do i really need more rest days??

andy83

Ok so i am actually addicted now to my bike and even went to bed last night thinking about it :?

I have a condition of fm which to be honest when im cycling is when i am always pain free, however the muscles in my whole body can feel week, numb and very tingly (body tingles most of the time anyway) at times after rides and also i have a permanant nerve damage in my left side which makes that side completely numb after riding lol

however im finding it really hard to not go out on the bike. since i have had my new road bike ive only actually been having one rest day a week and have nearly doubled my weekly milage, is this enough??

how much time does the body actually need to fully recover. Im determined to lose a bit more weight before my holiday but running is out of the question as my body just cant cope with it for some reason

Gussio

Rather than rest days, perhaps consider sleeping more and selecting some days where you cycle with less intensity?

Gazzaputt

At least 8 hours sleep and have recovery rides i.e rides where you don't get out of breath keep the heart rate low.

andy83

Rather than rest days, perhaps consider sleeping more and selecting some days where you cycle with less intensity?

i like that idea

i do have the advantage of being able to increase my commute to work via the country lanes which can add at least 10 miles on

i find it hard to cycle with less intensity due to being very geeky and keeping all my times etc and wanting to beat them

andy83

Gazzaputt wrote:

At least 8 hours sleep and have recovery rides i.e rides where you don't get out of breath keep the heart rate low.

most of the time i get 8 hours sleep which i spose is a bonus

sometimes my commute into work can be some form of a recovery ride if im tired lol

Jay dubbleU

Rest days are for wimps - recovery riding on the other hand is part of the training process - MTFU 8)

SimonLyons

How far is your commute, how old are you, how fit are you?

Cycling is a repetitive motion which can cause problems.
I find if I cycle much more than 50 miles in a week - doesn't matter how fast ,my right knee starts to cause problems. Quite often its pain free while cycling and then tingling/pain comes later + weakness develops. I have to stretch every day and rest it after a ride ~2-3days and then its OK to go again.

Problems start as a niggle and steadily build up.
I found this out the hard way by riding through the problem like a moron a few years ago and paying for it later by not being able to cycle longer distances for a long period.

biondino

andy83 wrote:

i find it hard to cycle with less intensity due to being very geeky and keeping all my times etc and wanting to beat them

We all do! But sometimes you just need to discipline yourself. It's hard, but it's doable.

Roastie

andy83 wrote:

i find it hard to cycle with less intensity due to being very geeky and keeping all my times etc and wanting to beat them

If you use a Heart Rate Monitor, you can use your geekiness to your advantage by aiming for riding in specific HR zones during training days and recovery days .

LDN-Flyer

monday / friday take it easy...ish
wed-thurs... pwn the f**k out of the road