" ride after a particularly long and/or grueling climbing ride. (Easy meaning we go slower pace and distance than usual). Many believe it helps your muscles recover better than doing nothing at all. Walking and other activities that get your legs moving in a not too strenuous way are also good.

Just this year I did the Solvang century with 4500 feet of climbing, which is much more than I had ever done at that time. My body took a couple of weeks before it felt strong again, while my friend felt strong within a couple of days. I still rode, but had to take it easier. A couple of months later I did the same amount of climbing as Solvang in only 43 miles and had similar recovery issues. I developed DOMS, apparently. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It comes on 24 to 48 hours after you've pushed yourself way passed your usual limits (for some people). I walked down the stairs backwards for a couple of days!

However, since then, I did a century with 8500 feet of climbing (almost double what I had done before) and recovered MUCH faster ... no DOMS ... then eventually did the same climbing training ride that I had developed DOMS after before ... and two days later was able to PR a pretty strenuous club ride. (PR being my personal record).

So, in my experience, when I first push myself to new limits, my body needs a lot more recovery. When I continue to push to those same limits, my body gets used to it and recovers much more quickly. The more you ride, the more you'll know what your body can and should do after a strenuous ride. General rule would be to "plan" to take it easy if you're not sure, but if your body seems up to it, go ahead and push yourself more. Sometimes I don't know until I'm out riding if I need to take it easy or not, climb less, ride slower, let my friend pull me the whole way ... but I generally still ride.

[tulip]

easterbird, for a recovery ride, why not ride your bike into town, do some errands, see some friends, etc. It's even easier if you have an around-town bike.