7 Ways to Nail Your Recovery Rides
Turn off Strava and take it easy if you want to do recovery rides right.
Turn off Strava and take it easy if you want to do recovery rides right. – By Selene Yeager
Here are 7 ways to get your recovery rides right:
1. Go solo: It’s pretty much impossible to do a recovery ride with a group, because it takes too much willpower to resist getting sucked into going faster and harder than intended. Use the time to go out alone and spin your legs and clear your mind.
2. Get someone riding: If you’d rather not ride alone, you can use your recovery rides as a time to play on bikes with your kids or to get a new friend or family member riding. You won’t go very far or very fast, and the focus is on them having fun.
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3. Go ahead and call it “Recovery Ride” on Strava: If you really hate seeing those super slow speeds on Strava, but you don’t want to lose those kilometres on your annual log, then go ahead and label your recovery ride something like “Easy Like Sunday Morning Recovery Spin.” That way you can feel proud of just how slow you can go.
4. Change bikes: Got an old beater or commuter bike? Recovery rides are the perfect time to break them out because they don’t scream, “Speed up!”
5. Dress down for it: Keep your club, team, and/or fast, fitted kit in the drawer and pull on some casual riding-around-town attire instead. Then go spin around your neighbourhood or ride to your local rail trail or park.
6. Use your gadgets: It’s tempting to turn off the metrics when you’re out for a recovery ride. But this might be the time you need them most to keep you honest. If you have a heart rate monitor and/or power meter, use it.
7. Do something else: If you really don’t feel like riding slow, do something else. Activities like easy laps at the pool, gentle yoga, walking the dogs, even going for a light jog (assuming you regularly run) can do the trick. Easy cross-training can also help you get stoked to get back on the bike after hard days in the saddle.
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