What's new

How much to rest?

Precisely, so you are suffering more than the rest, but you nevertheless completed the ride as I understood. That's the way to get better, good job. Now for some descending practice ...
 
Precisely, so you are suffering more than the rest, but you nevertheless completed the ride as I understood. That's the way to get better, good job. Now for some descending practice ...

Wha...? How...? Oh. DEEJ.


Yeah! And in the drops, not on the hoods! :cool:

...Can someone just give me a velodrome? I mean, look at me. I was obviously not built for mountains. I understand it must be entertaining to watch me try to climb, but really, do you guys have no pity???
 
My advice is to get a heart rate monitor and get to know your body. Distance and speed values tell you very little. Once you start to get to know about how your HR responds, you will know when it is time to back off and how to prepare yourself for a hard ride.

Rest is not as black and white as riding and not riding. Structuring your training with hard rides and easy rides is important. Even on your commute you can really play with this if you have access to a HRM.

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
...Can someone just give me a velodrome? I mean, look at me. I was obviously not built for mountains. I understand it must be entertaining to watch me try to climb, but really, do you guys have no pity???

why not split the difference and ride your track bike in the mountains?

as to resting, do it when you're tired. unless you're trying to win the tour du whatever I'd say concentrate on enjoying your rides as much as possible. if short easy rides are what you enjoy do short easy rides. if you want to ride hard and fast over long distances do that. if something starts hurting back off a little or stop.
 
as to resting, do it when you're tired. unless you're trying to win the tour du whatever I'd say concentrate on enjoying your rides as much as possible. if short easy rides are what you enjoy do short easy rides. if you want to ride hard and fast over long distances do that. if something starts hurting back off a little or stop.

OK, wait a minute... now you're starting to sound reasonable... you don't understand cycling, man! :p
 
Back to the original question, as FarEast said, it depends on your goals/objectives. If your goal is to improve, rather than just ride, the key to remember is it is not the exercise (loading) that makes you stronger, but the body`s response to the loading placed upon it, which results in the body adapting to make itself stronger. This adaptation process requires rest/recovery, therefore, if you are placing load on the body without adequate rest, you are limiting your body`s ability to perform the required adaptations. In effect, you can be hammering yourself for no gain.

But...there are no rules, as the amount of/rate of recovery required is highly individual, so it is impossible to advise.

From a personal perspective, as far as rest is concerned, I actually rest a lot more than I used to (old age???) I`ve been training for 18 months now, and only do 3/4 days a week, with the other days being complete days off or very easy. (Like Edogawakikkoman, I tend to do hard/easy, and again, like he says, the hard days are hard but the easy days are literally just turning the pedals (maybe less than 80 W, sometimes pushing the bike up the bridge, being overtaken by old ladies.. But partly my training is dictated by my time limitations)
 
I always say: complete the exercise even if you feel weak, that's where you make progress (not if you're ill or anything like that of course).

If you read the power gurus (Coggan) they say the opposite - if you can`t hit your power target for a ride, wrap it up, go home, and try again when rested.

I'd offer that while junk miles maybe junky for training or goal-oriented work, you're still out there moving, rather than riding on a train, bus, in a car, etc. Tho they may be junk miles to those training for an event, they're a whole lot better than no "junk miles" at all.

The name sucks. It denigrates all the positives that can come from simple, normal riding/commuting, which should, IMNSHO, not be called "junk".

(could there maybe be a little elitism in the use of the term?)

If my memory serves me well, I think Coggan is with you on this - there is no such thing as junk miles - more is more (volume) until it gets in the way of recovery, then it becomes less.
 
Back
Top Bottom