yesterday I rode 70km in an offroad endurance race
my legs are not shot today but I'm wondering is it best to do a quick recovery ride today or stay off the bike?
ericm979
07-06-09 01:53 PM
An easy recovery ride, and I mean really easy, works better than not doing anything.
tadawdy
07-07-09 07:44 AM
when people talk about recovery rides, what exactly are they talking about?
palesaint
07-07-09 08:22 AM
Originally Posted by tadawdy
(Post 9232518)
when people talk about recovery rides, what exactly are they talking about?
Basically, a ride where you allow your previously-taxed muscles time to recover. This concept is almost an art more than science. The general theory is that riding hard day after day doesn't allow your system time to heal, thus hampering improvement.
When I have time, I like to do a light spin with VERY low hearrate immediately after an intense effort like a race. The next day is often then a "recovery" day. The proper thing to do is either go for an easy ride (maybe around an hour, keeping heartrate low) or even take the day off. Most people believe an easy ride is best, as you keep the blood flowing and help aid repair.
msincredible
07-07-09 10:47 AM
It's a good time to go for an easy ride with friends or family members who aren't hard-core into cycling. :thumb:
ericgu
07-07-09 10:00 PM
A recovery ride will help. It needs to be easy enough so that you don't put any training stress on your system. For me that means about 45 minutes, just enough to get my legs warmed up and to work the kinks out.
