I can relate to what you are getting at. At my current fitness, my recovery rides should be ridden at a max power of 150w. I really have to concentrate or it will creep up to 175w-200w on the flat and >200w on climbs. So, I have found other things to work on at 150w, such as spinning and aero positions. I will regularly spin up to a cadence of 125+, especially on slight downhill segments or when I have the wind at my back. It's hard to spin it up on the flat or into the wind because my power gets too high. I do high-spin drills to smooth out my stroke at all cadences. And, it's kind of fun to see how fast I can go with only 150w of power by getting in a really good aero position. Plus, it gets me used to riding in that position for TTs. The main thing is to not lose sight of the purpose of the ride -- recovery.ryan16 said:
Sorry if I'm not getting it, but I'll try to answer your questions. 1) Recovery rides are not 'training' in my mind, they are about as effective as complete rest off the bike. There's no such thing as 'too slow' for a recovery ride -- drop into the granny, just toodle along, and enjoy the scenery. 2) For endurance level training rides, such as would be typical during base training, there is such a thing as going 'too slow.' If you're using HR for your training zones, you'd want to be ~70-83% of MHR for a couple hours. It will still feel like light-to-moderate activity while you're riding, but after a couple hours you'll notice the slight fatigue in the legs.ryan16 said:
That's a great point easily missed - "enjoy the scenery!" How often do we wheel around, totally self-absorbed ...frenchyge said:
the above idea is the easiest to follow on a recovery ride. HR range is the easiest way to keep tabs of what you are doing.frenchyge said:
Regarding pain and pride. So far I've had two bad falls. One time about a month ago and another yesterday. The first time I was attampting to avoid a speeding, swerving, possibly drunk driver who didn't bother to even get out of the truck to see if I was OK. At the time I felt it hurt so much because the driver who may have killed me didn't even care enough to ask how I was. I took my second fall yesterday. It began raining slightly while I was riding, just enough to bring grease to the surface of the road and make it slick. I turned a corner too fast while watching for children and my bike went out from under me. I have gashes from my shoulder to my leg on my right side and am really sore. Regardless, I don't think anything hurts more than my pride. It's a horrible feeling of defeat to go down like that in the middle of a good ride. Just when I was feeling confident enough to begin racing this makes me feel some doubt about myself. Am I alone in feeling defeat after a fall? Incidentally, some very nice neighbors came out to ensure I was OK until I was on my way this time.ryan16 said:
I'm sure most of us have been there, and it'll pass. Get back on the bike and wear those war wounds like a badge of honor.wackydeirdre said:
I've been working really hard this summer! I was back on my bike the day after I fell. My daughter told me I was nuts. I said "what do you do when you fall off a horse?" The first day was only a short ride. I must say, I was pretty nervous yesterday. I'm back to my old self today-almost. Tomorrow will be better still. Before you know it I'll have a first place medal or two. Once I put my mind to something I want there's no stopping me!frenchyge said:I'm sure most of us have been there, and it'll pass. Get back on the bike and wear those war wounds like a badge of honor.
Racing huh? Weren't you posting about how to get up the hills around your house just a few months ago? You've come a long way, baby.
wackydeirdre said:I've been working really hard this summer! I was back on my bike the day after I fell. My daughter told me I was nuts. I said "what do you do when you fall off a horse?" The first day was only a short ride. I must say, I was pretty nervous yesterday. I'm back to my old self today-almost. Tomorrow will be better still. Before you know it I'll have a first place medal or two. Once I put my mind to something I want there's no stopping me!
