Week 5: Recovery Is Part of the Training
Five weeks into our 12-week cycling challenge, we’re starting to understand something pretty important:
The rides are only part of the training. Recovery matters too.
Last week, we talked about fatigue, getting a little cranky, and learning to be flexible when life doesn’t cooperate with the training plan. This week felt like the perfect time to talk about what we do between rides to help ourselves feel ready to get back on the bikes.
And, appropriately enough, the weather forced us to be flexible again.
Watch Our 12-Week Cycling Challenge
We’re documenting all 12 weeks—the good rides, the hard days, what we’re learning, and how we’re adjusting the plan along the way.
🎥 [Watch the complete 12-Week Cycling Challenge playlist on YouTube →](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWbaBI7OzUiQ&si=rkxkBJZg46nDyk_h)
Start with Episode 1 or jump into Week 5 and ride along with us.
Our Week 5 Rides
We still got our three rides in this week, but they looked a little different.
We had one early-morning ride, which has become a fairly normal part of our routine. There’s something we really enjoy about getting out before the day gets busy.
For our long ride, we headed back to the river trail. It’s become one of our favorite places to get in longer miles without dealing with traffic.
Then the weather decided it wasn’t going to cooperate for our moderate ride.
Rather than skip it, we took the workout indoors to the gym.
Was riding a stationary bike as much fun as being outside?
Nope.
But that’s part of what this challenge is teaching us: the plan doesn’t have to be perfect to work.
You adjust and keep going.
This Week’s Focus: Recovery
As the weeks and miles begin adding up, we’re becoming much more aware of how we feel between rides.
Recovery doesn’t have to mean an elaborate routine or a bunch of expensive equipment. The basics still matter most:
Sleep. Hydration. Nutrition. Rest. Easy movement.
But we’ve also found a few things that simply feel really good after training.
Some are free.
Some are definitely not.
And none of the gadgets are required to complete this plan.
But they’re part of what we’re actually using during our 12-week challenge, so we thought we’d share them.
Our 5-Minute Post-Ride Stretch
Let’s be realistic.
We’re probably not going to finish every ride and spend another 30 minutes stretching.
But five minutes?
We can do five minutes.
So we put together a simple post-ride routine with five stretches:
1. Calves — 1 Minute
Stretch each side for about 30 seconds. Keep your back heel down and gently lean forward until you feel the stretch through your calf.
2. Quads — 1 Minute
Spend about 30 seconds on each leg. Bring your heel toward your butt and keep your knees relatively close together. Hold onto something if you need help with balance.
3. Hip Flexors — 1 Minute
Thirty seconds on each side. Use a half-kneeling or standing lunge position and gently shift your hips forward.
After spending so much time sitting on a bike, this one feels especially good.
4. Glutes — 1 Minute
Use a seated or lying figure-four stretch for about 30 seconds on each side.
5. Chest & Shoulders — 1 Minute
Finish by opening up your chest and shoulders.
After spending miles leaning forward over the handlebars, giving the upper body a little attention feels pretty darn good.
Recovery at the Gym
Our gym happens to have several recovery options, so we’ve been taking advantage of them too.
Are these things necessary?
No.
Do we enjoy them?
Absolutely.
HydroMassage
HydroMassage uses pressurized water to provide a massage while you stay fully clothed on the bed.
After riding or working out, it just feels good.
We mainly use it as a way to relax and unwind after training rather than thinking of it as some magical recovery treatment.
Red Light Therapy
We’ve also been using the red light therapy available at our gym.
Red light therapy, also called photobiomodulation, is being studied for its potential effects on exercise performance and recovery. Research is still evolving, and results can depend on how it’s used.
For us, it’s simply another recovery option available with our gym membership that we’re trying along the way.
Infrared Sauna
Then there’s the infrared sauna.
This might be one of our favorite ways to relax after a workout.
One thing we do pay attention to, though, is hydration.
If we’ve already spent a long ride sweating—especially during warmer weather—adding more heat means we need to be particularly conscious about replacing fluids.
The Recovery Tools We Use at Home
We have a couple of favorites at home too.
NormaTec Compression Boots
You’ve probably seen those giant compression boots athletes wear.
Those are NormaTec boots.
They inflate and deflate in sections around your legs, providing intermittent pneumatic compression.
After a long ride, putting our feet up and letting the boots do their thing feels pretty fantastic.
Are they necessary?
Absolutely not.
Do we like them?
Absolutely.
Hyperice Roller
We also use a Hyperice vibrating roller on tight or tired muscles.
You certainly don’t need a vibrating roller. A basic foam roller is a much less expensive option.
This is definitely one of those nice-to-have rather than need-to-have recovery tools.
And that’s an important distinction.
You can spend a LOT of money on recovery products.
You don’t need to.
Don’t Forget the Boring Stuff
Recovery gadgets are fun.
Unfortunately, they don’t replace the boring stuff.
And the boring stuff might actually be the most important part.
Hydrate
Long rides—especially in warm weather—can mean losing a significant amount of fluid through sweat.
We try to start replacing those fluids after we ride instead of waiting until we’re desperately thirsty.
For longer or particularly sweaty rides, electrolytes may also be helpful.
Eat
Training requires fuel.
After a ride, eating a meal or snack containing carbohydrates and protein helps give your body the nutrients it needs after training.
And it doesn’t have to be some special recovery product.
Real food works too.
Sleep
This might be the least glamorous recovery tool we own.
It’s also free.
Sleep plays an important role in recovery and adaptation to training.
No massage gun, compression boot, roller or sauna can completely make up for consistently short-changing your sleep.
Take the Easy Days Seriously
This is one we’re learning ourselves.
Not every workout needs to be hard.
The easy rides and rest days built into this plan aren’t wasted days.
They’re part of the training.
And sometimes your body may need more recovery than the schedule says it should.
If you’re unusually exhausted, something hurts rather than simply feeling tired, or something just doesn’t feel right, pay attention to that.
A training plan is a guide—not a contract.
Our Favorite Recovery Gear
If you’re curious about the recovery products we’re using during this challenge, we’ve put them together in one place.
👉 [See Our Recovery Favorites →]https://www.amazon.com/shop/twowheelwild/list/305I7UFBTKTQC?ref_=aipsflist&tag=danadyches-20&originMarketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER
We’ll include things like our NormaTec compression boots, Hyperice roller and some of the other products we use for stretching and recovery.
But remember: you don’t need a pile of recovery gadgets to follow this training plan.
Start with the basics.
Stretch a little.
Eat.
Drink.
Sleep.
Rest when you need it.
Then, if you want some of the fun stuff too, we’ll show you what we’re using.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase through one of our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
What Week 5 Is Teaching Us
Five weeks into this challenge, we’re realizing that getting bike fit isn’t just about seeing how many miles we can ride.
It’s about learning how to train consistently.
Some days that means getting up early and riding before the rest of the world wakes up.
Some days it means a long ride at the river.
Sometimes the weather sends you to the gym.
And sometimes the best thing you can do for your training is recover so you’re ready for the next ride.
We’re not trying to train like professional cyclists.
We’re two normal people trying to get fit enough to have bigger adventures on two wheels.
And we’re learning that sometimes getting ready for the next adventure means putting our feet up.
Preferably in a pair of compression boots.
And if you’re training along with us, we’d love to have you along for the ride.
Ride. Explore. Grow.
