How many days to recover from a "big ride"?

[Xplora]

Another big ride yesterday, so hard to figure out a good recovery pace! I'm beginning to wonder if I just lack base fitness to survive after all. Trainer purchase definitely on the cards!

[dodge]

After a big/hard ride I just run a cold bath.. Add a 5kg bag of ice and just soak in that for 10 minutes...All good after that and no cramping

[gabrielle260]

After a big/hard ride I just run a cold bath.. Add a 5kg bag of ice and just soak in that for 10 minutes...All good after that and no cramping

And you still hope to have children? Braver man than me, Gunga Din!!
Andrew

[Xplora]

He might not want to have them. I've said to tons of people that I don't mind the risk of sterility from the saddle, I've got two kids already and in no great rush for a third I can only see positives from shooting blanks

[dodge]

After a big/hard ride I just run a cold bath.. Add a 5kg bag of ice and just soak in that for 10 minutes...All good after that and no cramping

And you still hope to have children? Braver man than me, Gunga Din!!
Andrew

I don't see that as a downside

[clackers]

Another big ride yesterday, so hard to figure out a good recovery pace! I'm beginning to wonder if I just lack base fitness to survive after all. Trainer purchase definitely on the cards!

Go for a HRM first, Xplora.

This isn't a measure of your performance (you know that already), it's a monitor of your effort, which because of the cycling habits you've already told us, you need to ration through the week and during each ride.

[boss]

I am good to go two days after a tough ride (100kmish, 2500m+ elevation).

Immediately after a ride like that I don't feel too bad, but don't exactly feel like riding. I try to keep myself busy throughout the day - if I sit on the couch I'll drift off to sleep. By the end of the day I'm exhausted and can't wait to go to sleep.

I seem to be able to cope with this program:

Sunday: 80-100km, 2000-3000m elevation, 5 hours or so.

Monday: Commute 12km by BMX. I would conservatively say that the effort on my BMX with 20" wheels & 28/9 gearing is about 3x that of my roadie - holding 30kmph is a lot of effort, 40kmph is an anaerobic sprint. Ride BMX after work (AT) Skatepark, 1-2 hours.

Tuesday: 60-70km before work (1000m+ elevation), 20km at lunch (200m elevation), ride home 6km.

Wednesday: Commute 12km by BMX. Ride BMX after work (AT) Skatepark, 1-2 hours.

Thursday: 60-70km before work (1000m+ elevation), 20km at lunch (200m elevation), ride home 6km. Usually effort is a little bit lower than on Tuesday.

Friday: Commute 12km by BMX. Ride BMX after work (AT) Skatepark, 1-2 hours.

Saturday: Ride BMX 5-6 hours.

Rinse and repeat. I've done this for a few months now (at least) and it feels like its sustainable, and I've had considerable gains since starting riding a bike bike 6-7 months ago.

It's probably worth noting that the riding I have been doing includes some very steep and challenging climbs, and in general only riding in the hills. I have been doing two weeks of really steep stuff and then on the third week I'll take a rest and just do more moderate hills. I think as time progresses this may end up being one week of tough one week of moderate as I don't want to wear myself out.

Every 2-3 weeks I take a Sunday off, one because I start feeling abit frayed at the edges, and two I don't mind a sleep in. All my morning and Sunday riding is 5am-ish starts.

[Xplora]

In relation to clackers HRM suggestion, I've done the 120 on Monday, rode into work 40kms Tuesday feeling knackered so only did a small ring cruise, then completely different location last two days, truckloads of climbs at speed and rubbish paths in the little ring, then today felt pretty strong on my pet climb at the start of the commute. Challenged the KOM I recently lost, and was humming along well. Quite fast up a couple other climbs as well. I'mwondering if breaking up the STYLE of riding helps recovery? I was going as fast as I could Wednesday and Thursday but the nature of the commutes was lots of little ring sprints over tons of hills - not much 40kmh brute force on the flat like my big ride and regular commute.

See how I pull up tomorrow

[Xplora]

428kms for the week. Smashfest 90kms on Tuesday, smashfest 100kms on Thursday, medium pace with a number of hills 115 Saturday - my base kms and nutrition have clearly been lacking, because I was absolutely ready for more today hahahhahahha

Going to be catching the train one or two days this week to try and give the body a chance to really recover