She-Women Cyclist Post Workout Soak

The o2fitness Auburn women’s cycling girl, fondly referred to as the She-Women, escaped the foothill heat and headed to the hills for their workout. We trained on Old Hwy 40 from Cisco to Soda Springs in shade, cool temps and light Sierra air. We warmed up, riding from Soda Springs down to Cisco which included several single leg pedaling drills providing focus on pedaling strengths and weaknesses and intention for the mainset of the workout.

Once warmed up we headed back up to Soda Springs – and performed 4min at sub-lactate threshold, 2min easy pedaling for recovery. In our endurance pursuits it is valuable to learn to recover while moving. The She-Women or as they like to be called, the Sistars – hit the intervals pedaling 5-10 rpm higher than their normal cadence.  The undulating, stair step nature of Old Hwy 40 added additional challenge – necessitating the adaptation to forced rhythm change.

Following our workout we jumped in the ever so convenient Yuba River for a recovery ice bath. Unfortunately not the frigid temps we were seeking. The verdict is still out on many recovery strategies – but there is fairly convincing research on the positive effects of cold water submersion for 12min/soak, as well as carb/protein intake within 20-30 min of an intense workout or race.