Recovery?
They're golden. You might not recognize it, but they are.
First, let's get this out of the way: What IS a recovery ride? In short, if club or group rides are on a Saturday, its the one you do on Sunday. Think about it. After your Saturday ride, you're probably completely spent Sunday morning. You have little energy, you ache and have very little interest in getting back on that bike. You'd rather sit and watch TV.
But the best thing you can do for your fitness is do just what you don't want to do - get back on the bike for a recovery ride.
The following tips will help you handle a recovery ride.
1. Relax. Don't forget your goal is to recover from the stresses of yesterdays ride, not create new stresses.
2. Use your Garmin/Strava
Just like many other situations, it's best to reduce recovery rides to a numbers game. You manage the stress level by concentrating on keeping your speed down.
3. Spin Spin Spin
Stay in low gears throughout your ride. Your purpose is to give your muscles the rest they need but allow for increased blood flow. A good mantra is "keep in mind, there is no grind."
4. Plan
If you're intent on meandering on your recovery ride, just be mindful of the amount of time you spend on the bike. A good rule is a recovery route should be 40 - 60% of the length of the ride you're recovering from.
Here are some videos to help you understand how to get the most out of recovery rides.
Should you or should you not?
Recovery ride or rest week?
