Originally Posted by
bigdo13
So yeah, what are the opinions on recovery rides, or more specifically, the time honored tradition of going out for a quick 2 or 3 hour spin after a big day to prep for the next day which is another big to medium effort day?
I've been doing them for some time now (years) and honestly they seem to only make me more tired... Even if I stay well below my max threshold heart rate and even if I'm still eating and drinking properly on the recovery ride I end up feeling like crap the next day or at best just apathetic and not mentally keyed up....
I've been reading a lot about recovery rides and there seems to be some proponents in the cycling world that don't think they're necessary at all and just favor "recovery" bar none over them....my thing is though, why would all the pros do them if they didn't work right??
Shed some light on this for me with your own experiences/opinions brethren....
What gives here?
How is it possible that you are at a level where you call a 2-3 hour ride a 'recovery' ride and also state that you have been doing them for years even though in your own words they have basically been doing the opposite of recovery
("they seem to only make me more tired")
How did you get to that level in the first place and for what purpose are you riding if I may ask?
What was the "big" ride the day before the recovery ride and what are you prepping for in the first place?