Originally Posted by
RJBTrek
I started racing last year with just a handful of races. Three weeks ago I raced for the first time this year (cat5) and have been training hard since. Last Thursday I worked very hard for about 90 min on intervals and since then my legs have been really tired. For example, I rode Sunday and my legs were burning and weak but my heart rate was only 135. I have also been dieting by focusing on protein instead of carbs. I have races coming up this weekend and besides just resting, I would like to hear suggestions to help speed my leg's recovery (o yeah....and I'm 47).
Questions, at minimum, you need to answer for yourself: What did you do in the 3 to 6 months prior to your race 3 weeks ago? What did you do in the 3 weeks leading up to your "tired legs"? What is your rationale for dieting and what strategy are you following? How long have you been on your diet? How many kcal are you consuming? What is the percentage of your diet from carbs? protein? fats? Are you hydrating adequately? With what? What does a HR of 135 mean for you relative to your LTHR or your training zones? How did you establish LTHR and training zones? Was this avg HR for the ride? HR observed instantaneously when your legs "burned"? What intervals did you do on last thursday for 90 mins? What did you do Fri/Sat/Sun? Legs were burning ... when? entire ride? on hills? during efforts? Could you sustain efforts despite leg discomfort or did you get psyched out by your low HR?
Answer these questions for yourself and you'll probably start to be able to determine where you're training shortcomings are originating.
Rest might be the answer, cant really tell, but I'd bet that "tired" legs are originating from: 1 - inadequate preparation/training, i.e. you're not in shape to be able to handle the demands of racing and training; 2 - inadequate diet to meet your body's recovery needs; 3 - inadequate recovery from prior workouts by poor hydration and nutrient intake.
Other than rest, which is hard to convince yourself that you need (I know, I'm often guilty of this as are nearly 100% of all bike racers), maybe try a massage, if you can get one scheduled and completed today/tomorrow at latest, they can really go a long way in recovery ... and get off the atkins, I doubt it's helping you at all.