recovery rides for beginners

[lordofthemark]

So. day after my first above 25 mile ride,which ended up being 29 miles, mostly on the MVT.

“you should get outside dear. Why don’t you ride again?”

Well, I’ve heard references to recovery rides. And its a nice day. And this would be a chance to give Annandale another change as far as riding.

So ride up Hummer. Up the long hill up to Royce. And its, like not much fun. I decide to cut it short, at just under half an hour. MAYBE if there was somewhere relatively flat to ride around here (other than Little River Turnpike) I might have done a bit more.

So, are recovery rides only something part of a “training regimen”? Is it something beneficial for everyone after a long (for them) ride?

Meanwhile I will get my exercise today by gardening (only mowing and weeding, I’m afraid – lots of neglected weeds)

Topic

[Nubbs]

I always do a recovery ride, It helps to clear the acids out of my muscles and makes the following day not as painful. I do try to do something a little less intense for the recovery ride.

For instance, Yesterday (Sat) I did 70 miles, Today I did a recovery of 20 miles on the flats at Hanes Point.

My legs feel tired right now but not sore and I feel as though I could go out and ride some more.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@lordofthemark 57772 wrote:

So ride up Hummer. Up the long hill up to Royce. And its, like not much fun. I decide to cut it short, at just under half an hour. MAYBE if there was somewhere relatively flat to ride around here (other than Little River Turnpike) I might have done a bit more.

So, are recovery rides

Were you heading north or south? If south, why not turn around at the LRT service road to Lafayette Village drive.? If north, go up a bit further to Marshall.

[fuzzy]

I apologize for the ignorance of this question- so if I work out, how come i don’t do a recovery work out the next day so I don’t feel sore. What if I don’t recovery ride bur instead just rest one or two days and go do another ride? Will my legs get bigger after 2 months of this?

[Amalitza]

@lordofthemark 57772 wrote:

So, are recovery rides only something part of a “training regimen”? Is it something beneficial for everyone after a long (for them) ride?

I don’t know the real answer. But in my experience, if I have sore muscles, I benefit (get less sore faster) from doing some light exercise the next day. If I just have tired muscles, I’ve never noticed a difference between “recovery” exercise and just plain rest.

[Steve]

@fuzzy 57778 wrote:

I apologize for the ignorance of this question- so if I work out, how come i don’t do a recovery work out the next day so I don’t feel sore. What if I don’t recovery ride bur instead just rest one or two days and go do another ride? Will my legs get bigger after 2 months of this?

I’m no expert, but I believe the basics are that working out for long periods of time (I believe especially with long cardio) builds up lactic acid in your muscles. It stays there basically until you sweat some out. Doing light cardio (such as a recovery ride or run) can help move lactic acid out of your system without adding new lactic acid. Just resting will not help much with displacing lactic acid, and will therefore not actually help you recover nearly as much, and will take longer for you to feel good.

[Dirt]

For me, recovery rides are mostly mental. I want and need to go out and ride the day after a big effort… whatever that may be. My legs feel better. My mind feels better.

Chris Carmichael says it well:

The concept is ridiculously simple: Take a very easy spin on your bike. To be honest, there’s little scientific evidence that recovery rides are any more beneficial—physiologically—than sitting on your couch. The same can be said for massage, but athletes and coaches swear by both as ways to enhance between-workout recovery. Both help athletes feel fresher and looser for their next hard training session. And there’s a clear psychological benefit to that.

Go super easy… spin your pedals… smell the roses… Have a fun ride. It liberates the mind and the legs.

Hope that helps a little.

Pete

[lordofthemark]

@ShawnoftheDread 57777 wrote:

Were you heading north or south? If south, why not turn around at the LRT service road to Lafayette Village drive.? If north, go up a bit further to Marshall.

North from Championship. I’ve done Lafayette Drive too, this time I tried Hummer again. maybe Lafayette would be better for a “recovery” ride.

[dasgeh]

I like going on more “transportational” rides (rides to get somewhere, vs just a loop) for “recovery”. I saw that you can ride to Mosaic — maybe ride over there and enjoy a “special treat” or a movie or a chat with Dirt.

[Tim Kelley]

@Steve 57784 wrote:

I’m no expert, but I believe the basics are that working out for long periods of time (I believe especially with long cardio) builds up lactic acid in your muscles. It stays there basically until you sweat some out. Doing light cardio (such as a recovery ride or run) can help move lactic acid out of your system without adding new lactic acid. Just resting will not help much with displacing lactic acid, and will therefore not actually help you recover nearly as much, and will take longer for you to feel good.

FYI–It’s not lactic acid that makes you feel sore, and you don’t sweat it out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/16/health/nutrition/16run.html?_r=0

http://www.active.com/mountainbiking/Articles/It_s_not_about_the_lactic_acid__Why_you_re_still_sore_after_yesterday_s_ride

[Steve]

@Tim Kelley 57809 wrote:

FYI–It’s not lactic acid that makes you feel sore, and you don’t sweat it out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/16/health/nutrition/16run.html?_r=0

http://www.active.com/mountainbiking/Articles/It_s_not_about_the_lactic_acid__Why_you_re_still_sore_after_yesterday_s_ride

See, I told you I’m no expert.

[txgoonie]

Purely anecdotally, I find that a recovery spin — as opposed to a complete day of rest — helps. If I have a very tough workout, I feel very creaky walking around the next day. A spin seems to lube up the legs so I don’t experience that. Also, a recovery spin helps me not feel quite so sluggish trying to get started for the next real workout.

If you’re a runner, a recovery activity the next day — either a bike ride or a walk — makes a huge difference. Very different sport, though.

Also, on a tangential but related note, a cool down after a workout is very important. That’s why you see riders in the Tour on their trainers even after a very long, hard stage. Those 15-20 minutes following a hard workout are super critical to avoiding crazy soreness the next day.

[PotomacCyclist]

I often do a recovery bike ride right after many of my harder run workouts. I find that much of the post-run muscle soreness and tightness disappears after I do my post-workout stretching routine or a recovery bike ride. On running forums, a lot of people say that they just sit around after a run, sometimes falling asleep. Then they complain about hurting all the time. (Some misguided people actually say things like “running is supposed to hurt,” which should not be true.)

I think the extra circulation helps to push nutrients to the muscles and tendons (protein) while possibly flushing out metabolic wastes, like ammonia and other nasty stuff. I think the post-workout stretching helps to loosen up adhesions in the muscle fascia and it seems to calm down microspasms in the muscles. I like to stretch after every run and strength workout (not before), but I don’t always stretch after easier bike rides.

[lim]

@Dirt 57785 wrote:

For me, recovery rides are mostly mental. I want and need to go out and ride the day after a big effort… whatever that may be. My legs feel better. My mind feels better.

Pete

This. Exactly.

Even if a little bit of you wants to go out to ride again, its time to get out there and do so. Everything feels better after

[PotomacCyclist]

Triathlon/cycling coach and author Joe Friel also says there is a difference based on the experience level of the cyclist.

He says that for beginners, a rest day might be the best option. But with more experienced cyclists, they usually get more out of an easy recovery ride on the day after a hard workout than a complete rest day.

This might be one of those situations where you have to learn how to listen to your body. And take notes on how you respond to either the rest day or an easy recovery spin. Good nutrition, avoiding excessive stress, and plenty of sleep are also important for recovery.

[Dirt]

Basically what I said is the wise thing to do…

I often end up stacking hard workouts on top of each other in order to train for doing many hard days in a row. You really have to listen to your body and know when it is time for a more serious rest if you do things this way.

Lots of good information here. Thanks y’all for contributing.

Pete

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