Recovery Century?

[Machka]

I had a tough week ... 61 hours of work between my two jobs, 13.5 hours of which were at the job where I spend the entire time standing, walking, and doing heavy lifting ... plus two heavy workouts at my spinning class and in the gym after.

My quads, hamstrings, and especially my calves were TIGHT!! When I got up this morning to start my century, I was hobbling around and wondering how this century would go.

For approx. the first 120 kms, my quads burned/ached, and my calves felt like they were on the verge of cramping ...... and then ..... at some point after about the 120 km point, all of a sudden I noticed that my legs felt fine. It was like they finally loosened off, and they feel pretty good now. :)

I was questioning riding this century last night, and a couple times earlier today, but I'm glad I did it!!


Ever ride a "Recovery Century"? :D

[Richard Cranium]

are you noticing any climate change in your area? Seen any polar bears?

[Machka]

are you noticing any climate change in your area? Seen any polar bears?

I noticed a whole lot of climate change in my area DURING my century today! Wind, calm, sun, clouds, rain, snow, sleet, and temps ranging from +1 to +8.

After below average temps in January and February here, it is finally thinking about spring. We might actually see leaves on the trees in about a month!

[Red Rider]

For approx. the first 120 kms, my quads burned/ached, and my calves felt like they were on the verge of cramping ...... and then ..... at some point after about the 120 km point, all of a sudden I noticed that my legs felt fine. It was like they finally loosened off, and they feel pretty good now. :)
Ever ride a "Recovery Century"? :D

I have not; every century is an event, although an easier & more frequent event than the previous ones.

It sounds like you finally warmed up :roflmao: I find it takes me about 20 mi. to get really warmed up to my ride, be it 30 or 130. OTOH, that may be my age coming into play.

Either way, sounds like you got past your fatigue & found a new level of riding. Way to go! :beer:

[Thulsadoom]

Hate to say it Machka, but that just sounds like age creeping in on ya. I've found that as I've aged, it takes longer and longer for my body to warm up to exercise. I can ride just as far, usually just as fast as I ever could, once everything starts working, but it takes longer and longer for everything to loosen up and start working in the mornings, especially if I'm a little stiff to begin with.

Or maybe we just know from experience to take a little more time warming up in order to prevent injury when we're stiff from a hard week. Yeah, that's it!

[Six jours]

Age? I dunno. I think it would be more charitable to call it a sign of fitness. When LeMond won the world championships in '89, he mentioned that he'd felt terrible the whole way, and it was only in the last hour that his legs started to come around. So it took him five hours at 25 MPH to "warm up" and I didn't see anyone calling him an old man at the time!

Personally, I've always noted that it takes me longer to warm up the fitter I am. When I'm completely detrained I can hop right on the bike and be ready to go (slowly). When I'm on top form (and I'm going from long-term memory on this one, believe me) my legs don't even want to turn over until I've been on the bike for an hour or two.

[Carbonfiberboy]

"I always say" that after the first 50 miles, it doesn't matter what you did last night or even last week. After that, it becomes a question of what you did this year, and who you are. I've sometimes felt bad the first whole century and then had a great second one.

But was this "recovery?" If you can hit 95% MHR during intervals on Wednesday, then yes, it was recovery. Otherwise it felt good, but it added to your training load.

[oboeguy]

Ever ride a "Recovery Century"? :D

Not exactly but after the last 200k I did in October I felt terrific -- my HR was 58bpm at the line shortly after getting off the bike. I've never had anything like that happen before (or since!) though I seem to get stronger on the backside of 200k events.

[Machka]

Not exactly but after the last 200k I did in October I felt terrific -- my HR was 58bpm at the line shortly after getting off the bike. I've never had anything like that happen before (or since!) though I seem to get stronger on the backside of 200k events.

On quite a few of my 200Ks I have negative splits ... I seem to start slowly and take a while to get into it, and then all of a sudden I blast off (comparatively speaking).

[jschen]

"Recovery century"? Is that like riding a 200k brevet after having been off the bike for two weeks? If so, yes. Or is that like after having had a long, hard week with no time to ride, going out to ride a century because it gives one a long day in the saddle and out of the office? I've done that before, too.

If it means recovering from other physical activity, I have other ideas of what recovery should look like. They tend to involve snoring.

[zonatandem]

The best 'recovery' century is doing 2 or 3 back-to-back centuries. Been there, done that and felt great.

[Road Fan]

I had a tough week ... 61 hours of work between my two jobs, 13.5 hours of which were at the job where I spend the entire time standing, walking, and doing heavy lifting ... plus two heavy workouts at my spinning class and in the gym after.

My quads, hamstrings, and especially my calves were TIGHT!! When I got up this morning to start my century, I was hobbling around and wondering how this century would go.

For approx. the first 120 kms, my quads burned/ached, and my calves felt like they were on the verge of cramping ...... and then ..... at some point after about the 120 km point, all of a sudden I noticed that my legs felt fine. It was like they finally loosened off, and they feel pretty good now. :)

I was questioning riding this century last night, and a couple times earlier today, but I'm glad I did it!!


Ever ride a "Recovery Century"? :D

I always wonder if the nerves just broke, and I just can't feel that I'm ailing!

Inspiring story, Machka!