Rest & Recovery for a new guy

[Jeepfreak81]

Hey all,

So after blowing up my first turbo I now have my replacement and I've put in a couple days of decent rides (for me). I've been out of the biking game for quite some time. Bought a 29er MTB about 5 years ago but never really got back into it. Now I really NEED to get back into cycling for my health, and it's something I always enjoyed.

So this doesn't really matter in regards to my question, but I'm currently indoors on a trainer using Bkool.

My question really comes down to rest days and recovery. I'm starting out slow, doing 2 miles at night after I come home from work and I'll move up from there as I get my cardio and strength built up. However, what should I be doing for rest and recovery? At first, I planned on pedalling everyday that I can, but maybe I should have rest days?

Any advice on the topic is much appreciated, I want to get healthier and drop some weight but I know there can be a delicate balance between working out and recovery. It's been a while for me

 

[ColinJ]

I think at this point you would be fine just pushing yourself when you feel energetic and resting when you don't!

 

[screenman]

How unfit are you? My recovery ride would be about 10 to 15 miles at a nice relaxed pace, something around comfortable talking pace.

 

[Crackle]

I don't know what intensity you're hitting but 2 miles is going to equate to about 10 or 15 minutes. Even if you are in poor shape you'll soon find that no problem. The trick is not to go all out at the beginning and end. so you could spend 5 minutes very gently winding things up, 5 or 10 minutes at a sustainable effort and then wind it down gently over 5 minutes.

I would aim for maybe three days a week for a few weeks and then 4 and then every other day and add more or take a rest as you feel the need. You could also begin to change the nature of the ride over that time but you'll need a few months behind you as a base before you really start to ramp it up.

That's my suggestion, others may well vary, as ever but it loosely mimics what I have done before but I know what suits me, it's harder to say for someone else.

 

[ColinJ]

How unfit are you?

I think that is pretty clear from the first post!

 

[screenman]

I think that is pretty clear from the first post!

I cannot figure out if his recovery is the 10 minute ride.

From his picture he does not look unfit.

 

[ColinJ]

I cannot figure out if his recovery is the 10 minute ride.

From his picture he does not look unfit.

Well, the way I read it is that the '2 mile' (turbo 'miles') turbo sessions ARE the exercise NOT the recovery. That does imply a very low level of fitness so I can see why Jeepfreak feels the need to do something now for the sake of his health.

Good luck to you, @Jeepfreak81 - it is amazing how quickly your fitness will improve if you stick at it.

A friend of mine started commuting to and from work by bike, less than 2 miles each way, and was doing a slightly longer ride of 5-6 miles at weekends. He didn't tell me that he was doing it but I noticed straight away when I visited him 3 months after he had started his new regime. He had lost about 20 pounds in weight, had a sparkle back in his eyes, and was not falling asleep every few minutes while we were chatting! Unfortunately, his job got moved beyond cycle commuting range so he stopped, and he lost all of those benefits over the following 3 months.

 

[Jeepfreak81]

Well, the way I read it is that the '2 mile' (turbo 'miles') turbo sessions ARE the exercise NOT the recovery. That does imply a very low level of fitness so I can see why Jeepfreak feels the need to do something now for the sake of his health.

Good luck to you, @Jeepfreak81 - it is amazing how quickly your fitness will improve if you stick at it.

A friend of mine started commuting to and from work by bike, less than 2 miles each way, and was doing a slightly longer ride of 5-6 miles at weekends. He didn't tell me that he was doing it but I noticed straight away when I visited him 3 months after he had started his new regime. He had lost about 20 pounds in weight, had a sparkle back in his eyes, and was not falling asleep every few minutes while we were chatting! Unfortunately, his job got moved beyond cycle commuting range so he stopped, and he lost all of those benefits over the following 3 months.

Thanks for the tips and encouragement. The biggest reason I feel unfit is because when I took my new desk job 9 months ago my physical activity went down to almost nothing. I put on 30 lbs since then so my cardio needs work and I could stand to loose 40 lbs.

The 2 mile rides so far have been taking around 10 minutes, and that's enough to get the legs burning, the sweat pouring, and out of breath. Hoping to progress to 20 minute rides pretty quickly. I will keep at it and rest as needed. Wasn't sure if there were any recommended recovery tips I should be implementing as I progress.

 

[Alan O]

My only real suggestion is to warm up slowly, then give it a bit of power as far as it seems comfortable, and then wind it down slowly again. The overall distance doesn't really matter right now, and if you stick to what feels comfortable, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised by your progress.

A 2 mile ride? That's a lot better than a zero mile ride, and it's a great start.