• Two time Masters National time trial metalist
• Two time California masters time trial champion
• Two time California masters road champion
• Team Race Across America 1st 1998, 2nd 1996, 4th 1994
• Personal best 40KM TT 50:16

Now that your race season is over, did you rest enough, or were you riding up to the start line, fully trained, but completely worn down? Active recovery and rest are keys to being a competitive rider or racer.

Active recovery is training. There are several levels of training intensities. I'll refer to these different levels of intensities as zones. Some programs use four zones (intensity levels), including:

Active recovery is an intensity level which allows the body to recover from higher intensity workouts. Active recovery is found in easy, zone one and two, rides where the heart rate is low, thus allowing muscles, including the heart, to mend and rebuild. I practice active recovery by slowly cruising on the bike or with "social" rides with other riders. There are many other "easy-does-it" cross training activities. "Easy-does-it" cross training may include a brisk walk, hike, or even gardening. With most of these activities I'm recovering, but I'm also maintaining my aerobic, zone two, fitness level.

Remember, following active recovery, is the higher intensity rides. High intensity training means high heart rate and is achieved by long and short interval workouts and sprint sessions.

If I'm racing every weekend, it's extremely important that active recovery is a part of my training schedule. A good training program should allow for rest or active recovery several times each week. These recovery days need to be strategically placed in my week of training. For example, after a race day or after a training day with a lot of high end efforts, I may want to have a rest or active recovery day.

Finally, November and December is the time of the year to recover and plan for next year. In the next "Training Tip," I will consider how to estimate maximum heart rate, anaerobic threshold, and calculate target training zones. I'll also discuss in depth, the purpose of each zone. In the following series of "Training Tips," I'll examine a suggested zone training emphasis for different times of year. I'll begin with off season and early season zone training emphasis. Go fast, train smart, and rest.

--Tim

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