how to repair my overtrained sore legs

explosifpete

I want to get my body in shape for a road season next year but ATM my legs are in bits
They are sore all on the time and when out on a ride I clearly don't much power in them
I have been riding a lot over the summer/autumn and almost always at a hard pace (i know this isn't the right thing to do but it is fun )
since sunday i haven't ridden the bike (finding hat hard) and tomorrow will just be a slow 20 mile spin out with a friend who is just starting, after this w wasn't going to ride for another week to try and rest the legs.
Other than this I have been drinking lots of water and been having a sports massage once a week for a month, they keep telling me how bad they feel.
Is there any thing else I should be doing? would an easy ride be better that a total rest?

thanks in advance

explosifpete

I've been doing about 250miles week since April

t.m.h.n.e.t

Protein +stretching. Riding with sore legs won't do you any good as you just further kill muscle fibres.

And back off completely for a few days if not a week.

johnboy183

Compression tights? Some say they work, others think they are only really for the pros who are doing many many miles. I have o experience but am considering them

SBezza

A very nutrious diet, and lots of rest between rides. Don't hammer all rides, it might be fun, but if you want to progress you body needs to repair itself, and it takes rest to do this. This can be active rest, or just time off the bike.

You don't need to take weeks at a time off the bike, unless you are really overtrained, then it would be weeks . You need to structure a plan to ride some rides hard, yet some need to be done at a slightly easier pace, especially if you are riding on lots of consecutive days. You will ride at times with very sore legs, that is just fatigue, and it it is cumulative.

A proper sports massgae will leave the legs sore for a few days as well after the massage, perhaps have a more relaxing massage rather than a sports massage. There is nothing magical about recovery, it is a combination of eating right, resting right, and minimises other life stresses.

andysol

I always finish my rides with a protein shake, and a cold cold shower blasting against my legs for as long as possible.
And maybe you need a couple weeks of level 1 rides to recouperate before getting on the black book program.
Andy

kev77

dude, one word REST or you will start going backwards

ut_och_cykla

Rest doesn't necessarily mean stop. Halve your time and reduce all efforts - i.e. instead of 10 hours do 5 a week and make sure all but one session are easy? A gentle short spin every day could be beneficial - but really light work and less than an hour every time.
Get plenty of sleep, good protein sources, liquids. If this doen't help reduce training load by half again. If this doesn't help see a doctor and make sure you don't have a virus infection or similar.

StorckSpeed

Overtraining can have many symptoms, unable to sleep, restless leg syndrome, aching muscles etc. and is almost always accompanied with a drop in performance.
I agree with Cykla.
3 weeks of hard progressive training then on the 4th week reduce your mileage by half. This REST week allows your body to adapt and improve and will allow your cycling to improve more quickly than flat out cycling all the time.
Do this in particular over the summer months when your volume of cycling is likely to increase. (I stick to this principle all the time).