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Sprints during easy/recovery ride
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For all you cycling coaches/experts out there, what do you think about 2-3 sprints (let's say 20-30 secs each) during a Zone 1/low Zone 2 ride? In the running world, I would equate this to pickups or strides, which are generally viewed as ok and likely beneficial, but it feels like the equivalent in cycling is very taxing from a muscular (and thus recovery) standpoint.

As an example, I was doing an easy ride on Zwift this morning that had 3 sprints in the hour. I averaged about 250% of FTP for an all-out 20 sec sprint. I'm thinking these might not have been a great idea?
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Re: Sprints during easy/recovery ride [sscott43] [ In reply to ]
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Isn't the point of a recovery ride to recover?
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Re: Sprints during easy/recovery ride [bootsie_cat] [ In reply to ]
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Maybe I would have better characterized it as an easy ride. As I said (in my experience), even in an easy run, many runners will do strides or pickups. I was curious whether this would be the cycling equivalent or instead is counterproductive.
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Re: Sprints during easy/recovery ride [sscott43] [ In reply to ]
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If you're truly trying to rest the muscles, then just a light spin would be best.

However... something to think about. When doing sprint work, most of your down time is very light pedaling to fully rest the system and maximize the intervals.


when done in the right manner... you can actually recover from harder threshold type workouts with z1 and some sprints mixed in.. but other times its not worth it.

As always, it depends on where you're at in the season, build phase, what the rest of the week looks like.. etc.

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Re: Sprints during easy/recovery ride [sscott43] [ In reply to ]
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Not a coach or expert but I don't see the point. If the ride is a recovery ride, then recover.

We have a group ride every week that is designed for beginners so those of us who are not just use it as a recovery ride. Inevitably someone will throw down on a climb or for a stop sign sprint. This sprints hurt worse than any hard sprint or effort on a hard ride, even though the watts and overall effort are lower. It just seems to hurt even more when you have been cruising along at recovery pace for an hour. I stay out of it these days. One coach I talk to says people don't go hard enough on hard days and don't go easy enough on recovery days. Be specific, don't screw around on your easy day, save the sprints for the hard days.
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Re: Sprints during easy/recovery ride [sscott43] [ In reply to ]
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Another thing here - "easy" days should not only be easy in terms of not being muscularly taxing - but also easy in terms of not having any agenda. I think just having an agenda to "sprint" a few times would be a drag. On the other hand, if I went out and busted ass for something - like "sprinting" for a short bit to get out of the way of a car - or something like that - I would not worry about having compromised my easy day.
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Re: Sprints during easy/recovery ride [sscott43] [ In reply to ]
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in lieu of a "sprint" i'd suggest a cadence burst of 20-30 sec with little to no change in "effort". Say you're turtling along at 90rm, downshift a few cogs and bring your cadence up to 110, maybe 120rpm every 3,4 or 5 minutes. You're still going to be riding slow enough to be passed by granny in her walker.
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Re: Sprints during easy/recovery ride [Tim_Canterbury] [ In reply to ]
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I often include 4-5 sprints in my recovery rides. But shorter, 10-12" and with a low gear and very high cadence

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