Recovery Vs Nothing
 

So lets say you training along nicely. Then one you wake up and your legs are tired, and you are tired etc. Is it better to do nothing (aka watch the sports Game) or go for a recovery ride?

If it's mental, do whatever it is you want to do.

If it's physical, I always feel better after a light spin.

Thing is, its very hilly around here. So its never really a recovery ride, since I have to go up and down a bunch of hills. I end up getting my hr higher than what is recommended for a recovery ride.

When I aint up for it, I aint up for it. The feet go up, the dvd player comes on.

A really light spin is good for your legs if you're tired because it gets the blood flowing and will 'clean up' your legs.

Use a trainer for 20-30 mins if you have to.

Rest.

most articles I have read say that you don't have to go hard all the time. On days when you go slow, go slow. On a recovery ride, if it can't be a real recovery ride, or you wind up getting sucked into a group that comes by, then its not a recovery ride. I agree with pcad, sometimes just stay home and rest. I feel stronger after a day off anyway. I try to take a day off per week. Here, it looks like that going to be today since its raining. I'll do the P90X anyway. That still kicks my butt..

If one isn't taking at least one full day off a week you're either not training hard enough on your hard days, or you're digging yourself a hole you'll have a difficult time emerging from.

Studies have suggested that active recovery is better when it comes to doing multiple sprints in the same workout, which makes sense. If anyone has a link to a study of active recovery vs. passive recovery over the course of a few days I would love to see the link.

Personally, I prefer recovery rides to sitting around doing nothing. It feels more effective to me, but that's just a feeling and it's hardly scientific. YMMV. The biggest thing is to actually keep that recovery pace. If you feel like you can't do it, then don't ride at all. Pushing it too hard will completely waste your day. You can always try the trainer, but that sounds like torture to me. Why not take a walk or something?

There are those days when you just mentally don't feel like riding at all. On those days there's no shame in sitting around doing nothing. Those days tend to happen to me in the winter.

On those days where you do nothing, try doing chores around the house. After washing the car, wash that white garage door. etc.

If you can't do a true recovery ride where you ride very easily and casually, do something different. Go for a walk, do a short light spin on the trainer, do some stretching or yoga. After a long, hard ride, I find going for a walk helps to stretch things out, uses different muscles, and makes me feel more relaxed and rested than I do if I just rest.

I think it also depends in part on what's coming up the next day. Many people are often sluggish after a rest day. So if you've got an important ride the next day that argues for at least spinning.

Pain is my guide. There's just some days when the quads say "NOT today"....if I'm debating within myself, then I go ahead and ride and see how it goes.
After a mile or two, you'll know and you can always cut the ride short if your body starts yelling at you.

I dunno, the day after a rest day is always a sub-optimum day for me.

IIRC, Joe Friel suggested that a recovery ride is great for the highly trained athlete but someone new to cycling/training would benefit more from a rest day off the bike.

It's not that hilly where you are, that there aren't flatish routes you can take. A lot of it is mental, you just have to force yourself to not try to crush the hill.

Some days I'm so tired that I don't do anything. Nothing wrong with being lazy and completely relaxing. If you feel that you MUST do something, lightly spin your legs on the trainer for 45 mins while watching TV. I rarely find myself taking leisurely recovery rides.

take a break and don't feel guilty. rest is good for muscles. so is a 20 min hot bath with epsom salt!

I was doing some sprints and LT intervals. I had a recovery ride planned but I was too tired. Thanks for the replies.

+1

An 11-28 cassette helps too.

That's generally because they're not actually recovered yet.

I'm becoming more of a take a day off after really hard days kind of guy. I've taken the last several Mondays off.

Better be careful... I might become faster than you.... :D

I'm not worried about that

Yiiiiight.