Training and Recovery...

A light bike doesn't replace good fitness.

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Berzin1
Posts: 237
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2016 9:35 pm

by Berzin1

After much research, both online and person-to-person, I decided I was going to approach my comeback to cycling in a more structured fashion.

So here are the traing gadgets I felt would benefit me-

Assioma Favero Duo power meter ledals.
Wahoo Elemnt, with quarter turn mount adapter.
Wahoo Tickrx heart rate monitor with motion and recovery.
Garmin Edge Stem Mount designed for 3T Integra Stem.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Refine cell phone. A cell phone is a must-have to download the Assioma and Wahoo apps and to keep up with firmware updates.

https://imgur.com/a/v33jczw

These books by Dr. Ray Long are not cycling specific per se, but they definitely teach you about which muscles and muscle groups can benefit from specific poses. IMHO this set of books is a must-have for any cyclist looking to improve, and the illustrations are excellent and anatom,ically correct-

https://imgur.com/orQfKAo

Compex Wireless 2.0 Muscle Stimulator Kit with TENS. This is great not only for targeting specific muscles for recovery, but also to stimulate whichever muscle or muscle groups need stimulation-

https://imgur.com/jkKEzyh

IMHO, the Air Relax compression system gives you the biggest bang for your buck out of all the others on the market, and it does the same exact thing. Along with the Compex, this has been, for me, the best investment as far as recovery tools go-

https://imgur.com/jkKEzyh

More to come later.
Last edited by Berzin1 on Mon Jul 29, 2019 8:07 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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iheartbianchi
Posts: 680
Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:17 am

by iheartbianchi

Good approach, just don't put too much weight into the recovery recommendations you are getting from the software as they can be wildly off. Start off easy, build and experiment with how "easy" you have to take it the day or two after a hard ride. "Recovery" does not mean complete rest - it could mean complete rest (for a day, for days, for weeks) if you're coming off a particularly hard week or multi-week cycle, but ideally you are doing "recovery" by riding slow. Going on a slow ride will build your aerobic engine while also giving your body a chance to adapt.

I've seen quite a few people using these fancy new "recovery" gadgets, I wonder if it works. At the end of the day we're trying to increase blood circulation and reduce swelling/inflammation, so who knows. Like massages do make you hurt less, but don't miraculously cure you of the micro tears, flush out lactate or assist with glycogen depletion and make you go faster, but then the ice/hot bath combination and saunas have been shown to work, but that may be more of a function of increased blood production and reduction in swelling so your body can repair itself faster. I'd say diet and sleep have the greatest impact, so I do hope you're taking care of those as your primary priority. Professional endurance athletes try to sleep 10-12 hours a day...

In terms of structure, someone framed cycling training quite simply as:
-strength (muscular strength, so either weights or slow cadence big gear riding, at least twice a week)
-endurance (your basic aerobic engine and energy effiiciency - your bread and butter of long slow miles)
-aerobic capacity (your maximal aerobic capacity, Vo2Max...you can build this either through long slow miles as well as intervals)

"Threshold" work, "steady state/sweet spot" work all three of the above simultaneously, but have to be used carefully as these are tough sessions.
Bianchi Oltre XR4
Celeste Matte
Campy SR 11spd mechanical
Bora Ultra 50 tubs
Viseon 5D / stock bits and parts

Bianchi Specialissima Pantani Edition
Campy R 12spd mechanical
Fulcrum Racing Speed 35 tubs
FSA / Deda bits and parts

Berzin1
Posts: 237
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2016 9:35 pm

by Berzin1

I'd say diet and sleep have the greatest impact, so I do hope you're taking care of those as your primary priority.

Absolutely correct.

I spent the past year going to weekly meetings with a nutritionist, not just for weight loss but to re-learn how to eat, portion control, etc..

I feel we covered most if not all of the bases, but there is always more to learn. At least I have plenty more information than I had before.

I also spent some time with a sleep specialist and it has made a world of difference.

Before I decided to get back into cycling, I wanted to tackle as many issues as possible that I felt would encroach on the lifestyle going forward, way before I decided on purchasing new gadgets or even a new bike. Well, the new bike was always on my mind, but I promised myself I wouldn't get one unless I began seeing improvements with weight and sleep patterns.

robertbb
Posts: 2179
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:35 am

by robertbb

iheartbianchi wrote:
Sun Jul 28, 2019 6:24 pm
At the end of the day we're trying to increase blood circulation and reduce swelling/inflammation, so who knows.
Always appreciate your input into this topic.

Personally, I've found a morning swim in a very warm pool on non-riding days to be the best form of recovery. My legs feel 100% ready to go again the following day. I assume this is because:

1) The activity itself encourages blood flow
2) Warm water acts much like a sauna/hot bath would

There's a 25m lap pool near home which is specifically heated for toddler's swim lessons. It's like swimming in a bath.

Added bonus is they use a UV/sand filtration system so there's no adverse affects of chlorine to worry about.

iheartbianchi
Posts: 680
Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:17 am

by iheartbianchi

Berzin1 wrote:
Sun Jul 28, 2019 7:11 pm
I'd say diet and sleep have the greatest impact, so I do hope you're taking care of those as your primary priority.

Absolutely correct.

I spent the past year going to weekly meetings with a nutritionist, not just for weight loss but to re-learn how to eat, portion control, etc..

I feel we covered most if not all of the bases, but there is always more to learn. At least I have plenty more information than I had before.

I also spent some time with a sleep specialist and it has made a world of difference.

Before I decided to get back into cycling, I wanted to tackle as many issues as possible that I felt would encroach on the lifestyle going forward, way before I decided on purchasing new gadgets or even a new bike. Well, the new bike was always on my mind, but I promised myself I wouldn't get one unless I began seeing improvements with weight and sleep patterns.
Would be helpful for you to share what you learned! Proper nutrition is something recreational athletes (of all sports) neglect all the time, yet it has such a massive effect on not only our body composition but our ability to perform and recover. Doesn't help that the diet industry is always trying to force some new trend down our throats by intentionally confusing consumers with false or misleading information!
Bianchi Oltre XR4
Celeste Matte
Campy SR 11spd mechanical
Bora Ultra 50 tubs
Viseon 5D / stock bits and parts

Bianchi Specialissima Pantani Edition
Campy R 12spd mechanical
Fulcrum Racing Speed 35 tubs
FSA / Deda bits and parts

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