Sharing my data - Active Recovery

Here is my first installment of my shared data. I'm starting with the most boring workout, Active Recovery (AR). It is the type of workout that athletes get wrong most often. Yeah! That means you!!!

Active Recovery is done to promote blood flow. That increased blood flow flushes all of the bad stuff left behind by a hard workout the day before. It loosens the muscles, reduces soreness, and gets you ready for your next strenuous workout.

Too often, we go too hard on those days reserved for Active Recovery. Instead of promoting recovery, we create additional soreness or fatigue. When it is time to do a hard workout again, we don't feel fresh or we are unable to perform as we should or need to.

An AR ride should feel really slow. As if you are doing almost nothing. Yes, it can be difficult. I recommend you distract yourself by involving exercise with something you normally do by car. Ride your bike to the coffee shop and relax. Walk to the local store to do an errand. Walk the dog or go for a hike. Show up at a friend's house across town. Instead of feeling bored, you accomplish something.

The result of an AR workout should feel similar to a good stretch, some light Yoga, or a massage. You should feel ready to go the next day. If it is inconvenient to do an AR ride, 30 minutes of stretching, yoga, or other light exercise is acceptable. You could even get really creative and schedule house cleaning or yard work as an AR effort.

So with that said, here is a recent example of my Active Recovery ride.

Princeton Active Recovery ride 

I drove to an area I used to ride through regularly, Princeton, NJ. It is a nice college town with plenty of distractions; traffic, pedestrians, historic building, etc. Lots of things to occupy my mind while just pedaling around slowly. If I enjoyed coffee, I'd have numerous options to stop and relax further.

On this day, my overall heart rate and power were well within my Active Recovery zone. I was noticing a bunch of historic homes that I normally fly by without a glance. It was a pleasant ride. If you are thinking that it is a waste to drive my car to do a recovery ride...you may be right. On this day, I parked at a barber shop and got my hair cut. I used the hair cut as an excuse to take my bike and ride.

Consider these things the next time you see an Active Recovery ride on your training calendar.