Machka 

Here's the situation ...

Last weekend you completed a very, very long tough ride. You haven't ridden much this week because of other commitments, but also because, quite simply, your legs are tired.


Now, you are trying to make some plans for this coming weekend, and you can think of two possibilities:

1) Head for the nearest big hills and do hill repeats (because you need to work on your hill climbing skills, speed, strength, etc.).

2) Take a casual spin to check out an intriguing road you discovered on a ride a couple weeks ago (because you'd like to get the saddle time, and a casual spin would not tire your legs out too badly).


I guess the question basically boils down to: Work? or Rest?


Which would you choose?

Shaman

Fun always outweighs work

Snicklefritz

I'd start with (2) to see how you feel and then possibly throw in one hard effort. If your legs and lungs feel good then maybe go back to (1) if it doesn't involve too much schedule changing. That's what I did today after having done some tough workouts earlier in the week. I started off riding easy and found that my legs felt pretty good, so I upped the intensity a bit. The previous day I was still feeling tired, so I didn't ride at all.

clausen

Well since most peoples weekends are two days do both. Do number 1 on Saturday and recover with 2 on Sunday. My weekends are 3 days so I'd do 1-2-1.

Tom Stormcrowe

I tend to agree with Clausen and snicklefritz, I couldn't choose eother, so I'd do both!

racingpain

I can see two scenarios do number one and then number 2 or do number 2 and then take a entire day off the bike for relaxation.

mollusk

When I saw the thread subject and poster I thought it was about choosing between different rides that each would take all weekend to complete.

See how you feel. If you feel reasonably fresh, then go do the hill repeats. If you are still recovering from the long ride, then take a nice easy spin.

Albany-12303

If I road 600 km last week, like you, I would probably be "resting" in a hospital for a few weeks!

thomson

I tend to spend the weekend following an event taking it real easy. I am afraid of turning something I love into 'work'. So, if it were me, I would just take it easy, don't even track mileage/speed.

turtleguy54

Let loose of the reins.

Do numbers 1 & 2 before you leave the house and then let your bike take you where it wants to go.

Chad's Colnago

That's a tough one. One thing I enjoy about biking the most is the adventure, so I'd probably go option 2.

Machka 

Well, since my weekends are ONE day long, Sundays, and since I'm busy pretty much every Sunday morning too, I can only choose one of the two options and these rides WILL take all weekend to complete!!

Lucky07

Do the fun ride this week, the hill repeats next. You need to be kind to your legs after you beat them up on your last ride

clausen

Well if that's the case I'd go for the fun ride. You earned it after your ride last weekend.

EventServices

Rest is the most over-looked under-rated part of riding, a valuable tool in helping make you stronger.

That said, summer is the shortest season. Cram it full. Rest in the winter.

Little Darwin

I would choose #2 because I would never seriously consider #1 (although I might consider making a couple of passes at a hill along the #2 route if I felt good).

I ride for pleasure, and if I hit some hills along the route, then I will either use them to get into condition or I will crawl up them in my granny gear or if they are too long or steep, I will get off and push.

I am actually looking to do a century this year, and I will do it by riding fun rides... If I were a randoneur, I woul dhave to take it more seriously!

spokenword

after I completed my first 200k brevet (which was, at the time, the longest and most grueling that I'd ever done in one day), I took four days off the bike due to a business trip; then did a relaxed pace commute (roughly ~24km one-way) before trying to decide between a leisurely century or a 'hard' 75km; which was all about finding all the nearby hills and going after them. I wound up choosing in the first mile of my ride, testing a hill and feeling that my legs were ok with climbing, but couldn't do it a lot. So I just did a quick 50km ride with a few climbs, then got home and enjoyed the rest of my weekend. It was a short duration, high intensity workout, and later on I felt faster and stronger on my rides into work.

after I completed my first 300k (which left me even more shattered), I stayed off the bike for three days, then did three days of commuting and only pushed myself on one-and-a-half of those days (rode to work easy then rode home hard on Day 1, hard on both halves of Day 2, then easy on Day 3) followed that up with my first 400K, and felt great.

after the 400, I slept in a motel for 6 hours, then rode 8 miles to the train station, took a 2hr train ride to Boston then pedaled 5 miles to home. I took one day off and resumed commuting afterwards because my legs felt like they had recovered.

of course, not having ridden my 600 yet I have no idea how I'd feel after completing that distance, but I'd just listen to the state of my legs and take care not to ask more than they're willing to give.

also, the other thing that I'd say is that it depends on how long until you'd want to ride a 1200. If it's the BMB, you've got a few weeks to prep, so you probably won't lose too much by taking it easy now.

P2SL Marc

What roads are you choosing between? Maybe they'll give me some ideas for something new to ride!

Machka 

I actually feel fairly good ... but a bit tired. I went to work for 4 hours on the Monday after the 600K, and on the Tuesday, I did the usual 16 hour shift I do on Tuesdays. I've been working every day this week since, and will do right up till Sunday.

My 1200K will be the BMB, and it is almost 8 weeks away.

Machka 

The roads are up here in Central Alberta ... do you ride around here?

spokenword

Maybe just do an abbreviated version of the number 1, then? Shortening the number of hills that you will help you build strength without denting muscle recovery too badly. I feel like I come off more sore from a long ride on moderate terrain than I do with a shorter ride with more climbing.

yeah, and I can understand your trepidation about building up climbing skills. Looking at the elevation profile on the BMB website, I remember blinking with disbelief at the Ludlow segment and the legendary Middlebury Gap. 1200 ft. elevation change over 10 miles seemed inconceivable back before I started randonneuring. Though, after finishing the Saratoga Springs 400k, which featured a similar climb out of the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts, I can certainly say that such climbs are ultimately conquerable. It's just a matter of being patient and accepting extended periods in one's granny gear. Also, when you start doing hills, mix up climbing techniques by alternating seated spinning in low gears and standing sprints -- so you can figure out which techniques suit you best for various types of climbs; in this, I've also found it helpful to train with my full brevet gear, since standing climbs are very different on my bike when it's bare versus when it's got loaded handlebar bag. Oh, and final tip is that there's a minor psychological benefit to doing epic climbs at night since you never see how big the mountain really is.

bigskymacadam

taper. so you can ramp up to the other workouts. go for number 2.

Machka 

All right .... I'll do the casual 100 km spin on the intriguing road!! I am very curious where it leads because if it does what I suspect it might do, I might be able to reach a particular beach in a 100 mile round trip rather than a 125 mile round trip, and that could make a lovely century ride!! This weekend I just have to see if it reaches a certain town or not.

Next weekend will be my hill climbing weekend though!!

UmneyDurak

Just like weekend before. heh.

P2SL Marc

You bet. My routes right now usually consist of highway 1/1A, 22, 22X, springbank road, highway 8, highway 66 (and the fun gravel/dirt climbs off of it), highway 766... etc. etc. I drive up to Sylvan Lake every once and a while and bike out of there, but I'm starting to like the areas around highway 66/22x alot with all the hills.