Training & Nutrition - How many days off a week do you take?

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Diggy18
10-03-04, 07:50 PM
How necessary is it to set aside one day a week on which I will not ride the bike at all?

Instead of having an "off" day, does it make sense to just have a "light" day? Would a 5 mile ride to the Post Office spoil the recuperative benefits of an "off" day?

I mean, I know we need to rest our bodies, but our bodies were built to move, right? Do we really need a day to not move?


Crunkologist
10-03-04, 09:14 PM
I would think it depends on how hard you train. If you're at the threshold of overtraining, then a totally inactive day would be superior to a 5 mile ride day, I'd think.

Chris L
10-03-04, 09:23 PM
Most weeks, none. Having said that, my commute is 25km and totally flat. If I'm feeling tired I can just take it easy -- which is basically the same thing.


DXchulo
10-03-04, 10:29 PM
Most of the training guides I see say light/off on rest days. That means you can ride for 5 miles, just don't get your heart rate very high. The problem I have is that 5 miles turns into 10 and I want to start going hard. Another thing to consider is that absence makes the heart grow fonder and when I take days off I seem to enjoy the next day more. But if just sitting around is bugging you, then 5 miles shouldn't hurt.