Post-race recovery period?

[trailgumby]

If you've raced hard on a weekend (Mont 24hr in my case) after a good taper week, how long would you typically leave it before getting back on the bike?

My training leading into the event was typically limited to about 6-7 hours a week and my race effort on the weekend probably totalled about 2.75 hours riding at what seemed like VO2 max level on a course with some decent elevation change: the first 5km of the 19km loop was all climbing. Unfortunately the HRM strap chose this weekend to fail so I can't post anything meaningful from my Garmin, but I was cramping slightly at the end of my first lap, was better for my second lap early (3:30am) the next morning after taking some magnesium orotate tablets, and didn't get to go out for a third due to the preceding team member missing the cutoff.

I'm still a bit stiff and muscle sore today and was thinking an easy Thursday commute might be appropriate.

What do y'all think?

BTW, I'm late (very late ) 40s.

[toolonglegs]

Solo ...3 man,4 man or 6?.
I have raced crits on Monday and Tuesday nights after finishing 3rd in the Mont ... in hindsight should have rested but I was a bit younger .
Mate, 24 hour races can kill you mentally as well as physically ... sit it out till your are chomping to go for a ride, any real muscle soreness has gone and you feel like pushing it again.
Nothing stopping a 20km light spin (no hills no pedal pressure)... or walk on the beach with the lady .

[trailgumby]

Not solo ... urrrgh, that would probably turn me off for life! My night lap was hard enough as it was. Really didn't enjoy it on that course, to be honest.

Day laps were brilliant fun, though. Team of six. I didn't actually do as much riding as I expected due to the guy before me not getting in before the cutoff to give me a third lap. It was the intensity and lack of sleep that got me I think.

Starting to feel more human again today. Muscles still sore in places though, like calves and upper hamstrings.

[gururug]

Get on the bike the next day, very light ride, and optionally the next two days after that, with lots of stretching afterwards.

Don't push yourself or ride hard for at least a 5-7 days.

[mateyboi]

Best remedy is sleep. Make sure you get at least 7-9 hours sleep each day.

You should know yourself how much sleep is best for you.

To help recovery faster also do some light cycling. If you like training in heart rate zones, cycle in zone 1 which is relative low gears.

Make sure you get enough nutrition too from meat and veges. Diet plays a big part in recovery.

Depends on your body and how fast it recovers shouldn't need to do it for more than 3-5 days.

[toolonglegs]

Only 2 laps?... Just lack of sleep and 2 hours or so hard... You would be back training hard by now I expect.

[trailgumby]

Yeah, wasn't the ideal training lead-up.

Was happy I got the most benefit possible for me out of what time I had available, but would have preferred at least one more round of build phase (another 3 weeks, or better still 6 weeks). I only got 9 weeks of solid training in coming off a very low base and needing to focus on technique over workload so as not to aggravate dodgy my lower back. So I probably burnt most of my matches on the first lap Slower lap time than last year and cramps at the end of my first lap are a clue.

On the upside, while my back was sore towards the end of each lap, it has recovered *much* better this time.

Probably I could have ridden to work yesterday but didn't have my "stuff" organised. Looking forward to getting back into it on the weekend though.

Thanks for your thoughts, guys,

[toolonglegs]

How long was a lap?.
Went for my first mtb ride yesterday since October ( OK bit of CX action in between but no dirt since Jan )... didn't realize how dry it was out in the forests!.
Rode with a guy same age as me but 30kgs lighter...plus he was on a Niner single speed that weighed about 4 kgs less than mine ... tried pretty hard to hold his pace on the hills, not possible but certainly a good work out. My lower back was feeling it... but that now for me is just the muscles fatiguing and seizing up, already feel better this morning. You don't realize how much your core strength gets a hammering when riding a mtb fast!.
I have my back exercises sorted these days and think by July / August I will be pain free... the harder I push myself the better I feel .
PS...would dearly love a new mtb and even to do some racing... but I am never going to win again unless I lose 20 plus kilos and even then I won't be winning much unless it is age grade and flat and technical ... $$$ go towards TT set up this year... maybe next!.

[foo on patrol]

Do light rides for two days and then start ramping it back up!

Foo

[trailgumby]

A lap was just shy of 19km. The elites were doing it in 52 minutes, my best was 1 hour 15 and probably about 1:30 on my night lap counting only time on the track.

Not technical in a Manly Dam or Red Hill sense, but quite challenging to ride fast, especially at night at the speeds the elites were doing (hello Mr Tree!). Was glad when my night lap was done.

[toolonglegs]

Gumby here is my week so far.

Sunday morning was 135km at 33 av (1600m climbing) ... absolutely turned myself inside out on the climbs to stay with my bunch. Felt good at the end and no pains to worry about.
Sunday arvy on the couch in front of Tour des Flanders!.
Monday ... very gentle 45kms fat burning... no hills or effort. Legs were tired!.
Tuesday ...40km mtb ride (2.5hours)... just cruising no hard efforts but about 600 meters climbing. Legs still cooked but not much energy in the system ... just more fat busting really!.
Wednesday ... 45km road, starting to feel good again.Bit more strength in the legs but no efforts or long climbs over 1km long.Can feel the energy returning.

Tomorrow I will see how I feel... but I don't think I will go hard till Saturday's race. So it looks like it takes me about 5 days to get over something like that.
Been in my 40's now it takes me a lot longer to recover from those all out long races. I learnt my lesson 3 years ago when I did a 175km race with 3900m climbing and absolutely trashed myself... but then for various reasons kept riding hard even though I was trashed. That was mid July... didn't feel good again on the bike till end of September!.
Lesson learned!