How long do you rest after an Audax?

[urban_biker]

It has become pretty clear to me that a few days rest off the bike after an audax (especially at new distance) is a good thing. It gives the body time to re-build and recover and makes me stronger for the next ride.

Normally I rest for two to three days before I go back to commuting. On the occasions I haven't rested enough I found that I picked up injuries.

What do you find works after a long ride? Long could mean PBP or your local 200km depending on experience.

[MSeries]

I don't take any rest, I use the commute as a recovery ride. After PBP which I finished on the Friday afternoon, I rode to Paris on the Saturday then 100km fully laden to start my journey home on the Sunday.

[Chris S]

Depends on the Audax. I don't normally rest after 200 or 300.

The only official 400 I've done, I was ill afterwards, so rest was enforced for a couple of weeks.

The only 600 I've done, I didn't feel the desire to go near any bike for about a week afterward. This had nothing to do with resting as such - just didn't feel like cycling.

[Salvatore]

I don't stop riding, whatever the distance I've done (up to 1500), but I do take it easy on my commute for a few days until I feel recovered.

[LEE]

The only 600 I've done, I didn't feel the desire to go near any bike for about a week afterward. This had nothing to do with resting as such - just didn't feel like cycling.

This is my general feeling (although I haven't done more than 300k).

I enjoy a couple of days off and this in turn makes me enjoy it more when I get back on the bike.  It's about enjoyment after all (I don't commute).

[Bianchi Boy]

I think resting depends on how you rode the Audax. I have ridden a 300km event on the Saturday and then commuted to work on the Monday and TTed on Tuesday. If I have ridden within my self on the Audax this is possible.

But I have pasted myself on a 200km ride and done myself a lot of damage and still not recoved by the following weekend.

I think recovery is different for everyone but is based on how you ride events. The deeper you go into reserves the longer it takes to recover.

I once did a team TT where I was the weakest ridder. Ridding fo 30 miles on or over the red line was enough to take the the speed out of my legs for a whole week.

[MSeries]

I think resting depends on how you rode the Audax. I have ridden a 300km event on the Saturday and then commuted to work on the Monday and TTed on Tuesday. If I have ridden within my self on the Audax this is possible.

But I have pasted myself on a 200km ride and done myself a lot of damage and still not recoved by the following weekend.

I think recovery is different for everyone but is based on how you ride events. The deeper you go into reserves the longer it takes to recover.

I once did a team TT where I was the weakest ridder. Ridding fo 30 miles on or over the red line was enough to take the the speed out of my legs for a whole week.

I'd agree with that. I generally try to wind down in the last 10km of an audax, select a lower gear and pedal with little effort. I have a couple of years experience and fitness built up now so I know what and when I should eat and drink. That said on rides last year when i was faster than I have ever been I generally rode to work the following day. (actually of the two rides that stand out, they were on a Saturday so I wasn't at work on the Sunday though I finished one at 00:50 Sunday morning)

I all depends how fit the rider is and how close to ones limit and for how long one rides. When I was in my first year I took longer to recover that I did last year.

[Martin]

never stop actually riding; usually leave 2-3 weeks between 200+ events though; 100s are fine, many as you like.

[mattc]

never stop actually riding; usually leave 2-3 weeks between 200+ events though; 100s are fine, many as you like.

I think that has to be the right answer (from a purely health/fitness POV - if you just don't want to ride the next day, fair enough!)

I believe that during TdeF, on the rest days all the riders do 1-2 hours light riding UNLESS they are actually sick or injured.

[MSeries]

never stop actually riding; usually leave 2-3 weeks between 200+ events though; 100s are fine, many as you like.

I think that has to be the right answer (from a purely health/fitness POV - if you just don't want to ride the next day, fair enough!)

I believe that during TdeF, on the rest days all the riders do 1-2 hours light riding UNLESS they are actually sick or injured.

+ unless they have a long transfer. They certainly used to do an easy group ride on the rest day. We rode a short distance with the Festina team on 1994 as they had their rest day in Lourdes. I say short distance because as soon as the road went up, we slowed down and they didn't. Tour de France stages are much shorter than Audax though and those guys are much fitter than audax riders. IMO all we can take from them are pointers and ideas.

I don't even leave 2-3 weeks between 200s. Hell, no. In 2007 my best year, I did a 200 one day 300 the next, then rode to work the next day.  The weekend before that I did a 430km Easter Arrow. Earlier that year I did 200s on consecutive weekends followed by a 300. Ones recovery system is trained by hitting it like that and it adapts by recovering quicker.

[Greenbank]

When I first started doing Audaxes I used to rest a couple of days before and after a ride.

Since I started having a large milkshake (for the protein) within an hour of finishing I've been feeling much less tired and lethargic on the following days and I've been happy to get back on the bike and cycle into work. That and making sure I avoid dehydration during the ride.

At the back of my mind I'm thinking about LEL: A flat 300km day. Hillier 300km day. Hilly 300km day. Hillyish 300km day. Flat 200km.

I've done 200+100 weekend, and a 300+100 weekend so far without problems.

Tour de France stages are much shorter than Audax though and those guys are much fitter than audax riders.

Not much shorter. 2008 is 21 stages totalling 3554km. Take out the 29km and 53km individual TTs you get 3472km in 19 stages, that's a 182km average.

Last year was 191km average (excluding TTs and prologue). 3 consecutive (albeit with one rest day) mountain stages of 197km, 196km and 218.5km.

They're just annoyingly fast. I think Lance has the fastest average at nearing 45kph over the whole thing.

[MSeries]

Yebbut 191km isn't even a randonee. ;-) 191km is much shorter than 400km

[Ian H]

I don't even leave 2-3 weeks between 200s. Hell, no. In 2007 my best year, I did a 200 one day 300 the next, then rode to work the next day.  The weekend before that I did a 430km Easter Arrow. Earlier that year I did 200s on consecutive weekends followed by a 300. Ones recovery system is trained by hitting it like that and it adapts by recovering quicker.

That sounds about right. I used often to ride a pair of 200s over a weekend.

A small group of us once rode the Elenith 300 on Saturday, then the Hard-Boiled 300 starting 0200hrs the following day. That was a stupid thing to do.

[urban_biker]

Some interesting responses.  I probably should just do some basic short commuting rides to keep myself ticking over. Yes - I'm aching a bit today (after my first 300k on Saturday which was fairly fast by my standards) but nothing that would stop me riding.

Its not that I don't want to ride - I do. But I was thinking that resting more fully might be more beneficial that continuing to ride.

After the last ride I did that really stretched me (Denmead 200k) I went straight back to a 44k per day commute and within two days developed knee problems. So that has made me a little bit wary.

You may have gathered I'm no TDF veteran

[mattc]

Dave,
I think it's the intensity (i.e. effort levels) you need to keep down for good recovery - mileage may not be a problem.
Keep the revs up too. And keep stretching.

[LEE]

I'm a firm believer in doing what feels right.

Just as with eating on an Audax, where I am drawn instinctively to specific foods, I think my body lets me know when it's best to cycle again.

Tomorrow feels about right.

That was Urban_biker's longest ride ever.  I think it's sensible to rest (if your body is suggesting you do so) especially after going an extra 50% beyond your previous limit (quite an achievement in itself).  No point in opening yourself up to the risk of a bug just for the sake of a couple of days' recovery.

Typically it's when you are feeling 'run-down' that you get a cold or get injury-prone.

[MSeries]

Everyone is different urban_biker, if you are going to do 600s and longer riders you will have to crack riding on consecutive days. As you get fitter you'll find long distance cycling easier. If I were you I'd think about the knee problems and see if I could get it rectified. Rest is good for injuries but it may inhibit progress or if you mask the pain using analgesics you will cause permanent damage.

[Martin]

Dave; also be aware that there are Audaxers and Audaxers; only a small percentage ever ride over 200k and even fewer do an SR;

among the respondees to your thread are several recidivists including one who is sentenced signed up for HBKH 1500 in 2010 so take a lot of it with a pinch of salt  , what works for some doesn't for others.

If you've PBP/LEL in your sights a 200 every 2-3 weeks will see you in very good stead.

and FWIW my knee packed up on my 1st 300, did I listen sensibly to what my body was saying or just load up with Diclofenac in order to get through the next one?

[MSeries]

To be fair, the question is "How long do you rest after and Audax ?" not "For how long do you think I should rest ?" Rest is important when one is starting out and in my "How I became a Super Randoneur" article I outlined how tired I felt when I was in my first season. I still rode each day though, cycling to work is easier than standing around at bus stops and reduces the chances of catching a cold.

[urban_biker]

To be fair, the question is "How long do you rest after and Audax ?" not "For how long do you think I should rest ?"

Very true - and I was taking all replies in that context too I know there are plenty of people on here who have done a few more rides than me over the years and that someone who has done numerours SR's year on year will have different needs than a relative newbie like me.

Its great to hear all the different views. I will be riding to work tomorrow - but taking it easy. Driving in is much too frustrating and I've had enough of it after one day!

[Hummers]

Yeah, everyone is different and I don't have the time to do the riding that others do so all I can add is don't leave it more than three weeks as you really notice the difference.

I don't get much chance to do very much commuting or riding and at best (last year) was only able to get out on the bike every other weekend and in some cases, every third weekend before the 600.

That got me around a 600 OK but in very little time at all, I lost my fitness and at the beginning of July was up to 12 hours for a 200. It was going out every weekend with a fast midweek ride in the 3 weeks before PBP that really got me back up to speed again.

H


Oh, and don't drink two pints of beer, a bottle of wine and 6 bottles of Russian lager the night before a 300.

H

[LEE]

Oh, and don't drink two pints of beer, a bottle of wine and 6 bottles of Russian lager the night before a 300.

I rarely drink that much the night before a lie in.

[frere yacker]

I usually find a day for every 100km does the trick.  A little light cycling over that periods helps shake loose those aches and pains.

[Air Dancer]

I get plenty of sleep at work

Just don't tell'em

[frankly frankie]

I get plenty of sleep at work

You can lose jobs that way.

I used to figure an average of one event every 3 weeks, with each event acting as training for the next.  I'd commute 2 or more often 3 times per week (25 mile round trip) in between.
Peak activity was one year when I did 5x600s on consecutive weekends, by the middle of that sequence recovery was incredibly quick, right as rain by Tuesday.  But that was the peak and by the end I was very tired.  And its very difficult to maintain that level of activity and stay credible at work.