RECOVERY RIDES, Question: I have heard people talk about
recovery rides but have never really thought about what it exactly means. Does
"recovery" refer to something that actually enhances recovery or is
it just an easy ride that doesn't do any damage.
In order to get faster and stronger, the endurance athlete
requires a combination of work days (training) and rest days (recovery). Training stress, which can also be
described as ‘controlled injury’, as it breaks down the muscle and other
tissues, must be followed by rest days and sound nutrition, allowing the body
to compensate and rebuild to get stronger. This cycle of work – rest – compensation is repeated
over and over again and results in improved performance in one’s chosen
sport.
For years, coaches and athletes have incorporated ‘active
recovery’ workouts into their weekly training programs. Active recovery refers to short
duration exercise days following more intense bouts of training, at roughly
60-70% of maximum heart rate, or in the case of cycling, less than 60% of one’s
functional threshold power (FTP). Active
recovery days are different compared to complete or “passive” recovery days,
where the athlete does practically no metabolism boosting activity beyond
stretching or a light walk. Both
protocols deserve a place in a systematic training program.
Active recovery days on the bike are beneficial in that they
enhance blood flow and nutrient delivery to muscles broken down by an intense
training session. They also serve to maintain (or enhance) body composition by
burning calories as well as keep the athlete “in the groove” in terms of muscle
coordination and technique. Most
endurance athletes will confirm that short ‘easy does it’ workouts help them
maintain momentum and allow them to feel stronger for future intense training
days. As a case in point,
it’s noted that riders in multi-day stage races, like the Tour De France, will
ride easy for 1-3 hours on a rest day in order to feel strong for an ensuing
mountain stage.
For the age group triathlete who typically trains on the
bike 3 or 4 days per week including a long aerobic endurance day, a lactate threshold
focused day and a brick workout (bike to run) day, it might be advised to add a
30-60 minute easy spin to their weekly ride after a hard day or a race
day. This ride can be done on the
roads or the trainer and consist of a 60-70% effort (i.e. low intensity), with
light gearing focused on a cadence range of 90-100rpms to “shake the legs
out”.
The danger in adding recovery rides is that some athletes
will tend to overdo it and misuse the ride, therefore just adding ‘junk
miles’. This usually occurs when
the intended low intensity recovery effort becomes a full-blown “gray zone”
ride, defined as a Zone 3 or steady effort just below lactate threshold heart rate, sabotaging the benefits of the recovery ride and possibly contributing to
a state of over-reaching or over-training.
As a practical matter, when used for their intended purpose,
recovery rides can benefit the age group triathlete by helping them bounce back
from hard training sessions, manage body weight and maintain their training
momentum.
A former pro
triathlete in the 1990’s and now a Masters triathlete, Troy Jacobson is the
Official Coach of IRONMAN, Head Tri Coach of LIFE TIME FITNESS and the creator
of the Spinervals Cycling Video series, including several recovery oriented indoor cycling workouts for download by clicking HERE. For more information, visit www.CoachTroy.com
