Recovery week, but not recovering?

Training
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Hi all,

I’ve been keeping track of my HRV using HRV4Training. Usually, my HRV starts to bounce back up during the recovery week. This time, my HRV is actually dropping during the recovery week and is consistently below my HRV while in my training block. I’m in the last couple days of my recovery week after a particularly brutal training block.

In fact when I look back over the last couple of months, my HRV has been going down since January. I haven’t been ill in these last couple of months, could this be an indication that I’ve been pushing myself too hard?

2

Do you feel not recovered, or is HRV telling you you’re not recovered? Not the same thing.

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Not completely familiar with HRV4Training, but my thought would be that you need to look at other metrics in conjunction with the HRV data. Look both at “off the bike” data, your cycling data and the less measurable indicators around your motivation and energy levels.

If you are in doubt, you are better of backing off slightly than continuing to push the boundaries.

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I’m feeling pretty flat and not energetic. I haven’t been waking up feeling rested.

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Yeah I’ve been feeling fatigued all around. I have not been waking feeling rested.

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As you have data on your previous recovery weeks maybe the question is this:
Where are you in training i.e. is this a recoveryweek after 3 weeks of loading in Build or is it after 8 weeks of SSB? (just examples)
My point is that I wouldn’t expect to feel completely recovered in the middle of a loading cycle but at some point I need to feel properly recovered. If you’ve been loading for 8-10-12 weeks, even with recovery weeks in there, maybe you do need a bit more time/less load to recover fully?

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Then rest, eat and sleep more. That really is the only thing which will help.

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“Recovery week, but not recovering?”

Asking my self kinda same question. Took couple days off first and then easy 1,5h wednesday, 2h thursday and saturday. Now on sunday my legs still feel heavy. HRV is up to “normal” level (last days of last week around 55-65 and now up to 100+). The weird thing about this rest/recovery week is that my legs are still not ready and i have no idea why. Felt very easy to ride high zone2 yesterday even tho legs felt very tired. Last time i did intensity was 13 days ago. Maybe i should just rest more? I have not done anything crazy last 4 weeks so really don’t know why this rest week i feel so different…

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It doesn’t have to be a week, can be longer, can be shorter. Go by feel on recovery. Better to be over recovered and keen than under recovered and in malaise.

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Yeah. Could be longer at this point. Looking back my months; have been very consistent and don’t remember when i was off the bike longer period (no “off season”, because there were no season…). No illness or anything so hopefully it is just fatigue.

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