Racing after a week vacation?
 

So I am still new at this. I've done 2 races this month and I'm in the best shape that I've ever been in. There's a race next Sunday that I'd like to do but I will be on vacation from this Saturday to the next with no access to a bike (this includes stationary). I might be able to get in a short ride the Saturday evening before the race. Any suggestions?

a week off isnt going to hurt you too much. Go for an easy ride saturday evening with 2 or 3 thirty second efforts and have fun at the race the next day.

good luck

+1 on what Lith said. You will probably feel a bit "thick" but you'll be fine the next day. I am assuming this is the Carolina Cup. I was going but the wife will be out of town. I'll probably show up to watch with the little one in tow anyway.

Good luck.

Bah, I was off the bike for 30 days in July/August after our baby was born. I race on July 20th then again on Augut 20th with no rides in between and I did fine. It hurt, but I finished just a few slots back from a typical race. A week will feel a bit sluggish, but do some openers the night before and hope for the best. Some of my best racing has come on the heels of being off the bike for 5-7 days unexpectedly.

It's called "Rest". It's a little-known training device that few people utilize.
Your body will love you for it.
But I agree that a hard effort on the day before will be very helpful.

You will have fresh legs.

Go kick ass!

Bob

I've raced after a week off the bike and done great. It usually takes me a while to warm up and the first half of the race my legs feel like lead, but by the end of the race I'm killing it. Like ES said, the rest makes you stronger.

This time of year after a week off on vacation (usually a beach/relaxation oriented family vacation) I come back fat, stale legged, and completely sucky for about a month to a month in a half. I've raced on a sunday after coming back from vacation on a saturday, and have had nothing but maybe a sprint. Any effort was very difficult to recover from, and I had nothing to attack or be active in the race, so I had to play it very conservatively.

After skiing vacations, which pre-child in my life, I would usually take late Feb. to mid-March (during a significant "build" period), I would always come back not missing a beat.

Day before spin with a few snappy efforts would be good, but nothing too taxing that'll have next day fatigue.

It makes me chuckle when I read about taking a week off being such a good thing for recovery etc, if that's the case, then why doesnt everyone take a week off before a big race?

Good point. I am just talking from my own experience. I have done well in races (and on group rides) after a week off, but maybe the causality is incorrect and it isn't the rest that is helping. Perhaps I feel sluggish early, so I sit in most of the race or ride rather than attacking or otherwise working and that is what gives me the good legs at the finish. Or maybe I have done well compared to lower expectations that come from a week off, but not well compared to my A races.

I guess the takeaway is that it is better to race after a week off rather than skip the race because you think you will do poorly.

MD,

you are also talking about a slightly higher level of racing than someone thats only raced twice so far.

yes!

Well, while admittedly you wouldn't want to do this routinely as part of your regular training program it shouldn't really hurt the OP's performance just this one time, especially because he says he's in the best shape of his life.

Besides...we're just trying to encourage the guy to jump in and do his race. Given the choice of sounding negative or sounding positive, we want to sound positive. The glass is half FULL, right?

Bob

Race and have fun without worrying about the result. It the end of the season so you will either have guys that came on late and are flying or people like me that have been going hard since January and are burnt out :D.

I'd do a short ride Saturday with a couple hard efforts to "wake up" the legs.

Personally, I'd ride at least a couple hours w/ some good efforts the night before, then the next morning the same thing early before your event. That way come race time, you at least have a rythym again.

Luckily for you, good form is on your side. Stay away from those vacation buffet lines!

Why? I figure @127lbs. I can eat what I want. :D

Thanks for all the replies guys. I'm planning on doing the race and appreciate all the day before suggestions.

Spoken like a pro/ex-pro. Take your average cat5/newbie/casual rider and tell him to put in a couple hours the night before and morning of and he's not going to make it to the race let alone have good form. That could total he/her weekly time in 24 hours.:)

I thought about that, but figured he was going to have to force some rythym after a week off. I'll give him a break and say an hour each, instead of two. And plenty of pace changes to open up and feel like a cyclist again.

i was off the bike for a month this summer, due to a trip to asia for work. i did nothing to maintain my fitness. quite the opposite if truth be told.

three days after getting back i did a local hammer ride. the next day i raced. ymmv.

Botto, are you a secret agent?