RECOVERY RECOVERY RECOVERY

RECOVERY RECOVERY RECOVERY

NUTRITION NUTRITION NUTRITION

I have found that many cyclists I talk to fail to focus on these two very important topics.

There are plenty of books already written out there on Nutrition and Recovery so I will try to keep it short and just give you some tips.

Side-note:  Speaking of books... [this is where my ADD kicks in]  I have been reading a new book that has good info called "Racing Weight; how to get lean for peak performance" by Matt Fitzgerald.  He explains how endurance athletes (runners, cyclists, triathletes, cross-country skiers, rowers, swimmers) should lose weight.  His guidelines are designed to help you hit your target numbers for weight, body composition, and performance while maintaining your strength and conditioning.  It is a pretty easy read, not too technical.  He includes practical strategies, charts, recipes, strength exercises, and summarizes sports research relevant to his strategies.  I skimmed through most of the research parts, but was happy to see he included them to reinforce his strategies.  I think there are alot of books out there where the author says "do what my book says because it worked for me and by the way, I am really cool".  This one isn't like that.  I would recommend this book to athletes that are either trying to lose their "winter weight" or that have hit a plateau in achieving their performance goals.

Ok ...RECOVERY!  First of all, it is a must!  Even the pros would tell you that recovery time is just as important as training time.  Plan out your week in advance so you can schedule what days you are going to ride/train and what days you are going to recover.  Author Joe Friel says, "Some athletes, especially those over age 50 and those new to endurance sport, may need two or more recovery days following their hardest workouts of the week."

There are different types of recovery.  Depending on what my training week/event/race schedule is, I choose one of these ways to recover:
     
     1- take the day off from training
     2- ride at low intensity, easy pedal
     3- yoga or stretching
     4- a day at the spa :) massage is excellent for your body!


*Tip:  Use a training diary or calendar and pre-schedule your rides and your recoveries.  It is really good to have a plan, but it is also important to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.  Be open to adjusting your schedule to give your body more recovery time if you need it.  


The link below is an example of a 10-week training plan for a century.  There are many variations out there.  When I can't ride as long as they suggest, I make my shorter distance ride really count!  - that means... throw in some intervals!


http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-4-443-19050-1,00.html


If you are looking for more training info, check out Joe Friel's books "The Cyclist's Training Bible" and "Total Heart Rate Training".  Friel provides good info and we carry them in the store.


Also, I have heard good things about Lance Armstrong's book "The Lance Armstrong Performance Program; 7 weeks to the perfect ride".  Since he has won a "few" races here and there, it's probably worth reading, right?  I mean... yes, he was born with a heart 33% larger than the average person, he has mad Twitter skills, and Kris thinks he is really HOT (good thing Jeff isn't the jealous type :), but I am pretty sure that's not why Lance won the tour so many times.  His training coach, Chris Carmichael, co-wrote it.  Think I will pick that one up next and let you know what I think.  

Super busy at the store.  Good to see so many people excited to ride!  I will have to write more later.  Stay tuned for nutrition info...