Introduction
Ah, the approach of autumn — the leaves are starting to change, there is a crisp hint of coolness in the air, school buses are once again roaming the roadways, and for you football fans, another exciting season is getting underway. Sounds like the perfect time to fire up the barbeque, grab a cold beverage or two and hang up the bike until the spring, right? Not so fast. As the end of another competitive season draws to a close, there is a critical phase of the year that must be addressed — the transition or recovery phase. No longer referred to as the "off-season", the goal of the transition phase is to remove the fatigue acquired during the training year and replenish the exhausted energy stores by decreasing volume and especially intensity of exercise. The nature of ultra-endurance cycling will predispose every single athlete — beginner or elite, male or female, to high levels of fatigue (both acute and chronic) during training and competition. It is therefore critical to take a closer look at this often-neglected phase of the year and illustrate its importance in achieving long term athletic success.

Need For Recovery
A thorough review of your training records or logs at the end of the season (more on the vital importance of record keeping later) will reveal perhaps hundreds of workouts ranging from easy, base level workouts to races and competitive events. It is not uncommon for ultraendurance cyclists to put in thousands of miles in a single season, subjecting the body and mind to extreme stress. To minimize the chance of overuse injuries and to avoid mental burnout, recovery is in order. Recovery can be viewed from two perspectives: physiological and psychological/emotional. From a physiological standpoint, recovery should be geared towards two crucial areas: the muscular system and the central nervous system, or CNS.

At the muscular level, chronic (or long term) training can elicit many positive changes including greater force production, enhanced local endurance, and reduced fatigue capabilities. After a long, difficult season, however, the muscular system needs to recover to support these adaptations. In other words, the body's response to training is not linear — we cannot simply keep pushing the body harder and harder and expect it to adapt positively over the course of time. The muscles need time to replenish their fuel stores and repair some of the microtrauma that occurs with high volume and intense training.

The CNS is a bit more complex. To simplify things, just remember that muscles cannot act on their own; they need impulses from the brain to do their jobs. For a practical example, take the act of pedaling. Although it may be second nature to you, there are thousands of messages sent from the brain to the muscles and back to the brain signaling the precise amount of contraction necessary to perform the pedaling action. Well, over time, the neuromuscular system (that very connection between the brain and the muscles) becomes fatigued as well, and needs time to recover and regenerate. The CNS takes longer than the muscular system to recover. A study dating back to 1938 by a Russian physiologist named Krestovnikov stated that the regeneration of a nervous cell is seven times slower than that of a muscle cell. I encourage readers to consult Dr. Tudor Bompa's book on periodization (see references) for an in-depth analysis of the CNS and recovery strategies.

Psychologically, the body and mind will benefit from rest and recovery during the transition phase. Think back to the start of the season. The weather is perfect, flowers are starting to bloom, the winter is over, and you just can't wait to start those long training rides. Now, at the end of the summer, with many if not all of your competitions over with, do you have the same enthusiasm to hop on the bike and ride? As with physiological adaptations, we cannot expect psychological adaptations to continually occur. A mental break from the rigors of a training schedule will enhance overall recovery.

An important point to remember is that time spent in the saddle is just one of the many "stressors" that are placed on the body. Stressors can come from all aspects of life including work, school, peers, family and social events that may have a positive or negative effect on athletic performance. Problems at work, school, etc. can have a direct impact on cycling performance, and must be taken into account to facilitate recovery.

The take-home message is this: it is extremely important to incorporate planned periods of rest and recovery into the annual training plan. The body simply needs to recover. Many cyclists meticulously plan out their season down to the last mile taking into account training distances, times, heart rate, power output, cadence and other parameters but fail to plan a strategy to recover at the end of the long, arduous season. Recovery should not be a "knee-jerk" reaction to overtraining and burnout, it should be proactive in nature.

OK, so now that we have investigated the importance of the transition phase in terms of recovery, how do we implement it? The textbook recommendation for this phase suggests a 3-4 week time of reduced training volume, and most importantly reduced training intensity. This is not a time of complete rest, it is a time to take a break from the demands of a formal training program and incorporate other activities as cross training. USA Cycling's training protocol recommends a post-season medical examination at the beginning of the transition phase, and this is an extremely wise idea. Nagging pain and injuries that are common among endurance athletes in season can be thoroughly evaluated to ensure that there are no serious long-term issues.

Other activities such as mountain biking, hiking, jogging (preferably on trails to minimize impact), and team sports can provide a mental and physical break from road cycling. Just remember that although you may be comfortable on the bike for hours at a time does not mean that you can go running for an hour or play full court basketball. These different activities utilize different muscles, movement patterns and energy systems that you may not be used to, and are weight-bearing in nature, so take it easy when taking part in different sports. In the long-term, the addition of cross training activities can ultimately improve overall athleticism, and translate into becoming a better cyclist. For other articles on cross-training consult the site index.

During the transition phase, you can also the bike to cross train. Ditch the computer, heart rate monitor, power meter and all other electronics and just go for a ride! A helpful suggestion for road cyclists is to replace standard pedals (Look, Time, Speedplay) with SPD/mountain pedals. This will enable more casual cycling by allowing you to walk around more easily while off the bike. So, pack a lunch and pedal to a picnic spot with your kids, significant other or friends. Or perhaps run some errands by bike or commute to work. Another idea is to build a "beater" or a "townie" bike to have available at any time for this type of riding. The important thing is to remember why you got involved in cycling in the first place, and have fun.

Season's Review
The transition phase is the ideal time to look back and reflect on the previous season and performance in events. Here is where training journals become an invaluable asset — reviewing your journal can provide an objective view of the entire season that can yield valuable information for future training. Keeping a training journal allows you to take a detailed look at your workouts from a day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month perspective. When taking a broad overview with your entire season laid out in front of you, mistakes and/or oversights are easier to identify. Computerized or spreadsheet based logs can be extremely helpful by providing daily/weekly/monthly totals to ensure proper training progressions.

While reviewing your journals, keep a couple of questions in the back of your mind — did you lay an appropriate base of training before starting speedwork or intervals? Did you wait too long to start higher intensity work? Was there something you omitted in terms of physical, psychological or tactical preparation? Did you meet your short term and season-long goals? How did you feel not only physically but emotionally the week after a race or competitive event?

In addition to quantitative data (miles, average speed, power, heart rate, cadence, etc.); qualitative data should be entered as well. How did you feel off the bike? Elements such as amount/quality of sleep, nutrition, illnesses, injuries, emotional/stress levels, and general well-being are just as important as numbers you read off of your cycling computer or heart rate monitor. Evaluating the qualitative and quantitative data side-by-side can identify positive or negative trends in your training, and can serve as a starting point to outline a strategy for the upcoming season.

A key point in your review is to remember that all of us are unique individuals and we respond in our own unique ways to the demands of a training program. So, if you are less than happy about your performance during the previous season, you now have data to work with in planning for next year. If, on the other hand, you are satisfied with your results, you can refer back to your program and use that as a guideline for future planning. Another take-home message is to never underestimate the value of detailed training records. It may be somewhat tedious, but the information gathered will be extremely useful. As with all elements of cycling, try to enjoy the process of reviewing your training records and view it as a learning experience to further your development as a cyclist.

More Information    UltraCycling Magazine Authoritative information for endurance cyclists. Each issue contains articles by experts on: training nutrition equipment event preparation rider profiles race results Join the UMCA and receive six issues a year.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the transition phase is a time to take a much-needed break from the demands of a formal training schedule. Long distance cycling requires many hours of dedicated and specific training to achieve success. During the several weeks in the transition phase, allow yourself some flexibility to have fun with some different workouts, go out and ride with friends and family, or perhaps introduce a newcomer to our wonderful sport. Along with the enjoyable elements, be sure to take this phase of the year seriously and plan for it just as you plan for your targeted events. The transition phase should serve as the vital link between two successive annual plans. Many ultra events take years of planning and preparation. Take RAAM for example; it may take some riders five or more years of dedication training to qualify for the event. Transition phases are instrumental in achieving long-term competitive goals. At the end of the transition phase, you should feel a strong desire to resume a normal training program again — avoid the temptation to rush through it. Happy riding!!

References

• Bompa, T. (1999) Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training. Champaign, Human Kinetics.
• Bompa, T. (1999) Periodization Training for Sports. Champaign, Human Kinetics.
• Burke, E.R. & Pavelka, E. (2000). The Complete Book of Long Distance Cycling. Emmaus, Rodale Press.
• Morgan, G.T. & McGlynn, G.H. (1997). Cross Training for Sports, Champaign, Human Kinetics
• USA Cycling (1995). Expert Level Coaching Manual. USA Cycling, Colorado Springs.