Importance of recovery days.

[Sharky]

For lifestyle reasons, I am restricted to riding only on Wed, thur or Friday. So try and get out on each of those days and then no riding from sat thru Tuesday.

So last week crammed three rides in and felt a bit jaded by the end of the week. But today, on a very damp day, my legs seemed to have springs in them and sped round one of my loops almost 2 mph faster!

It's always surprising how much better you feel after a few days break.

 

[Grant Fondo]

i spent a week cycling every day N Wales/Anglesey last summer, totally whacked by the end of it! Best to have a day or two between them unless short rides ... it was a different story 20 years ago mind ....

 

[Alex321]

I usually have at least one day per week not getting on the bike at all (usually Thursday), and one or two more where I will only do a short ride (around 10-12 miles, 35-45 minutes).

 

[CXRAndy]

I try and race on Zwift 3 days a week, with one or two gaps between events. I find it Keeps my fitness quite high. If I then want to do a sportive say a 100 miler, I can change to endurance for 6 weeks to get saddle fit.

 

[Norry1]

Recovery days are when your fitness grows as that is when the body rebuilds.

 

[fossyant]

Commuting five days a week can be a killer by Friday. I'm only doing 3-4 days commuting, but last week ended up doing five days consecutively Sunday to Thursday. Felt a bit knackered bit Thursday on the way home.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Exercise makes you weaker, recovery makes you stronger.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Exercise makes you weaker, recovery makes you stronger.

That can't be true.

I'm doing about 6/7 days recovery for every day's exercise at the moment.

I'm still getting weaker.

 

[Sharky]

Well this week, I hammered myself with three consequative days riding. For me, this means 3+ hrs for the week, totalling 40 miles.

Not a lot for some youngsters on here, but quite enough for me. Let's see what the next 4 days of resting does and what happens next week.

 

[DogmaStu]

I take at least one day a week off from cycling and sometimes two. I listen to my body, if I'm feeling sluggish, lack of energy then the next day is generally for recovery. The 5 - 6 days I do ride, I only really do stronger efforts for 3 of them. Zone 2 rides are very important.