Training & Nutrition - How much recovery time is too much?

Yeah, so i'm in an excersise/cycling frenzy now.
Last week i rode 7 days straight.
3 - 25 mile rides
2 - 30 mile rides
1 - 45 mile ride
1 - 50 mile ride (4th of july)

Since i have gotten serious about cycling about 8 weeks ago, i have dropped from 198 to 184 pounds. that's 15 pounds.

My teammates figured that i had been going too hard so they told me to take a few days off.
So i took thursday and friday off. and just did a VERY short, but hilly 12 mile ride, as a warmup for tomorrow.

My problem is that i've been eating like a pig on the days that i don't ride, and i'm sure i've regained some of my weight.

So do you guys think i took too much time off?
Just the right ammount?

How do yall avoid gaining weight when you take several days off?

i have dropped from 198 to 184 pounds. that's 15 pounds.

Yes recovery is in order. ;) But seriously, good job on the loss.

Since i have gotten serious about cycling about 8 weeks ago, i have dropped from 198 to 184 pounds. that's 15 pounds.

Just take a day off and make sure you're getting enough sleep.


Also, 198-184= 14 ;)

So do you guys think i took too much time off?
Just the right ammount?

How do yall avoid gaining weight when you take several days off?

No.
We cannot properly answer that. Take as much time as you need to recover.

Eat less.

get a HR monitor. Or, when your eyes open in the morning, before your head lifts from the pillow, count your HR using your digital(?) clockradio. If you experience HR creep, then it is time to take it easier.

How do yall avoid gaining weight when you take several days off?
Eat less. No way around it. Your caloric intake should be adjusted daily based on how much you exercise that day. Also unless you want to look like those starving super models hit a gym for some weight lifting. Some of the weight you loose is muscle, specially if you exceed 1lb per week.

One way to not gain weight is to recover the way I do. I never take a day off, but I did miss two days of training in January due to a surgical procedure. I believe in active rest. My day off is a 34 mile spin. I find that my legs recover better from hard training/racing by keeping them moving the next day - not resting them. Having said that, everyone is an experiment of one, and you must find what works best for you. I can't personally imagine a day without at least 2 hours in the saddle.

Yeah, so i'm in an excersise/cycling frenzy now.
Last week i rode 7 days straight.
3 - 25 mile rides
2 - 30 mile rides
1 - 45 mile ride
1 - 50 mile ride (4th of july)

Since i have gotten serious about cycling about 8 weeks ago, i have dropped from 198 to 184 pounds. that's 15 pounds.

My teammates figured that i had been going too hard so they told me to take a few days off.
So i took thursday and friday off. and just did a VERY short, but hilly 12 mile ride, as a warmup for tomorrow.

My problem is that i've been eating like a pig on the days that i don't ride, and i'm sure i've regained some of my weight.

So do you guys think i took too much time off?
Just the right ammount?

How do yall avoid gaining weight when you take several days off?

Remember that when you train, you put stress on your system, and when you take time off, that's when you get better.

I can't be sure without more information, but given the distances you're riding, a short but hilly 12 mile ride is not a recovery ride. A recovery ride is typically a zone 1 ride without much hill at all, and if there are hills, you need to ride them really slowly. Your goal is to get your blood moving but not introduce any stress on your body.

What have you done with recovery nutrition? If you do that well (I like Endurox right after a workout), you will be much less hungry.



A short but hilly 12 mile ride is not a recovery ride.

Recovery time needed depends on many factors. (Age, diet, type of exercise) IMO, if you're thinking about it, then it's time to cut back. A hard week might feel great but keep it up and an overuse injury is probably not far off.
Also weight loss - is that fat or muscle fibre? If your diet is supporting the exercise then great, if you are cutting nutrition to cut out calories you'll pay in performance and injury.

we all need rest. you wont gain back the weight by taking two days off a week. as far as eating, you should eat when you are hungry. its really that simple. later.