Recovery from dead legs

[flash79]

I am new to road cycling and have been in training for a 70 mile ride at the end of August. But I think I have hit a raod block. After any training ride my legs feel as though they are dead, stiff and weak. I train 5-6 days a week usually keeping the majority of the training rides at a good pace of 16-17 mph and a distance of 20 miles. The weekends are the long rides usually 40-50 miles at a 13-15 mph pace. Any ideas of how I can fix this or am I overtraining. I also know that my diet is in horrible shape and it needs some work.

 

[dhk2]

I am new to road cycling and have been in training for a 70 mile ride at the end of August. But I think I have hit a raod block. After any training ride my legs feel as though they are dead, stiff and weak. I train 5-6 days a week usually keeping the majority of the training rides at a good pace of 16-17 mph and a distance of 20 miles. The weekends are the long rides usually 40-50 miles at a 13-15 mph pace. Any ideas of how I can fix this or am I overtraining. I also know that my diet is in horrible shape and it needs some work.

Would bet you're doing way too much for your current level of fitness. The schedule of 5 days at 20 miles, plus 50 on the weekend would have you at 150 miles/week. That's a heavy training load for most of us, even those with many seasons of riding.

Suggest you cut back the weekday rides to just two or three days, so your weekly mileage is between 80-100. Only go at your harder 16-17 mile pace on one of the rides, the other times just ride fairly easy at 13-15. You don't need to kill yourself to improve; too much mileage and intensity is a lot worse than too little.

Diet is important too. Get plenty of carbs and maybe some high-quality protein as soon as possible after each ride.

 

[existence]

Diet is important too. Get plenty of carbs and maybe some high-quality protein as soon as possible after each ride.

Yep. 17mph isnt a cracking pace even for a one legged dwarf so intensity prolly isnt a massive factor. The only time my legs get smacked around is when I neglect my nutritional intake in the first 4 hours post ride. Clean up your act on the food side of things and give your body what it needs to get you ready to ride. The workload itself sounds fine to me.

Disclaimer: I am probably wrong.

 

[flash79]

Thanks for the replies. I have cut down the traininh load in the last week or so and after my last ride I did eat right afterwards and I feel a whole lot better. Also how do you feel about using suppliments such as creatine for recovery.

 

[BullGod]

Thanks for the replies. I have cut down the traininh load in the last week or so and after my last ride I did eat right afterwards and I feel a whole lot better. Also how do you feel about using suppliments such as creatine for recovery.

creatine is a waste of time, and not healthy for you either.

A normal protein shake will help replace / build muscle and help recovery.

 

[existence]

You have gotta see my supplement range to believe it. But then I get it provided free so thats a bit unfair. Creatine and a few other goodies I have dropped away from because they dont add value to what I am about in cycling right now.

I wouldnt bother with a string of supplements with the workload you are talking about - would be a waste of money for sure. Just focus on quality of general natural nutrition and more importantly the timing of that nutrition relative to your training.

 

[Pinion Pine]

As others have mentioned, I would lay off things like creotine and other performance suppliments. Just stick to regular food. More protein may be good, and some extra fresh fruits and whole grains thrown in there to replenish the energy level to you legs. Only carbs restore depleted muscle energy reserves (glycogen), and I have found those foods not only restore the energy to my legs very quickly, but also make me feel better in general (less bloated, vitamin and mineral boots, etc.).

I also think that you were training too much, but unlike others, think that you need to train harder and longer on the days that you ride, and rest on the days that you are not riding. I've been riding 3-4 days per week this year, with long rides and super-tough intervals on my riding days, and have had better results than in previous years where I tried to slog out lots of miles 5-6 days a week.

Take care.