After a few weekends of long rides, I am finding that it takes 2 days to recover. I am growing older and my body is changing, and needing more time to recover after long, hard efforts. So I am on a quest to figure out how to recover faster.
I now foam roll before and after working out, and stretch. I also use ART to help realign scar tissue to make it functional. And I have started using ice baths.
Recommended to me by my coach and my ART physical therapist, the flushing effects of the icing and the ensuing blood flow after warming back up helps remove lactic acid and shortens time for recovery. Previously, I only did this after Ironman New Zealand and after every NYC Marathon. It sure makes me feel better after a long race.
I once tried to fill up my bathtub with frigid, ice filled water and step into it. HA! Impossible! No way could I step into that!
I have to sit in an empty bathtub first. Then I fill the tub with cold water and let it fill above the level of my thighs. Then and only then do I load the water with ice. I use two big bags. I dump one in until it almost melts away. Then I load in the other bag. This keeps a frigid water bath going for about 10 minutes, which is about as long as I can stand it!
Then I go take a warm shower, which helps the flushing effect after the icing effect. I hope that it will reduce my recovery time. I’ll find out tomorrow on Monday.