Heeeyho Readers! Getting inspired to post my trainings again.
Butt hurts. Legs, back, head, and everything else too. That's competitive cycling.
Sometimes I ask myself: Why competing if it's so demanding? Then I remember the joy of going over the limits of body and mind. It hurts, no doubt. That's the nature of competitive sports... whoever withstands the pain the longer gets to the podium. There's also the relief of putting into action those endless hours of training.
Yesterday I participated in a XCO (Olympic Cross-Country) race in my local place. The race consisted of 10 laps, totaling 23 kilometers in a short technical track. Most of the obstacles were jumps, roots, a staircase and a bit of sand.
Olympic cross-country requires quite a lot of raw power. We are constantly going over obstacles and around turns; accelerations are short and intense. It's tough to keep focused. Different than marathon, we race in a circuit where spectators can watch us from different places.
We lack the elevation here, although that doesn't diminish the effort of running 10 laps without making any mistakes. See the average and max speed to have a glimpse of how intricate that trail is. Anyways.
The result was 2nd place in my category and 5th overall. I gave my best to follow the leader, but I was caught behind slower riders, which opened a huge gap between us.
It's amazing, considering most of 2021 I spent recovering a broken leg and 2022 trying to recover my racing fitness.
Recovery Monday
Yup.
The best medicine for sore legs is more cycling. An easy, low heart rate ride. I plan to write an in-depth post about post race recovery (not that I'm certified to talk about it, but... any knowledge should be shared.)
This week should be easy with longer, less intense rides. However, next week I'll add more volume to prepare to a 60-kilometer marathon in June, plus another 45-kilometer marathon next month (short but intense).
I don't post my Strava that much as in the past, unless it's some bikepacking trip. Most of my rides are repetitions of the same routes, but varying the objective (interval, volume, easy rides, etc). By the way, let me ask:
Do you guys follow any training schedule?
I'm curious to know what the fella Cycle-hivens do.
Now it's time to stretch, foam-roll and start it all over again {laughs}.
I hope you've enjoyed this post. Don't stop pedaling and have fun!
Peace.
Did you know that I have a book out? Check this!
Access Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/6500272773?
If you enjoyed this post consider leaving your upvote for a hot coffee.
Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrprofessor_
~Love ya all,
Disclaimer: The author of this post is a convict broke backpacker, who has travelled more than 10.000 km hitchhiking and more than 5.000 km cycling. Following him may cause severe problems of wanderlust and inquietud. You've been warned.
Congrats on the second spot man! Great performance and achievement! Did you win any prize too or was it just for fun? :)
@tipu curate
Yooo thank you! Won a medal 💪 First place gets a small trophy, maybe next time I bring one home
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 6/46) Liquid rewards.
Congratulations on 2nd place after a long lay off. Looking forward to reading about your recovery techniques. I only ride once per week at best, but would like to do more.
!LOL
!LUV
!ALIVE
@mrprofessor, @new.things(1/10) sent you LUV. | tools | discord | community |
HiveWiki | 
NFT | <>< daily
@mrprofessor! You Are Alive so I just staked 0.1 $ALIVE to your account on behalf of @new.things. (2/10)
The tip has been paid for by the We Are Alive Tribe through the earnings on @alive.chat, feel free to swing by our daily chat any time you want.
lolztoken.com
I wonder what she’s up to now.
Credit: reddit
@mrprofessor, I sent you an $LOLZ on behalf of @new.things
(1/10)
Thank you! Recovery starts right after the race; it's indeed a real cool topic to talk about. Once per week is a good start to keep the heart working. I'm guessing you are heading into spring/summer, so it's easier to pedal more?
Edit: You are in Australia, so you are in the same boat as I am haha winter, here we go
Yes winter is coming !LOL Running is my main sport but I like to cycle as well. I think a bit of cross training is very helpful
lolztoken.com
A lite house.
Credit: reddit
@mrprofessor, I sent you an $LOLZ on behalf of @new.things
(8/10)
Delegate Hive Tokens to Farm $LOLZ and earn 110% Rewards. Learn more.
No doubt. I go swimming to complement the cycling.
Congratulations Arthur, 2nd place is a great achievement! I am not into the competitive nature of cycling but some years ago I participated in couple of MTB local races. It was intense indeed compared to bike touring but for me the risk of injury associated was what eventually convinced me to stop doing it. Look forward for your post race recovery article and good luck with your next marathon training, we are all cheering you on from all corners of the world.
Yeeeeeah!
I agree. Injury is an issue.. couple weeks ago I crashed hurting my thumb in the process. I only started with the competitions because I'm not cycletouring ☹️ Onde addicted to adrenalin there's no way out hahaha
Awesome work...I like the picture you got of you going over the jump...pretty cool. I usually do 3 - 4 rides a week as part of my triathlon training. I usually do two rides outdoors and use an app called Motosumo to do like an indoor spin class for the other two bike sessions. It's been working well. This is the best triathlon season I have had even after Covid issues in November.
Thank you!
I'm always curious to know how triathletes manage time, because you need to master three sports in one, and all are endurance, meaning long hours of training.
I also train 3-4-5 times (usually 8 hours) per week on the bicycle, using my own feeling to vary intensity (intervals, climbs, long z2 rides, etc). Then I started swimming when I broke my leg, which I throw in between as a cycling recovery (it's been doing wonders)
Upvoted by the Cycling Community
You can support the Cycling Community by delegating HP: 25 HP - 50 HP - 100 HP -250 HP - 500 HP
Thank you!
Yes, I remember the pains hahaha 🤣
It is worth it as long as you have fun!
Great results @mrprofessor
Have a lovely Tuesday ☀️
Cycling is endless fun xD
When not racing, exploring. And we keep on saying "i'm gonna quit racing, it's too demanding" then we are there again next time hhahha
Cool! Congrats with the second place!
Cool action shot too!
I don't participate in races, so I don't have a real training schedule.
I do have a 200k trip planned in June, so I do increase the length of my weekly weekend rides.
Thanks for sharing this info!
Thank you!
200k sounds awesome. Do you plan to do that in one go?
Yes. We sometimes stop to drink, but long pauses aren't good for the muscles. We started idea during covid and made it a yearly tradition.
Epic. I've never cycled that far in one sit (as a mtber). Sone friends are into Audax races, but they ride road bikes
The average speed isn't that high, but it's more about the distance than the speed 😊
This was last year's trip. We're planning to go all along the coast this year.
I'll create a blog of it when it's done.
Parabéns, seu post foi selecionado pelo projeto Brazilian Power, cuja meta é incentivar a criação de mais conteúdo de qualidade, conectando a comunidade brasileira e melhorando as recompensas, obrigado!
The rewards earned on this comment will go directly to the people( @brazilians ) sharing the post on Twitter as long as they are registered with @poshtoken. Sign up at https://hiveposh.com.