Is being sore after a workout a good thing? When is it bad?

My legs feel very tired after every sweetspot ride. I have trouble going up stairs for the next few hours (I workout in the early morning)

The next day I feel fine.

(Sorry if this was covered on the podcast)

Try eating a bit more during those workouts.

For anything ≥1.5 hour I aim to eat ~50% of the kcal burned during the ride and have some carbs+protein afterwards.

It’s bad when you feel it the next day. It’s very individual but you’ll have to learn those times when you need to dial things down to tempo, endurance, or full rest.

Being sore after a workout is occasionally a good thing. You just shouldn’t feel that way all the time. It’s more common to feel the soreness of a tough workout the next day or the day after that.

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Is it a general soreness or a particular muscle? If it’s in one particular place, perhaps there’s an issue with your saddle height or pedalling technique that’s forcing that muscle to do too much work…

Tired is okay. Sore might be depending on the circumstances. If you’re fine the next day, then all is good. How long are the workouts? If over an hour, you might consider popping a gel or something. But, as long as you feel fine and are ready to go the next day, it doesn’t sound like there is a problem.

My legs have been sore since I started TR (July 2018). Seriously, I can’t remember a time they haven’t been sore to some degree, maybe towards the end of some of the recovery weeks, but then that long Sunday ride makes them sore again. My legs go from sore to really f’ing sore :leg::tired_face:.

I do mid volume plans and I’ve been sore through Traditional Base 1, 2, 3, then General Build and now midway through SSB1. I eat a ton before, on the bike and never miss a recovery drink. Doesn’t matter, still get sore. Oddly enough week 7 of General Build, which should have been the hardest, I was less sore :man_shrugging:. I can’t make any rhyme or reason out of it.

My FTP gone from 193 (2.3 w/kg) to 287 (3.7 w/kg) in the meantime, so I just keep working through and despite the soreness.

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Are your legs truly sore or just feeling heavy and fatigued? If you are just walking around, do they feel sore or do they feel sore when you have to squat down or put some tension into them? Either way, I would say it sounds normal.

Some people think if they are tired or mildly sore, they are over-training. On the other hand, some think they have to trash themselves every workout in order to make progress. :man_shrugging:

You have made some big gains! :+1:Watts :arrow_up:: Kilos :arrow_down:

In contrast, my legs rarely feel fatigued or heavy. They are sore and bark at me going up stairs and sometimes downstairs if they’re bad. Also if I go into a squat position. I asked my brother who been a road (TT) rider/racer for 10+ years and asked him, “are your legs always sore from indoor training?” His response was “my legs have been sore for 10 years”, lol. So maybe there’s a genetic factor.

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My legs do generally feel heavy and a bit tight before i get on the bike.

By the end of the warm up, I do find that they loosen up though.

Make sure you’re helping them recover - Sitting down where possible, recovery shake etc :slight_smile: