I searched but didn’t find much about this potential scenario in the archives.
I’m coming up on a much needed recovery week next week, but have a day off and potentially able to do a long ride without worrying about daycare pick up.
If I keep it zone 2, any potential harm in going long (5+ hours) during a recovery week? My plan is to take the two days off before and after this as well.
I average 10-11 hours a week, two hard indoor trainer rides, two zone 2 rides, and one longer group ride that’s usually not a hammer fest (IF of 0.75 max). So would still be a 50% reduction in volume and doing no intensity.
Thoughts? I’m pretty tired coming off of a v02 block and don’t want to screw myself over before the next threshold block.
If I read this right, you’re going to take four days off the bike during your recovery ride but have a 5+ hour ride between? That is how you will have a 50% reduction in volume? I wouldn’t take four days off. Ride a few of those days but make them lazy mountain or something similar.
My recovery weeks are usually very similar in volume (slightly less) than a normal week but with less intensity. I don’t think 2 days off, a big day, and 2 days off makes any sense for ‘recovery’.
You might consider riding 1hr easy for 2 days before your big ride, do the big ride, then take 2 days off and call that a recovery week.
I could do an easy spin on Tuesday (big ride planned for Wednesday) and commute Z1 on Friday to work - but if I end up doing a 5 hour ride I want my body to recover.
My legs are pretty wrecked coming into the last interval workout and then a longer Z2 ride this upcoming Sunday, and honestly I am not opposed to the time off to legit rest my legs. My last recovery week I did Mon/Tues off, 2 hour easy ride Wednesday, Thurs/Fri off, and then tempo Saturday (indoors), and gravel ride with buddies Sunday (which was hard but I was fine, 4 hours+ at 0.71 IF/200 TSS). I was fine going into the next block structuring it like this. Personally, I think doing Lazy Mountain versus just time off isn’t worth it. I have young kids, and both my wife and I work full time - so fitting in riding/trainer is always stressful. Part of the benefit of the days off is not stressing on fitting these in. My original concern was doing a 5 hour ride in the middle of the recovery week versus a 2 hour like last time.
I ended up doing 6 hours in 90 degree heat (again, only because I had the day to myself without having to pick my kids up). I think without the heat it would have been better, but it ended up being 177 TSS (not that I usually track TSS), but more importantly 0.57 IF which worked out well in that regard.
Monday - REST
Tuesday - REST
Wednesday - long ride
Thursday - REST
Friday - REST
Saturday - 2.5 PL SST (Jane Bald - has a mix of everything, Z2, 2 minutes at 100%, 105% and 110% and three sprints at the end mixed in with 80% FTP riding)
Sunday - Ride with a buddy for 2.5 hours at 0.65 IF
Usually I can ride the weekend if I truly recover from M-F and do some rides for “fun” (read: unstructured) but I will say - in the future I probably wouldn’t do this again - because I went into the next block still carrying some fatigue. Especially from a dedicated VO2 block - I was really tired by the end. But sometimes gotta get in those long/fun rides when you can.
I’d skip the long ride personally, BUT if these opportunities don’t arise often due to life schedule, take the long ride, enjoy it, THEN start the rest week!
