How to Recover during Haute Route
It was hot and sultry (yesterday was dark and stormy, today, hot and sultry) out on the road today. You realised this was madness.
Fun, yes, but madness.
And, maaaaaan, was it ever brutal.
Brutal and mad. Like a 10th century warlord. Is this what cycling was about?
(Turns out, yes. Who knew?!)
From the start, you rode straight up the Col de L'Iseran.
The damned organisers didn't even allow for some warming up.
As if the first three days weren't brutal enough, you still had 4 more of these to go.
What a shocker it was going to be for some poor souls.
It seems the list of those finishing outside each day's limit inexorably climbs higher.
The casualties mount in lockstep with the elevation and distance.
Luckily for you, you're not one of them.
Luckily for you, you'd prepared for Huate Route properly with training, good nutrition and by knowing how to recover each day.
Nevertheless, your whole body aches every day you get off the bike, but fortunately, with some massage, a beer, proper eating, stretching, some self treatment and sleep, you manage to recover for the next day.
Bring on the Pain
Imagine Etape du Tour SEVEN DAYS IN A ROW…madness right?
Well, Etape du Tour seven days in a row is what Haute Route will be like.
It is going to be absolutely shocking for most people. It is shocking to me.
Knowing How to Recover during Haute Route is going to be incredibly important along, of course, with nutrition, training and gearing.
Understand, you will not be able to recover completely, so having proper nutrition and energy stores and adequate training will be so crucial.
How to Recover during Haute Route
Here are my top Haute Route recovery tips.
One of the key things to do, whilst not directly recovery but which helps you recover quicker, is training. If you are in awesome shape for an event like this, you will place less stress on your body (or try and keep up with the top riders and stress your body anyway!), and recover better.
In addition to trying to get a massage from the masseurs provided by Haute Route, there's a bunch of stuff you can do to improve recovery after each day on Haute Route.
- When you finish – as soon as is practical – have a recovery drink right away. I use SIS recovery stuff, but milk with protein (or even chocolate milk which has carbs, fat and protein) will help.
- Lie on your back with your feet up in the air against a wall to drain all the muscle waste out (10 mins is enough).
- Roll your legs with a rolling pin or foam roller – video here. This hurts but it works.
- Consume protein
- Drink lots of water – this helps cleanse the body of toxins, BUT make sure you have electrolytes (this applies during the ride too).
- Roll your legs again, then stretch.
- If you can, have a walk or swim or run to recover.
- Relax (music, read, etc) then sleep.
As tempting as it will be to have a few drinks and socialise, this is a very expensive event and deserves serious treatment. The days will be long, often starting at 5AM and finishing at 10AM, so rest, hydration and nutrition will be crucial.
What NOT to do
- DO NOT stretch before rolling your legs out. Imagine the knots in your muscles are knots in an elastic band. If you stretch the elastic band, you just tighten the knot. It’s the same with muscles. Roll knots out first, then stretch.
- Make sure you have supplements which work. Read this article to see if you're wasting money on supplements.
- Don't pig out on rubbish. Eat quality protein, carbs and some fat.
- That’s it! It’s pretty simple; eat right, drink water, massage and stretch.
Other useful Haute Route resources
I believe you should give yourself every chance of really enjoying the event and kicking butt in Haute Route and I am here to help you do that. There is nothing worse than spending thousands of dollars or Euros on an event like this, then suffering for a week or worse, having to abandon.
I've seen countless people do this in Etape, which only costs €75 to enter. Imagine abandoning Haute Route which costs over €1000 to enter (not to mention flights and the accommodation)!
Whilst the above tips are useful as a starting point, if you'd like some more training, nutrition and recovery information, I'd love for you to check out the below guides and offerings from VeloNomad.
Training for Haute Route
Unless you are super fit, attempting Haute Route without training would be folly.
(And remember, super fit people get super fit through a lot of training. You can bet your sweet bippy the top guys in Haute Route are training.)
VeloNomad has a range of training options which you can check out here.
For Haute Route, there are two main options:
- 16 week training plan with all the information delivered up front.
- Monthly training subscription (constructed around 12 week blocks, but you can cancel any time) and get emails each week.
The monthly subscription is best for you if you have little to no experience with this type of event and need more training. This is best for you if you need 6-12 months of training.
Check out the monthly subscription Cycling Training Program or 16 week plan.
Note: whilst the 16 week plan was developed for Etape, it WILL get you in shape for Haute Route. I must warn you, if you're not in awesome shape, the 16 week program will be more like a survival plan.
The VeloNomad Cyclists Self Massage and Treatment Guide
The Cyclists Self Massage and Treatment Guide was co-written with Melbourne myotherapist and deliverer-of-pain to pro cyclists like Greg Henderson, Simon Gerrans and the Sky pro team (yes, he is *that* good).
It has 63 pages of step by step information and photos showing you exactly how to treat your own muscles and body.
Great for on the road or at home, this guide will see you in better shape and save you money. (Although I do still love paying someone to lay waste to my legs!)
PLEASE NOTE: This product is in ebook format only. You will not receive a hard copy.
REFUND POLICY: I’m so confident you will be completely satisfied with your purchase, you’ll receive your money back, guaranteed, no questions asked, if you're not happy with the guide.
The VeloNomad Fuelling for Events Guide
Developed in conjunction with accredited sports dietician and nutritionist Alan McCubbin, this guide has been specifically designed to help you fuel before, during and after a gruelling sportif like Haute Route.
Alan is VP of Sports Dietitians Australia (SDA). He’s worked with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and athletes of all levels including Olympians, so you can be sure he knows his stuff.
You can read more about Fuelling for Haute Route here or buy it below.
PLEASE NOTE: This product is in ebook format only. You will not receive a hard copy.
REFUND POLICY: I’m so confident you will be completely satisfied with your purchase, that you’ll receive your money back, guaranteed, no questions asked, if you're not happy with the guide.
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