Resting up vs. pushing too hard

[RolliePollie]

You might also want to think about "recovery rides" after a hard ride. Just take the bike out and spin easy to get your legs moving, but not working hard. DH swears his muscles recover so much faster after running a marathon, riding a century or anything really strenous, when he does a recovery run or ride later that same day and/or the next.

Sounds like we're at a similar level. I ride 90-ish miles per week right now. I feel I'm doing amazing for me! Pushed myself to do a climb yesterday that I've only done on the tandem before. And it wasn't too horrible! That's a good thing!

Oh Jiffer, I like knowing there's someone out there at about my same level! I'll be thinking about you when I'm out riding. I've never ridden a tandem though, so you've definitely got me beat there!

I'm struggling a bit with recovery rides. Because of the terrain around here, I can't avoid hills. Unfortunately there is really no place I can ride that would just be an easy spin. Even my short 10-11 mile loop has about 850 ft. of climbing. It sounds like I'm whining...but really I'm not! I am beginning to appreciate the topography around here because I know it's making me a stronger cyclist. But I feel like I have to look at other options if I want a recovery-type activity. So what I'm trying to do instead is go on walks after longer rides. It does seem to help keep the muscles loosened up. If I do a relatively hard ride in the morning, I try to walk 3-5 miles in the evening. And if I take a day off from cycling, I'll do a walk that day as well. I'm also trying out recovery drinks. Not sure I'm noticing a difference yet, but time will tell!

[Geonz]

I am also a big fan of "recovery rides," if only because I commute so I'm going to be riding every day. There are commutes where I work up a veritable lather; but if it's after a long day... then it's an early start and a low gear. I let the body dictate, although sometimes I'll be cruising and realize that I really could and should kick it up a bit. I am *strongest* after restful days. (Okay, I'm chomping at the bit!)

[Jiffer]

Unfortunately there is really no place I can ride that would just be an easy spin. Even my short 10-11 mile loop has about 850 ft. of climbing.

I have a lot of climbing here, too. The first thing I do when I turn off my street is go up hill, but I don't know how it compares to your . For my 12 mile standard ride, which I would typically do for a recovery, I start out at a 3% grade, which becomes 7.8% for a bit. Total climbing for that ride is about 600 feet. I used to think that it was impossible to go up that incline at a "recovery" pace. It just seemed that no matter what gear I was in, I'd be "working it", so might as well push harder and get it over with. However, I have learned that I can put it in a really easy gear, push fairly minimally and simply go really, really slow up that incline! But if the incline is a lot steeper, I don't know if that would still work for a recovery ride. Do you know what your incline percentage is?

I too am happy to meet someone with a similar ability. How fast do you ride? My "fast" ride today was 12 miles, with those inclines at 15.5 mph average. My last "long" ride was 25 miles and was a 14.9 average. I'm really motivated to get my speed up. I'm the slowest cyclist I personally know! I'm riding with a friend next week, who is a stronger rider. We've mostly only ridden tandem with our Dh's together. The only time we rode singles together was a short group ride where I was bringing up the rear and really working it, while she said it was a fairly easy ride for her! However, that was only my 2nd time out on my single and I know I'm already stronger since then, so I'm really curious how we'll do together. I'm sure she'll push me to do more than I normally would. She's already suggesting a really difficult ride. A 27 mile ride with a SERIOUS climb. I just did it for the first time on the tandem and can't even imagine doing it on my single yet ... but I'm actually thinking about going for it. We'll see!

[RolliePollie]

How fast do you ride? My "fast" ride today was 12 miles, with those inclines at 15.5 mph average. My last "long" ride was 25 miles and was a 14.9 average. I'm really motivated to get my speed up. I'm the slowest cyclist I personally know!

Well, now you know a slower cyclist!!!

Around here locally, I average about 12.7-13.7 for my longer 20-30 mile rides and up to 14.3 for my shorter 9-11 mile rides (I just made it to that 14.3 tonight...and strangely, I felt slow tonight!). I don't really know what % the inclines are, but sometimes I'm going about 3.5 mph in my granniest of granny gears. The last time I rode the wonderfully flat bike trail down in Sacramento, I was able to average 16.4. I'd like to get somewhat faster on my local rides but I seem to be pretty well stuck with these speeds. However, my stamina has improved dramatically (i.e. no rest stops versus 1-2 rest stops just a few weeks ago), so I'm very happy about that. What I'd really like to do is conquer a hill or two in my middle ring instead of my granny gears! But heck, that's what those grannies are there for, so I might as well use them, right?

[Starfish]

What I'd really like to do is conquer a hill or two in my middle ring instead of my granny gears! But heck, that's what those grannies are there for, so I might as well use them, right?

Sara, wish you were bringing your bike up next week...I think we would be similar riders.

But, about the middle chainring. A couple weeks ago I was out on a loop I hadn't done for awhile. One one certain hill, that I ALWAYS use my granny chainring for, I was shocked when I got to the top and went to shift to learn that I had ridden up it in the middle ring, without realizing it!

So, maybe that will happen for you, too!

[RolliePollie]

Sara, wish you were bringing your bike up next week...I think we would be similar riders.

I really wish I was bringing my bike up too!!! It will be 6 days without riding...oh my, I hope my muscles don't just wither away! But I kinda doubt we'd be similar riders...you rode all the way up Hurricane Ridge for goodness sakes! There is no way I could do that yet

And Flybye - I loooove your recovery ride idea! I'll have to find someone to help me out with the ride back to the car though. When I was a kid, we used to ride to "town" (all downhill) and then call our parents from a pay phone so they could drive down and get us. It was fun...but we didn't even wear helmets back then! AHHH!

[Starfish]

But I kinda doubt we'd be similar riders...you rode all the way up Hurricane Ridge for goodness sakes! There is no way I could do that yet

Well, I don't know you, but I read your posts, and your workouts, and I think you might surprise yourself.

[Flybye]

Because of the terrain around here, I can't avoid hills. Unfortunately there is really no place I can ride that would just be an easy spin. Even my short 10-11 mile loop has about 850 ft. of climbing. It sounds like I'm whining...but really I'm not!

I have a solution for the hills.
Step 1 - put your bike on rack on your car.
Step 2 - drive to the top of the longest hill.
Step 3 - loosen your car's battery terminal so that car will not start. Also DH or other person will not suspect your plan.
Step 4 - take bike off of rack and turn odometer on.
Step 5 - ride home down hill
Step 6 - eat a banana and have a glass of lemonaide while you call DH or other person to come fix your car
Step 7 - smirk the entire time and call it a recovery ride. recommend this method to other TE'ers.
Step 8 - go to the getting to know you post and insert this in the "what is the biggest lie that you have ever told" spot.

That's my 2 cents worth!!

[RoadRaven]

Oh Flyebye... too much!




I like... I like muchly!!!

[Jiffer]

Flybye - I love your detailed list of instructions. In regards to the riding only downhill plan, my sister and I drove to the top of a hill a few times and ran down to the bottom for our first ever "run a whole 3-ish miles without stopping or walking" runs. That was before I retired completely from running and eventually took up cycling which is SO way much more hugely fun!!!

RoadRaven I've never heard anyone else use the word "muchly"! I use it from time to time! Got it from an old friend who used to say it.

Sara If you have more and/or steeper hills than I do, then you may be about the same level as me, or better. And, by the way, my pace average doesn't include stopping to rest or stopping at signals. My computer pauses when I stop.

What you said about taking less breaks, I can relate to that! I was proud of myself yesterday for not stopping at one of my usual rest spots. I have a goal to stop less and less. I don't stop a ton, but more than I want to or probably truly need to. I'm one of those people who sort of eases into things. I hate to push myself "too much", otherwise it won't be fun and I won't want to do it. (i.e. retiring from running!) However, there are days that I really want to see what I can do if I push myself and I surprise myself sometimes!

[RoadRaven]

RoadRaven I've never heard anyone else use the word "muchly"! I use it from time to time! Got it from an old friend who used to say it.

My Poppa used to use it... he did lots of "fun" nonsense stuff with words... when I had been sick he would ask if I was feeeling betterly...
My poppa was pretty cool...