A few thoughts on recovery

[Joe Chapline]

@jrenaut 9333 wrote:

Seriously, reading this forum is worse than clicking on all the “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought” links on Amazon. I imagine all other posters here living in 5,000 sq foot warehouses filled to the brim with bikes, clothing, accessories, and all the other necessary things for comfortable cycling.

I’m not into much of the biking gear, but I am getting quite a collection of travel mugs.

[pfunkallstar]

Ditto – I don’t have much depth when it comes to accessories – but I’ve got a stockpile of rims that are just waiting to be laced up.

[Dirt]

@jrenaut 9333 wrote:

I imagine all other posters here living in 5,000 sq foot warehouses filled to the brim with bikes, clothing, accessories, and all the other necessary things for comfortable cycling.

It won’t be much of a surprise to y’all that this isn’t too far from the truth for me. I’m fortunate that I have an understanding wife that likes what makes me happy. I think she’s also relieved that I’m no longer building race cars.

[PotomacCyclist]

After hard or long rides and workouts, I cool down with a few minutes of easy riding or walking. Then I do my stretching routine. (I’ve modified the stretches so I can do them outside without having to lie down on a mat or the ground.) I follow that with water and calories. I’m not too particular about the carb/protein ratio (3:1, 4:1 or whatever). I’ll have various items, from carrots or a banana to Clif bars, almonds and/or a regular meal. The post-workout recovery period is one of the few times when I can tolerate more sugar. The body can process the sugar more efficiently at that point and restore the glycogen supplies in the muscles and liver.

If it was a very long ride, then I’ll try to have a regular meal, after the immediate recovery calories. I might have this meal within an hour or two after the recovery calories.

I’ve found that stretching helps quite a bit with localized muscle fatigue and low-level soreness. Even after a long run (2 hours or more) when my leg muscles are weary, they seem to get recharged almost immediately once I go through the stretching routine. Then the recovery calories continue the recovery process.

I try not to walk or stand around too much after a really tough workout. Massaging the muscles can help. An easy swim can also help with recovery. Sometimes on the same day as the hard workout, but usually on the following day.

***
Now that I’m finished with all of my major races for the year, I don’t plan on doing any super-long or tough workouts for the rest of the calendar year. I’ll take it a bit easier. By November, I’ll try to be more consistent with riding (and running) again but no speedwork or tough hills until December or January.

If people are doing a lot of athletic training and racing, it can be a good idea to take an off-season break. It shouldn’t be the entire off-season. A couple easy weeks can be enough. After that initial easy recovery/rest period, I plan to include more variety for a couple months. Perhaps more strength training than I did over the summer. If we get more snow this winter, then I might even take up cross-country skiing for a month or two. It’s a great aerobic workout and it’s better suited to wintry conditions. Admittedly it’s not so great for commuting.

[mstone]

For a nice, seasonal recovery drink, try egg nog–it’s festive and yummy.

[Author]

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