Leg recovery

[ManBearPig]

Ciao.
I have recently increased the distance on my road bike. 60+ miles on Friday, then 35-50 on Saturday, and barely made to 30 miles on Sunday. That's for two weekends in a row. The issue here is how my legs feel on 2nd and 3rd day in-a-row. I'm still a beginner, but feels that this feeling of heavy and tired legs can be prevented.

What are your leg recovery methods that keep you on the bike for multiple days? Namely that might help feeling better the next day and being able to hit 50+ miles three days in a row. Some leg gels, supplements, stretching? Thank you in advance.

[Nikko]

(09-10-2019, 06:54 PM)ManBearPig Wrote:  Ciao.
I have recently increased the distance on my road bike. 60+ miles on Friday, then 35-50 on Saturday, and barely made to 30 miles on Sunday. That's for two weekends in a row. The issue here is how my legs feel on 2nd and 3rd day in-a-row. I'm still a beginner, but feels that this feeling of heavy and tired legs can be prevented.

What are your leg recovery methods that keep you on the bike for multiple days? Namely that might help feeling better the next day and being able to hit 50+ miles three days in a row. Some leg gels, supplements, stretching? Thank you in advance.

Are you used to bike this much in the past or is it a recent development?
Do you do warm-ups and cool-downs?

[Zviedrs]

(09-10-2019, 06:54 PM)ManBearPig Wrote:  Ciao.
I have recently increased the distance on my road bike. 60+ miles on Friday, then 35-50 on Saturday, and barely made to 30 miles on Sunday. That's for two weekends in a row. The issue here is how my legs feel on 2nd and 3rd day in-a-row. I'm still a beginner, but feels that this feeling of heavy and tired legs can be prevented.

What are your leg recovery methods that keep you on the bike for multiple days? Namely that might help feeling better the next day and being able to hit 50+ miles three days in a row. Some leg gels, supplements, stretching? Thank you in advance.

Beer always helps with recovery
And simply gathering those miles (note, this is important for beginners), legs will feel better with the distance.

[ManBearPig]

(09-11-2019, 09:31 AM)Nikko Wrote:  

(09-10-2019, 06:54 PM)ManBearPig Wrote:  Ciao.
I have recently increased the distance on my road bike. 60+ miles on Friday, then 35-50 on Saturday, and barely made to 30 miles on Sunday. That's for two weekends in a row. The issue here is how my legs feel on 2nd and 3rd day in-a-row. I'm still a beginner, but feels that this feeling of heavy and tired legs can be prevented.

What are your leg recovery methods that keep you on the bike for multiple days? Namely that might help feeling better the next day and being able to hit 50+ miles three days in a row. Some leg gels, supplements, stretching? Thank you in advance.

Are you used to bike this much in the past or is it a recent development?
Do you do warm-ups and cool-downs?

I have been commuting for 7-8 weeks now. Before that didn't bike much to be honest. I can walk the next days and don't feel much discomfort, but both legs or specifically the muscles feel pain once I start pedalling strong. It gets more tense when I have to push more on climbs.

First two miles are more relaxing or like warmup for me. That's when I get on "faster" road that allows me to speed it up. I also stretch after the ride, but with very basic exercises. Is that what you meant with warmups or cooldowns?

[JoJoJo]

my suggestion -> keep track on your calories (absorbed and burned kcal/day) cause there is chance that you are ending up in minuses during these wweekend rides which is a red light.
if there's no option to receive massages I also suggest reading more about the contrast (cold/warm/cold/warm) showers for your blood vessels.

[Zviedrs]

Compression socks?

[Nikko]

(09-16-2019, 06:24 PM)ManBearPig Wrote:  I have been commuting for 7-8 weeks now. Before that didn't bike much to be honest. I can walk the next days and don't feel much discomfort, but both legs or specifically the muscles feel pain once I start pedalling strong. It gets more tense when I have to push more on climbs.

First two miles are more relaxing or like warmup for me. That's when I get on "faster" road that allows me to speed it up. I also stretch after the ride, but with very basic exercises. Is that what you meant with warmups or cooldowns?

Less than 2 months and no experience before that .... I would say that you don't have the endurance yet.
You can't simply start biking 50+ miles daily and feel no pain or fatigue.
If you want to endure 3 days in a row, begin the process with biking 30 miles each day on the weekend instead of 60-40-30. When you feel that 3x30 miles is okay, increase it the next weekend.
Afterwards do 50-30-50-30. Overall, just don't overdo it in the beginning!!

[ManBearPig]

(09-18-2019, 09:05 AM)Zviedrs Wrote:  Compression socks?

I managed to read about them the other day. Do you have personal experience with compression socks?

---

(09-19-2019, 10:40 AM)Nikko Wrote:  Less than 2 months and no experience before that .... I would say that you don't have the endurance yet.
You can't simply start biking 50+ miles daily and feel no pain or fatigue.
If you want to endure 3 days in a row, begin the process with biking 30 miles each day on the weekend instead of 60-40-30. When you feel that 3x30 miles is okay, increase it the next weekend.
Afterwards do 50-30-50-30. Overall, just don't overdo it in the beginning!!

I have to be honest, you have got very good points there. I might have been too optimistic about my abilities and cycling threshold (new term to me). I will be keeping it more chill for now.

[Zviedrs]

(09-30-2019, 05:46 PM)ManBearPig Wrote:  

(09-18-2019, 09:05 AM)Zviedrs Wrote:  Compression socks?

I managed to read about them the other day. Do you have personal experience with compression socks?

Yeah. I wear them always (90%+ of the time) DURING long endurance distance road running or trail running + AFTER a long bike ride when recovering. Feels good. If you want to splash the cash then get the recovery boots but that is for professionals and very serious amateur cyclists.

[ManBearPig]

(10-11-2019, 06:44 AM)Zviedrs Wrote:  

(09-30-2019, 05:46 PM)ManBearPig Wrote:  

(09-18-2019, 09:05 AM)Zviedrs Wrote:  Compression socks?

I managed to read about them the other day. Do you have personal experience with compression socks?

Yeah. I wear them always (90%+ of the time) DURING long endurance distance road running or trail running + AFTER a long bike ride when recovering. Feels good. If you want to splash the cash then get the recovery boots but that is for professionals and very serious amateur cyclists.

Cool I will take a look at them, keyword recovery intrigued me. Must be the sports model, right? I see that there are sleeves for calves and knee socks. Is the ankle and feet zone important?

[picco8]

Hot & cold shower therapy helps me