Training & Nutrition - Quick Recovery - Rest / Ride / Eat - How Much?

This is really a question about fairly quick recovery. My challenge is that I have signed up to ride 3 double centuries on consecutive weekends.

Hemet Double: Oct. 3, 200 miles 7,800 feet of climbing
Bass Lake Powerhouse Double: Oct. 10, 200 miles 9,400 feet of climbing
Solvang Fall Double: Oct. 17, 200 miles with 10,300 feet of climbing

On the good side, they are progressively more difficult so one could be functional training for the next.

However, I do have to recover as well as I can from one before I start off on the next.

What is the best way to do this? Should I ride at all in between, or just super-easy recovery rides?

What kind of food and/or suppliments should I be eating for the six days between double centuries?

I eat mostly liquid food (Hammer Sustained Energy, Perpetuem, Hammer Gel) on the doubles themselves.

Note: I am somewhat trained, having ridden six double centuries already this year, so I'm not a newbee at doubles, but 3 on consecutive weekends will be totally new for me!

Rick / OCRR
Old Guy . . . 59 years, which may be a consideration

Hi Rick- the most important thing for fast recovery from long hard rides, for me, is to replenish my glycogen. That means a recovery drink (commercial or homemade) right after the ride/race, and a decent meal not too long after that. Try to not stop eating for the last couple hours of each event.. you have to eat for the next one too.

Instead of taking a day off after each event, do a really easy recovery ride. That helps flush the bad stuff out of the legs. For the second and third events, do even less during the week than you would normally before a double... you not only have to taper, next event you have to rest from the last one. You might consider trying to keep your weekly mileage about the same, just with the bulk of it on one day. But I would definately ride most days. It may be different for you but I feel pretty wierd and don't ride well if I take a couple days off. You can even go reasonably hard, just keep the rides short and the hard efforts shorter.

This (http://www.bdopcycling.com/Amino%20Strong%20-%20Home.asp) may help if used on the bike. It works for me if I am doing a Stage Race.

Hi Rick- the most important thing for fast recovery from long hard rides, for me, is to replenish my glycogen. Try to not stop eating for the last couple hours of each event.. you have to eat for the next one too.

Instead of taking a day off after each event, do a really easy recovery ride.

Thanks for the advice Eric and Bob,

I use a product called "Recoverite" after training rides, but I've never thought to use it right after a double. Great idea! I'll mix up a bottle of Recoverite and leave it in my cooler so it's easy to grab immediately after I finish each double.

And yes, good idea on the recovery rides too. I'll often do recovery rides on my fixed gear bike on the local MUP (bike path) from my house to the beach and back. I also do training rides with the fast guys on the club rides, but only when I'm fully recovered, and I may pass on those until after I've recovered from the Fall Solvang double.

Rick / OCRR

Detailed advice from a first rate coach - this is so good I don't want to try to excerpt from it, but notice the importance of cool-down and keeping calories and especially water going while you are on the bike:

http://www.cycle-smart.com/Articles/find.php?search=25

I'd also add that in my opinion you should avoid sports drinks and other foods with pure fructose - when it hits the liver the liver stops doing *everything* else to process the fructose.

Thanks meanwhile!

Excellent article!

Rick / OCRR

Thanks for the advice Eric and Bob,

I use a product called "Recoverite" after training rides, but I've never thought to use it right after a double. Great idea! I'll mix up a bottle of Recoverite and leave it in my cooler so it's easy to grab immediately after I finish each double.


Rick / OCRR

it's not a good idea to mix up before the double. it could get funky, but then again you are putting it in a cooler.

it's not a good idea to mix up before the double. it could get funky, but then again you are putting it in a cooler.

True whitedemOn, If it gets warm and sits around awhile, well, I'm not sure exactly what happens, but it's not good! I was just thinking if I could pre-mix it and keep it cold, that would delete the mixing time from my post-ride recovery drink.

Not to mention, but I will . . . that I may be too tired to get it out, measure it and mix it after the ride and therefore it's less likely to actually happen. I'll add more Motel-Ice before I take off and it should still be cool 15 hrs. later. Or . . . I may get a Motel with a fridge! Yeah, I know, not at Motel 6 :roflmao2:.

Rick / OCRR