Timing your rest/recovery...
Bhima
Posts: 2,145
How much difference can changing your training/rest routine make?
I've been pushing really hard recently and currently ride about 200-250 miles a week from Tuesday to Saturday and use the Sunday and Monday for rest (sometimes having a 3rd day off on Tuesdays too).
I'm thinking about changing it around so that I go out and train one day, followed by a day of rest, as opposed to splitting the week into two "blocks" of training and rest. This would mean i'd train 3 days a week and then 4 days a week.
Is there any difference between these two methods? Which works best?
I've been pushing really hard recently and currently ride about 200-250 miles a week from Tuesday to Saturday and use the Sunday and Monday for rest (sometimes having a 3rd day off on Tuesdays too).
I'm thinking about changing it around so that I go out and train one day, followed by a day of rest, as opposed to splitting the week into two "blocks" of training and rest. This would mean i'd train 3 days a week and then 4 days a week.
Is there any difference between these two methods? Which works best?
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what are you 'training' for..?0
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Nothing specific - just trying to increase overall strength so I can ride faster for longer and up hills quicker - lactic threshold stuff and also trying go longer distances each week. I want to get into road racing but at the moment it's just for general fitness/fun...0
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With work at the moment I can manage to get out nearly every day, so in a similar boat to you. My tips are simply to eat well, sleep well, and listen to your body. If you feel strong go for it, if you feel tired ease off. If you're young and fit you can probably get away with doing something everyday (even a quick hours recovery session on your off days). I feel worse after a complete rest day than I do after a week of consecutive rides!"A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"
PTP Runner Up 20150 -
Yeah, i'm at UNI - and the hours I have there are arranged in a way which gives me loads of time to get out and ride. Originally, the idea was to alternate between having one day of hard riding, followed by a recovery day but every time I go out for a "quick recovery ride", I end up feeling great and put the power down within 20 minutes and think "it's ok, i'll just do a recovery ride tomorrow instead"... which, of course, doesn't happen!
So much for a recovery! :roll:
I eat and sleep enough and never feel like crap when i'm on or off the bike - never bonked etc... So it feels good; I guess I should just get on with it then...?! Maybe changing the routine could be counter-productive in a way... although better off in the long term possibly? :?
hmmmmm....0 -
Without any goals or using something like a power meter you don't really have a way of measuring if you're improving so it would be pretty hard to say if using one or other training cycles is more effective. Personally I would have thought the block + 1 or 2 rest days would probably be better than a 1 day on 1 day off regime but I guess it depends what you're doing on your 'on' days (e.g. after a long hard ride with intervals in it you're probably better off having a rest day after)0
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remember the training efficieny is also dependent on what you do, if a training session becomes easier then make it harder etc... Also i have heard every 4th week of easier work after 3 weeks of progressively harder weeks works well.0
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Bhima wrote:every time I go out for a "quick recovery ride", I end up feeling great and put the power down within 20 minutes and think "it's ok, i'll just do a recovery ride tomorrow instead"
Exactly the same for me. Sometimes on rides I can feel crap for an hour/ hour and a half then suddenly come round and start smashing the road up, other times I feel great from the off.
But honestly, get yourself in to a club and get racing. If you have the time to get in 200+ miles a week you could do very well."A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"
PTP Runner Up 20150 -
Cheers guys.
Yes, been meaning to get in a club, but they all tend to go out at weekends, when I tend to wind things down. :?
I don't have a power meter but I tend to time myself on certain hills every couple of weeks and do see a few seconds improvement each time. Is this a good indicator of power?0 -
Bhima wrote:Yes, been meaning to get in a club, but they all tend to go out at weekends, when I tend to wind things down. :?
if you plan on racing - that does not give you many options...
Seriously, if you have no particular training targets, then I really don't think it will matter if you alter your training routine or not. The biggest single difference you could make to your riding right now is to start riding in a group, but again - if you don't do weekends.....0 -
Well, I can always change the schedule around if I decide to get into racing...
I do have targets, don't get me wrong, but they're more like "by next month, i'm going to climb that hill in 5 minutes" etc... But these change all the time... I think you're right though, riding in a group is the next step; i'll definately try and get out with one of the clubs this weekend.0 -
Bhima wrote:"by next month, i'm going to climb that hill in 5 minutes"
But instead of beating the clock, with racing you can actually be beating real people
Much more enjoyable!"A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"
PTP Runner Up 20150 -
http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... ting-19175Bhima wrote:I don't have a power meter but I tend to time myself on certain hills every couple of weeks and do see a few seconds improvement each time. Is this a good indicator of power?0
