Best recovery tips?

[fallstoclimb]

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?

[smilingcat]

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I'm not up on what you should be drinking or eating after a hard training ride anymore so my information is outdated.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.

[OakLeaf]

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)??

[fallstoclimb]

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)??

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!!

[rebeccaC]

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

[Irulan]

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.