recovery

Zebee Johnstone said:

So, after doing what... 8 months? of riding the 20km to work and back
(with little of it what I call flat) 2-3 days a week, I still find
that on Monday or after a week off I am full of energy and find the
ride easy, but with only a day between rides on the 2nd day I'm much
more lethargic.

How long before I don't need so much recovery time?

What can I do to help the recovery?

Can't help with the recovery tips, I'm afraid, but I find I have a
very similar situation.. 5days/week of ~23km both ways (Sydney, a
couple of moderate hills and some energetic traffic slalom).

I find that consciously taking it easy the first couple of days (Mon/
Tues) makes things much easier. If I hammer it when fresh and the
beginning of the week, I really feel it come Friday.

A peanut butter sandwich about an hour before I leave work is
providing me with more energy on the trip home, too.

duncan

"Zebee Johnstone" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

What can I do to help the recovery?

Steroids...
but seriously the sad fact is the older you get the slower your recovery
gets. I've found the key factors are getting 7-9 hrs sleep per night and
plenty of water (dark urine = insuffient hydration).
I also get great results from mega doses of antioxidants. We're talking up
to 2000 mg of vitamin C and up to 500IU of E daily. (Some people will
consider this overdosing but many others will say it's no problem as these
are either water or fat soluable and the body will just pass what it doesn't
use).
Stuff like Golden Glow's A.C.E 3 times per day or Blackmores Bio ACE twice a
day in combination with a once a day multi is nice & cheap -
http://www.goldenglow.com.au/product.asp?pID=144&cID=29
http://www.blackmores.com.au/Products/Detail.aspx?ProductId=1820

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com

Zebee Johnstone said:

So, after doing what... 8 months? of riding the 20km to work and back
(with little of it what I call flat) 2-3 days a week, I still find
that on Monday or after a week off I am full of energy and find the
ride easy, but with only a day between rides on the 2nd day I'm much
more lethargic.

How long before I don't need so much recovery time?

What can I do to help the recovery?

How hard are you doing the ride? Are you refueling well (carbs
GOOD!)?

Zebee Johnstone said:

What can I do to help the recovery?

I found that if I went absolutely nuts one day I'd be buggered the next,
but if I rode anyway and took it easy then about 5km in I'd feel OK. If I
took it relatively easy I'd often feel kind of flat the next day and it'd
stay that way.

Maybe try picking up the pace a touch so that it hurts a bit, then see how
you feel the next day.

Of course, this does assume you're eating enough, resting, etc., not just
spending all night blathering on Usenet.

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
There's no point in being grown up if you can't be
childish sometimes.-- Dr. Who

In aus.bicycle on 21 Mar 2007 18:57:07 -0700

Bleve said:

Zebee Johnstone said:

So, after doing what... 8 months? of riding the 20km to work and back
(with little of it what I call flat) 2-3 days a week, I still find
that on Monday or after a week off I am full of energy and find the
ride easy, but with only a day between rides on the 2nd day I'm much
more lethargic.

How long before I don't need so much recovery time?

What can I do to help the recovery?

How hard are you doing the ride? Are you refueling well (carbs
GOOD!)?

I'm trying to keep the heart rate down, but up hills (which is about
half either way) it climbs to the 140-150 range and can hit 160 on a
couple. (I'm 44, so 160 is probably as high as I want to see.)

I suspect the refuel might be the problem, but how much and when?

I leave around 7:30-8am and don't want to eat much before 7am. During the
day I eat regularly, but more fruit and veges than carbs. A couple of
times I've been suddenly very tired and been quite glad of the apple I
didn't get a chance to eat at 4pm when I crawl up Pyrmont Bridge Rd to
Glebe Rd at about 6pm.

I don't want to over eat as trying to lose weight is part of the deal.
So I don't really know how much is enough, or what kind or when.

Zebee

In aus.bicycle on 22 Mar 2007 02:05:40 GMT

Dave said:

Zebee Johnstone said:

What can I do to help the recovery?

I found that if I went absolutely nuts one day I'd be buggered the next,
but if I rode anyway and took it easy then about 5km in I'd feel OK. If I
took it relatively easy I'd often feel kind of flat the next day and it'd
stay that way.

I have to hit a couple of upwards bits very early on in the ride.
Upwards for me anyway! So taking it easy can be hard.

Zebee

Zebee Johnstone said:

Quoted message said:

How hard are you doing the ride? Are you refueling well (carbs
GOOD!)?

I'm trying to keep the heart rate down, but up hills (which is about
half either way) it climbs to the 140-150 range and can hit 160 on a
couple. (I'm 44, so 160 is probably as high as I want to see.)

I suspect the refuel might be the problem, but how much and when?

I leave around 7:30-8am and don't want to eat much before 7am. During the
day I eat regularly, but more fruit and veges than carbs. A couple of
times I've been suddenly very tired and been quite glad of the apple I
didn't get a chance to eat at 4pm when I crawl up Pyrmont Bridge Rd to
Glebe Rd at about 6pm.

I don't want to over eat as trying to lose weight is part of the deal.
So I don't really know how much is enough, or what kind or when.

Zebee

I usually 'bonk' on a ride home if I haven't loaded up with enough food
throughout the day. Since I started training and have upped my average
k's per week to around 350, I find I need a fairly hefty load of food
during the day just to get me home without flaking. I usually have 3-4
pieces of fruit, a muesli bar, largish pasta salad or sandwich and
sometimes an extra peanut butter and jam sanger for morning tea. Plenty
of fluids and a packet of gummy type lollies in my bag just in case and
a bidon of Powerade or similar. Any less and I find I struggle home. I
could probably sort out a more reasoned and reasonable diet but this
does me OK.

As for recovery, I have one day with a recovery type ride (slow 35 k
bunch ride with few hills... only the occasional sprint :-)and one day
OFF THE BIKE per week! Rides home and to work (35 k round trip) on
recovery ride days also very lazy.

Now the Summer Crit season is over I'll have to find some more k's from
somewhere else though!

--
Bean

Remove "yourfinger" before replying

"Zebee Johnstone" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In aus.bicycle on 22 Mar 2007 02:05:40 GMT

Dave said:

Zebee Johnstone said:

What can I do to help the recovery?

I found that if I went absolutely nuts one day I'd be buggered the next,
but if I rode anyway and took it easy then about 5km in I'd feel OK. If I
took it relatively easy I'd often feel kind of flat the next day and it'd
stay that way.

I have to hit a couple of upwards bits very early on in the ride.
Upwards for me anyway! So taking it easy can be hard.

Zebee

Its catch 22, you need to be warmed up before you can get those muscles
working to full efficiency, so you have to actually cycle for 20 minutes
before leaving home! I die halfway up Anzac Bridge in morning and all those
cyclists from further west zoom past. Maybe do some energetic leg swings
etc, step ups, before leaving home.

fb

I too can have your problem Zebee. Riding to work has a couple of good hills
and a 6kms rise section - total of 26kms. Coming home I can take several
options going from 6kms (bludgers way home) to 35kms. Most days I leave work
and tell myself "stuff it, gonna go home the quick way" but when I get to
the intersection I find myself turning to a longer way home. (heaps of ups).
The first couple of kms I curse myself then seem to find a rythmm -
sometimes I think to myself "sheesh I am almost home" and cant even remember
the toil to get there LOL. (49 and must have short term memory loss!)
Last week I did 4 days in a row of up to 80kms around Malanda which is hills
plus plus and was absolutley stoked but then I had a real downer when I
didnt even want to go out on the bike. I think it is food and rest related.
If I have a nice salad for lunch I know that I am going to struggle the
following day and not want to do much. I think you seriously have to feed
it. Good excuse to be a guts anyway. Since Xmas (when I was given scales!) I
thought that all this riding would make me look like Elle McPherson or
something but I have not lost more than 2 kgs 🙁 (sit on between 72 and
74kgs) I have not lost any weight but my whole body has changed.
I also find that if I commit myself to a 3 or 4 day ride of 100kms a day
with panniers I have no problem because you really pace yourself. Mind you I
am stuffed on the first day home and would not go near the bike for amillion
dollars.
I would love to just be able to get on the bike day in day out and not eat
so much, or need so much sleep but I find that I need rest and food.
Kathy

Zebee Johnstone said:

I suspect the refuel might be the problem, but how much and when?

Quoted message said:

I don't want to over eat as trying to lose weight is part of the deal.
So I don't really know how much is enough, or what kind or when.

You need to refuel soon after exercise, your muscles are looking to
regenerate and, double whammy, they are a target for cannibalisation.
Also muscles are heavy, something to think about vs weight loss.

Milk is simple and measurable.

Zebee Johnstone said:

I have to hit a couple of upwards bits very early on in the ride.
Upwards for me anyway! So taking it easy can be hard.

Your driveway's not that steep ya wuss!

More seriously, it sounds like it could bed a food thing. Chuck a muesli
bar or something in your ride gear so you've got something to eat if
you're feeling flat.

The other day I did a 50km round trip without any food and by the end I'd
run out of energy. Couldn't get my HR over about 120, doing about 5km/h.
Stopped at the shops and had a soft drink and was pushing 160bpm not too
long afterward. Of course, I hurt a bit afterward since I'd been pushing a
touch hard to get to the shops...

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
"Coming to work with a faraway look and a really heavy gym bag starts to
look like a marvellously good idea." - Dan Rutter

In aus.bicycle on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 21:36:24 +1100

Aeek said:

Zebee Johnstone said:

I don't want to over eat as trying to lose weight is part of the deal.
So I don't really know how much is enough, or what kind or when.

You need to refuel soon after exercise, your muscles are looking to
regenerate and, double whammy, they are a target for cannibalisation.
Also muscles are heavy, something to think about vs weight loss.

Milk is simple and measurable.

I usually have a home-made anzac biscuit, or a vegemite sandwich
straight after my shower.

Sometimes a bannana or apple.

But is it enough. I am usually fine the first day both going to work
and coming back. Then I rest a day by going to work on the
motorcycle, but on day 3 I have nowhere near the energy I have if I've
rested 2 days.

Zebee