Empirical Cycling Podcast Ten Minute Tips #55: When To Take A Rest Week, Trusting Subjective Metrics
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May 5, 2025 Discover the essential role of rest weeks in athletic training and how they can unlock better performance. Explore the balance between training stress and recovery, and learn how subjective metrics like heart rate variability and perceived exertion influence rest week planning. Dive into the importance of listening to your body, managing mental fatigue, and recognizing the impacts of nutrition and lifestyle choices on recovery. Plus, hear how personal experiences shape training decisions and motivation for cyclists!
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Plan Recovery Around Life Stress
- Incorporate travel, sleep, and external stress into recovery planning.
- Ease back into training with short easy rides after travel before resuming harder sessions.
Planned vs Reactive Rest Weeks
- Rest weeks can be planned (predicted) or reactive (response to fatigue).
- Reactive rest weeks often come too late, usually after sickness or serious fatigue appears.
Decision Tree After Bad Workout
- When a bad workout occurs, evaluate sleep, nutrition, and stress before skipping sessions.
- Try easy rides before next hard workout; abort if performance remains poor, then consider a reactive rest week.