Training & Nutrition - Slow Muscle Recovery

This is kind of a newb question but lately my legs have been very sore. I haven't been doing hard or long trips at all and they still seem even more sore then the day before last. Is this maybe because I've not been eating enough protein to recover those muscles? If so how many grams should I be consuming a day? By the why I am pretty sure the saddle is the right hight (I'll double check) and I don't pedal in high gears that often.

As i've gotten older I find that it takes me longer to get over sore muscles. Try a google search on "Delayed onset muscle soreness" and you'll find a bunch of stuff, some of which may even be credible. Additional protein is not one of the treatments most of these sites list, probably because the average western diet has plenty of protein in it.

Usually, as you get used to an excercise you stop getting this, though. And generally, bicycling is pretty low-impact, and I, anyway, never got _real_ sore from it. Perhaps someone with more knowledge will chime in here...

Have you given yourself time off the bike?

I am also finding as I get older, it's quality, not quantity that matters. If I try to push through several days with sore legs, my time goes down. But if I take a day off from riding (sometimes two), I find myself coming back with some strong legs and faster times.

Take a day or two off and see what happens.

Koffee

I have the same problem as the OP. At 41, I do push through the pain sometimes because, frankly, I'm addicted to my saddle time. I really hate to think it's because I'm getting older though... ;) On days it's really bad, I take an easy, flat 10 or 15 mile route and don't push it.
The only thing that makes the soreness go away though is a day off the bike :(