Unplanned Rest Days

[Lanternrouge]

Since I'm a big believer in schedules (or maybe a bit OCD) I normally plan rest days in advance. Last night I slept terribly and woke up feeling terrible and didn't follow my normal morning routine involving heading out to ride at about 6:30. Now, I'm trying to evaluate whether to take the day completely off or to HTFU and go riding later. I had a good weekend of riding and felt decent in a very short recovery ride yesterday as a frame of reference.

What's the groupthink on this and spontaneous rest days in general? I realize that what I do today will in no way impact my not winning a national championship, getting a pro contract, etc.

[AngryScientist]

unless you're a paid cyclist, and you are an adult living in the real world, you just roll with the punches. take a rest day if you need it. in reality, for most of us, taking a break when our body needs it is way more beneficial than "toughing it out".

i've got a miserable cold this week and had planned on some good efforts - that whole plan is out the window. it happens.

[carpediemracing]

+1

Since cycling isn't my job and is in fact pretty low in the order of priorities, it gets cut pretty easily. Today I was hoping to do a decent ride, after doing just half of what I wanted to do yesterday due to fatigue. Well I'm probably more fatigued today than yesterday. Therefore it became a rest day.

If something happens in life and I'm too exhausted then I don't ride. I need recovery from things other than just pedaling - it all accumulates to give you an "overall fatigue".

[Mzilliox]

yesterday i got busy on the tractor and didn't want to stop work on the farm. at about 7pm i considered a quick ride. I was tired, but mainly from the long day, not from using the legs.

In the end I decided it was a rest day after all. I'm glad i did. Today's ride was epic. I was so strong today, i added 10 more miles and one more climb to the end of my 35mile ride.

Unplanned rest days are a nice reset sometimes.

[MattTuck]

Different levels to this question.

Yes, as Nick noted, take the day off if you want to. You don't pay your bills with cycling, so it shouldn't make you miserable or cause you additional hassle in your life.

Next level, is to figure out why you're fatigued. If you're on a structured plan, it may not be so simple. You can ride while you're pretty fatigued, and still get a training benefit after rest. This depends on your specific situation.

And then to play devil's advocate, consider the thinking that you can take a day off... sounds suspiciously like the thinking that led to handing out participation trophies... :beer:

[Lewis Moon]

unless you're a paid cyclist, and you are an adult living in the real world, you just roll with the punches. take a rest day if you need it. in reality, for most of us, taking a break when our body needs it is way more beneficial than "toughing it out".

i've got a miserable cold this week and had planned on some good efforts - that whole plan is out the window. it happens.

Sage advice.

[FlashUNC]

Yes, take them.

Your body is trying to tell you something.

[Tandem Rider]

Training is stress. "Life" also hands you stress, I'm not convinced our bodies can tell much difference between the two, so I just don't train if I feel a little toasted. Maybe sit on the deck with Mrs TR, Mtb with TR junior, walk with the pooch, etc. If I'm not makin' money at it or getting ready for Natz, training is down the list of priorities. :)

[stephenmarklay]

I did a lot of over training when I was racing. It took a good year to get my body back to normal.

One early sign of stress is not sleeping well. So if I am training but I can’t sleep I take the day off. That seems to work for me.

[oldpotatoe]

Since I'm a big believer in schedules (or maybe a bit OCD) I normally plan rest days in advance. Last night I slept terribly and woke up feeling terrible and didn't follow my normal morning routine involving heading out to ride at about 6:30. Now, I'm trying to evaluate whether to take the day completely off or to HTFU and go riding later. I had a good weekend of riding and felt decent in a very short recovery ride yesterday as a frame of reference.

What's the groupthink on this and spontaneous rest days in general? I realize that what I do today will in no way impact my not winning a national championship, getting a pro contract, etc.

When I am tired but want to ride..take the bike out and just toodle around. I call mine a 'bike path bounce around'..sometimes the hardest thing to do when you are tired is get all the crap ready to ride but once out there..mind cleansing...

[verbs4us]

More often than not, after 40 years of cycling, I figured out that the problem is not usually overtraining but under-resting. it took only 40 years, proving to my wife that I am, indeed, trainable.

[Hilltopperny]

I have been having some back issues, so for the past couple of weeks I've been taking flatter canalway trail rides on bikes that keep me more upright. I am already starting to feel better and got out yesterday for a nice 25 mile prep ride on some awesome gravel climbs and it felt great! I usually do what old potatoe said and just cruise around without the kit and do laps around my small village or the bike trail to get the blood flowing, but by no means push myself to the limit. I go a little crazy if I don't get out on a bike for too long...

[peanutgallery]

At this point we are all just participants, a day off should be enjoyable. I see way too many middle aged men like myself who ride like the grim reaper is chasing them, I don't think they're enjoying it

[OtayBW]

At this point we are all just participants, a day off should be enjoyable. I see way too many middle aged men like myself who ride like the grim reaper is chasing them, I don't think they're enjoying itHe is. They're not. :cool:

[shovelhd]

Dedication is good but obsession is not. Take your rest day and feel good about it. You have been consistent so far, so you deserve it.

I stepped on a rusty screw last Thursday and have been healing up since. Tonight is the weekly hammerfest ride, so I'll be with the B's instead of the A's. NBD.

[HenryA]

You get stronger only when you rest after doing the work. Take off a couple of days and I bet you'll come back feeling great.

[chasing120]

It takes time for anything to sink in.

It took me almost ten years to figure out I need a 2 week taper to show up and feel fresh at a race.

[rzthomas]

No offense to the OP, but a little of this reminds me of friends who talk about going out for an "easy" or "recovery" ride before a race and end up doing 25-40 miles with their heart rates at 70-90% of max. Then they do terrible, blame their result on "cramping" and never learn.