Resting up after a 4 hour ride through an undulating part of rural Victoria I'm musing all about recovery. Personally I'm poor at structured recovery techniques beyond dragging on the compression garment (skins) and/or lying/sitting with my legs elevated. Apart from eating and drinking heaps...after all isn't that one of the reasons I go for long rides???
I recently found an interesting article which claims to debunk the recovery method of dunking oneself in a tub of iced water. I'd have to say there's NO way you'd get me to do that even if I was told it was the key to a certain rainbow jersey/world record/gold medal... I can't even bring myself to take a cold shower! so they can debunk as much as they want...wont make any difference to me!
Methods do change though; stretching has gone through many re-incarnations but a couple who visit my gym at the same time as me are set somewhere in the stone age. Their idea of stretching is ballistic to the nth degree and is so painful to watch I have to take my glasses off so I can't see them properly; I'm waiting for his hip adductors to tear. The gym manager says they've tried to explain the more modern approach but apparently he's a martial arts person from way back and knows what he's doing(!).
Alex is in Poland now, check out the blog..that's him in the pale blue Spoke(n) gear.
So to today's ride, designated LSD. It was a "Tour de Rural Industries" an interesting ride from a scenery POV but VERY undulating..check out the elevation by clicking at the bottom of the map. We passed agistments, wineries, many many ducks, nurseries, cheese places (well we went through Gruyere, so we're assuming there), vegetable farms, berry farms and dairy++. We also passed the Sylvan dam which is now 89.8% full. My gears decided to play up by going into "auto change" mode, which made me think twice about standing up on the pedals and on one hill the chain slipped off the chain ring completely. If I'd had any idea how to fix it, I would have done so, but I don't ...I just ride the thing. Intensity factor and Training stress score are w-a-a-y high and so they should be, the way I feel right now.
And finally, Shirley Amy has gone public and has decided she WILL go for the hour record for 55-59 yr olds. Shirley and I have crossed paths many, many times on road and more recently on the track; she is a strong rider and I have no doubts that she will create a good record.
I now have the correct stem for Stewy the blue bikey and that will be fitted tomorrow, with a visit to the velodrome on Tuesday am. If I can find someone to help me pump up the Ghibli's I think its about time I gave them an airing.
133 days to go.
2 comments:
Reading the article, the research focussed on sitting in an icebath only ie not alternating between hot and cold, which is the way I was taught. Wonder if that makes a difference or not, rather than just freezing your bits off? Give me a hot bath any day ;-)
Alex met up with my old and his current coach at the Jones Lang Lesalle event..running kyacking and riding from Mt Buller to Melbourne. Alex was doing the running and J insisted on dunking him after his first run..all downhill I might add and therefore very bad for muscles.
You do the hot/cold/hot etc regime. I hate both. This Physio just ain't keen on doing it herself!
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