Originally Posted by
Carbonfiberboy
Try this: After a hard ride like that, take one day off. Then ride easily (slowly) 1/2 hr. or so on each successive day until you feel OK.
That would be correct after a ride at proper training intensity - but such a ride wouldn't produce soreness this extreme.
Ride at a pace that just barely breaks a sweat, on the flat or a trainer or rollers. You can do this twice a day if you can fit it in. This does two things: it increases your weekly mileage, i.e. your potential endurance (base),
No! More mileage does not equal more base! The only thing that increases anything is *more stress* - stress => adaptation - and that should be avoided on a rest day.
while it accustoms your muscles to the cycling motion as they repair, and at the same time does no additional damage. My theory, anyway. Works.
That's definitely your own theory and not one I've ever heard propounded by a respectable coach, yes. It does rather fly in the face of all the biology I've ever learned.
Anyway rest day rides at low intensity won't do harm following *correct* training.
I've heard too justifications for their use that make biological sense:
1. They are used mainly in a system where real training rides are mostly hard - very hard! - but short. So the static muscles that support the torso still need conditioning, as these aren't super-stressed the ways the legs and heart are during the short rides.
2. The rest rides stop riders sneaking off too put more mileage in at a higher intensity.
I got this idea from an article by Chris Carmichael, Lance's coach. Lance had two hard classics, a week apart. So all week, Chris had Lance ride 1 hour/day on the trainer at a 114 HR. He recovered very well and won the second classic, IIRC.
Armstrong was maintaining a peak, not recovering from over training.