
Originally Posted by
XMcShiftersonX
I have also been wondering about some of these same questions myself. I currently ride maybe 3 times a week outdoors depending on the weather, which lately hasn't been too good! So it seems like I get in one really hard ride a week 40-60+ miles with 2000+ feet of climbing. Then, I'll do what I call my recovery ride, which is about 22 miles on flat, and I'll go at whatever pace feels comfortable to me, without pushing myself. Of course, I have no idea if this is correct or not. Somewhere in between I'll do a moderate ride of maybe 32 miles rolling hills. I've also wondered how soon before and after a difficult ride can I do my recovery ride? My last ride that was 63 miles, I did the 22 mile flat ride two days before. It seemed to work out just fine. This week I plan to do it the day before my 65 mile ride. I don't know if that's a bad idea though.
A recovery ride is after, not before, a hard effort. Before a hard effort, you might do an easier or shorter ride in an effort to rest your legs, but that's not a "recovery" ride.
I don't tend to call my rides "recovery rides" unless I'm truly recovering from a hard effort. If I'm just tired or want to ride easy or socially, it's just "a ride." But then, that's likely just semantics. Frankly, I'm really off my game right now so everything feels like a recovery ride.
Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.
--Mary Anne Radmacher