"And then there are the others-the days your legs feel like wet sandbags and every small hill rides like a mountain. That's "dead legs." It's frustrating not because it hurts, but because it messes with your head. I get those days too. Last week I rolled out for a tempo ride and a few miles in, I could barely turn the cranks. Flat, powerless legs. Confidence took the hit more than my fitness."
"Inadequate recovery. You've stacked too many hard efforts. Muscles need time to rebuild after intensity or long volume. Poor nutrition or timing. Low glycogen = low power. Under-fuel before rides or skip the post-ride refuel and the next ride pays for it. Sleep debt. Even 1-2 short nights blunt performance, coordination, and perception of effort. Training monotony. Same loop, same pace, every day = stagnation. Bodies respond to varied stress: intervals, climbs, endurance, recovery."
Dead legs are rides when legs feel heavy and refuse to produce normal power. Common causes include inadequate recovery from repeated hard efforts, poor nutrition or mistimed fueling that leaves glycogen low, sleep debt, training monotony, and delayed onset muscle soreness after new or harder work. Symptoms include flat, powerless legs and reduced confidence. Prevention and recovery strategies include alternating hard and easy days, fueling before and after rides, hydrating with electrolytes, prioritizing quality sleep, and using light movement, stretching, massage, and gentle spins to flush the legs.
Read at Theoldguybicycleblog
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]