Planning for a Faster Recovery

Planning for a Faster Recovery Training and racing are a stress on the body. It takes time to recover from that stress. The harder the workout, the higher stress and therefore the longer the recovery. What you do before, during and right after you complete your workout (or race) greatly affects how you will feel later on and the next day. Here are some guidelines to consider.

Fueled Ready to Go Start your workout, event or race already fueled. I prefer to fuel using real food rather than energy bars and drinks. There are some great ideas on how to fuel with real food in Allen LIm's books: 'Portables' and 'Feed Zone'.

During the workout Eat and drink responsibly!  Don’t leave it until your fuel stores and fluids reach extreme low levels.  If you do, then you’ll need more recovery time.

What and how much you eat and drink during a workout depends on several factors:

-Intensity (how hard are you working) -Volume (how long are you working) -Temperature (working out in 90 degrees versus 40 degrees have very different fueling requirements) -Individual differences (every athlete has different requirements)

There are lots of guidelines out there. And that is just what they are: guidelines. Don’t expect to find a fueling plan that is ideal for you. You will need to experiment and see how your body responds to different types and quantities of fuel.  Here are some ideas to start with:

1 hour ride: 1 bottle of water or electrolyte drink (like Ultima) 2 hour ride: 1 bottle of water and 1 bottle of energy drink (Hammer Heed) 3 hour ride: 1 bottle of electrolyte drink, 1 bottle of energy drink, plus 1-2 gels and/or a bar. 4 hour ride: 3 bottles electrolyte, water and energy drink. 2-3 gels and/or a Bar.

When you are doing LSD (Long Steady Distance) workouts,  make sure you use the food/drink you would during your long events/races. Not only are you working on improving your endurance, but also training the body to utilize specific fuel.  For these workouts aim to ingest 200-350 calories per hour.