Stop Fighting Rest, Start Getting Faster

Today we’re talking about something that might seem counterintuitive but is absolutely crucial to your success and enjoyment on the bike: rest.

This is a topic that’s really close to my heart because I learned about it the hard way. Back in my early twenties, I was that cyclist who just rode and rode and rode. No real structure, no real thought about recovery. I just got on my bike whenever I could and went hard. And honestly? It worked pretty well for me at the time. I was getting stronger, having fun, and feeling good.

But then life got more complex. I became a mom, started running my own business, and suddenly my time was stretched thin. I was determined to keep up with my riding – squeezing it in whenever I could – but something wasn’t right. Despite all my efforts, I was feeling constantly tired and, frustratingly, getting slower instead of faster.

It wasn’t until I really started training as a coach and learning proper training principles that I had my ‘aha’ moment about rest and recovery. Once I started giving my body the breaks it needed, everything changed. I was actually able to make more progress with less riding time – which was exactly what I needed as a busy mom and business owner.

Now as a coach, this is one of the most important principles I share with my clients, especially because I see so many of them struggling with the same guilt I used to feel about taking rest days. 

In this podcast episode, I’m going to break down the four different types of rest you need to incorporate into your training, and why each one is absolutely crucial to feel your best on the bike.

All of these concepts are used by athletes and racers doing structured training.  But you don’t have to have a super structured training schedule to incorporate these into your riding.  Everybody can benefit from being a little more intentional about rest. 

Rest Within A Workout 

Let’s start with the first dimension of rest – the recovery periods within a single workout.

Too many folks with a certain amount of time to ride (lets say an hour)  simply go out and push as hard as they can for an hour.  While this is an okay workout once in a while, intervals are actually a lot more effective.

In an interval workout, you push hard for a certain period of time and then back it off with a period of easy spinning.  These rest periods are just as important as the hard efforts.

The whole point of interval training is to work at an intensity that you couldn’t possibly maintain for a long period of time. When you’re doing those hard efforts, whether it’s hill repeats or speed intervals, you’re pushing your body’s systems to their limits. The only reason you can do this is because you know you have a rest period coming up.

If you don’t take those rest periods, you won’t be able to hit the right intensity on your next hard effort.  Instead of a quality workout, you end up with a bunch of mediocre efforts that don’t give you the training stimulus you’re looking for.

Also, remember that not every workout needs to be a hard interval workout.  Which brings us to the second type of rest we need—rest within each week.

Rest Within Each Week

Planning rest into a week iis where a lot of cyclists, especially those of us juggling work, family, and training, tend to get things wrong.

First, let me be really clear about this: you need at least one complete rest day every week. And by rest day, I mean exactly that – no riding, no cross-training, no sneaking in a quick spin because you’re feeling guilty. This is non-negotiable, and it’s something I insist on with all my coaching clients.  Yes you can still walk the dog or play with your kids, but as much as possible, REST.  

Additionally, you also need easy days between your harder efforts. By harder efforts I’m talking interval workouts and also long endurance rides.  Think about your week like a sandwich: your harder training days are the meat, but they need to be sandwiched between easier days. These easy days aren’t just fillers. They’re actively helping your body adapt to the training stress from your harder efforts.

Let me share how this might look in practice. Let’s say you have five days a week to ride.  You do intervals on Tuesday and Thursday and have a long ride on Saturday. Take Monday completely off, go for a walk on Friday, and do easy rides on Wednesday and Sunday.  

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the importance of sleep in your week.  Sleep is actually the most powerful recovery tool you have – and it’s free!

As athletes, we need more sleep than the average person. If you’re riding a lot you might need more than 8 hours of sleep per night. I know that as busy women, this can feel impossible.

But here’s the thing: all the training in the world won’t help if you’re not giving your body the sleep it needs to adapt and recover.  If you have to choose between a ride and sleep, choose sleep.

Rest Within A Month

Moving onto our third dimension of rest: the monthly recovery cycle. As a coach, I swear by incorporating a rest week every fourth week of training, and here’s why.

Think of your training like building a house. You can’t just keep stacking bricks higher and higher without letting the foundation settle. These rest weeks are when your body really absorbs all the hard work you’ve been doing. They’re not just physical recovery time – they’re when the actual adaptations happen that make you stronger.

Now, here’s something I love telling my clients, especially the busy ones: rest weeks are your golden opportunity to catch up on life! You know all those things you’ve been putting off because you’ve been riding so much? This is your week. Schedule that dentist appointment you’ve been postponing. Have lunch with that friend you haven’t seen in ages. Spend some extra time with your kids. Clean out that closet that’s been driving you crazy.  Taking some down time is important for your body, but also for your mental and emotional well being.  

What does a rest week actually look like? We’re typically looking at about a 40-50% reduction in both volume and intensity. So if you normally ride 8 hours a week, you might drop to 4 hours in your rest week. Keep your rides easy and fun!  

Rest With Your Year

Finally, let’s talk about the fourth dimension of rest: the big picture of rest throughout your year. 

Here’s a hard truth that took me years to accept: you simply cannot maintain peak fitness all year long. Your body and honestly, your mind, needs extended periods of rest and recovery. Even pro cyclists have an off-season!

Think about your year in terms of seasons or blocks. Maybe you’re targeting some big summer events, or you love fall gravel races. Whatever your goals, you need to plan your year around these key periods. The trick is to time your peak fitness with your most important events, and then (this is the crucial part) allow yourself to back off afterward.

Remember: rest isn’t just the absence of training. It’s an active part of getting stronger. And staying healthy–physically and mentally.  If you incorporate all of the four types of rest I talked about in this episode, you’ll continue to thrive on the bike for the rest of your life–which is the goal!

About Kristen