How much Recovery do you need after Nationals?

As Indian Cyclists, we have very few races to participate in throughout the year. For any dedicated athlete, the Indian National Championship becomes the main focus of training, whether you race Road, Track or MTB. That’s why we have a long Training season in between every two National campaigns. Thus, by the end of every National Championship, each athlete has one question – “How much rest/recovery I should take?” Since there is no big race in the calendar for next 7-8 months, this is the best time to get your ‘off-season’ for the year.

Now, this transition period from ‘Race’ to ‘Base’ becomes very confusing for many athletes. If athlete ‘X’ has a good season, he wants to celebrate/enjoy his success. So he wants to take off-the-bike rest days.  But another athlete ‘Y’, who’s season/race end well, wants to rush back into training as soon as possible, to be in better shape for the coming year-end races. Both these athletes worked really hard to reach this point, so trust me – both athletes need the same amount of Recovery; whether it’s physically or mentally. More often than not, the mental recovery period is more important than the physical one.

Coming to the main question: what is the ideal Recovery period that an athlete needs?

From my experience, this off-the-bike rest can be anywhere in between 10-20 days maximum, whatever the situation is.

During this time, athletes have the choice to indulge in other activities. Running, hiking, gym work, team sports etc. are all very popular choices. Anything other than cycling works wonders in engaging and strengthening other muscle groups. You can do things that interest to you, things that matter to you, which you don’t get time to pursue while on a full training schedule. During racing season, some athletes might lose weight, so this is a good time to regain that weight, or vice-versa for those that need to lose weight. In either case, make sure you continue to eat healthy meals, and don’t forget that you are still an athlete who needs to get back on the saddle.

While you enjoy an off season, don’t forget to analyze your strengths and weaknesses, which will help you plan your next season!