Good advice--especially about riding sometimes further than you need to in order to get in better shape for your usual ride. It's true that you have to stress your body in order to improve physically. The trick is doing it gradually enough that you're tired, but not actually hurting. I would add that as you get older, you can still do a much BUT it will probably take you longer to work up gradually to a decent number of miles. A 19 year old can train to ride 100 miles real fast, but it might take a 59 year old a few weeks or even months. Fortunately, most of us get more patient as we get older!

I did about 5,000 miles a year for many years until my recent health problems. It sounds like a lot, but it really isn't so much if you ride every day, as many of us transportation cyclists do. A hundred miles a week, or 10 to 20 miles a day--really not bad at all.

If the issue is indeed recovery, then one big thing that has barely been mentioned is nutrition. How is your omega 3 to omega 6 intake ratio? As a chef you might now about how much oil (and omega 6) the average diet consumes, which I hear greatly impair recovery. For one thing, seems people consume way to much food processed or cooked with not-good-for-you oils such as corn, canola, sunflower, soybean etc. that all lead to muscle inflammation. I hear even most olive oil is no good - cut with other cheaper oils.

Also stretching was mentioned but I have found rolling to be more effective for some things like calves (I just use a short bit of PVC pipe). Often times if you have damaged spots then simply stretching will tend to overstretch the areas that don't need it and understretch the areas that do. In many cases stretching can be unnecessary. Instead the damaged areas need stimulated to break up scar tissues and promote circulation. Putting pressure on the area instead of attempting to stretch a whole muscle group can be beneficial.