[bmb032]

So I went to my first race today. It was a 25 mile hilly course. It was over 100 degrees. I hadn't really trained for it specifically though I'm not going to kid myself, I would have had to start training a while back to really be in contention, even in cat 5. I held on to the pack for the first five or ten miles and then I got dropped going up a climb. I felt like I was about to throw up my heart. I formed a paceline with a few other guys and made it back in decent time though I never saw the main pack again. I must say, it was AWESOME. I loved riding in the pack and just being part of the whole thing. I am going to start training hard for the next race so I can keep up the whole time. I think I'm hooked. I think I'm gonna buy Smart Cyclist (I don't think I'm dedicated enough for something like Friel's) and start training.

So, onto the question:
Is there a benefit to doing a recovery ride as opposed to not riding and taking it easy that day? I'm just kind of confused as what exactly recovery rides are and what they are for.

 

[Ventruck]

So far, I know of nothing that proves recovery rides help at all. They work out in the sense that you still want to be on the bike, and I guess fulfilling the idea of preventing "staleness".

But if it were me, I'd just take it easy, off the bike, eating right.

 

[Kerry Irons]

Reason to recover

Is there a benefit to doing a recovery ride as opposed to not riding and taking it easy that day? I'm just kind of confused as what exactly recovery rides are and what they are for.

While the research is mixed on the topic, as long as you keep the pace light they certainly will not hurt you. The argument for them is that they stimulate blood flow and that helps with the rebuilding process. They also give you a chance to just enjoy an easy-paced ride, and for some people whose training approach has driven all the enjoyment out of riding the bike, that is helpful.

 

[kmunny19]

take the recovery ride. if a 25 mile ride is killing you (which it can to any rider if done right) then the light hearted time and bike handling will be beneficial. riding slow helps bike handling very well as the bike provides less stability and asks for yor input more.

 

[Ghost234]

Recovery rides help me quite a bit after a really hard day that I can feel the lactic acid build up. It hurts like hell for the first hour but after that the pain slowly subsides and although it doesnt disappear, I certainly feel better.


Friel's book is definitely worth picking up, even if much of what is said goes over your head. The topic of limiters, building a training plan, and zone training are fundamentals for racers, no matter what category you are.

 

[spade2you]

After a hard effort, I like to take a nice and easy day if I can. I tend to feel a little better when I go out for an easy ride as opposed to taking the day entirely off.

I'd agree that Friel's plan good to follow, although you probably don't need to read the whole damn book. There are a few useful charts that are good general guidelines on how to structure your riding.

 

[ewitz]

Lactic acid dissociates very quickly in the muscle; it does not linger. Although you are using the wrong term, anyone who has raced can appreciate the feeling you are describing, that heavy, fatigued feeling that may lead to sore and tight legs the next day.

Although a recovery ridie after a race does nothing for the lactic acid concentration in the muscle, it will increase the blood flow to the legs. Anytime a muscle is exercised, more blood is sent to that area to both provide oxygen and remove waste products. This increased blood flow may help the legs recover from the race by supplying the building blocks (proteins) necessary to repair and rebuild the muscle, by facilitating the removal of any damaged tissue and by replenishing the energy stores (carbohydrates) to the muscle..

 

[tommyrhodes]

I'm pretty stupid and incredibly un-educated. But. If I do not ride the day after a race or other maximum level effort, my legs will hurt for days. Maybe thats just me. I dunnno. But, thats what works for this guy.
Your best bet is to experiment and see what works for you because imho everybodys body responds a little differently. BUT, i'm no doctor.

 

[Undecided]

Is there a benefit to doing a recovery ride as opposed to not riding and taking it easy that day?

Recovery rides let you chat with riders of the opposite sex who are doing their recovery rides.

 

[bmb032]

Recovery rides let you chat with riders of the opposite sex who are doing their recovery rides.

Nice. Unfortunately I do not live near many cyclists. Come to think of it, I need to ride with a different group when I do go on group rides. There are no women that ride with us regularly.

I ended up doing a slow paced recovery ride. It was kind of nice to just ride without worrying about average speed. Also, my legs feel nice. When I've done hard efforts before and didn't ride the day after, I usually am sore for a few days, but I'm feeling better than usual now. So I think I'll do that from now on.

 

[ericm979]

If I have time I'll do a recovery ride. For some reason when I take a day off my legs sometimes feel "blocked" the next day- they start hurting at a relatively low effort.

Training by average speed is why you got dropped. Races aren't won on average speed, that's for time trials and triathalon.

 

[bmxhacksaw]

I am going to start training hard for the next race so I can keep up the whole time. I think I'm hooked.

Keep in mind that hills ALWAYS string things out so unless you are a 140 pound climber be prepared to somewhere down the line. Good job on getting hooked though.

Also, I would suggest Carmichael's Time Crunched Cyclist. It really did the trick for me.

 

[wim]

so unless you are a 140 pound climber be prepared to somewhere down the line

The OP may well be below 140 lbs.