Certainly, I've been very vigilant to not overtrain. Rest is almost as important as planning and executing a smart training plan.
I use sections of the Skull Valley Loop for training tasks. Long climbs, steep descents, numerous mountain switchbacks, desert heat, mountain cool air. And, today, thunder, lightning and rain.
The most productive training is on some of the shorter (4.3 miles of 6 - 9%) climbs and longer (12.5 miles of 2 - 9%) climbs.
On each chosen segment I ride either the bent or standard bike. I carefully track time, distance, average and max heart rate, elevation gain and loss. I then compare each training event on that segment.
Within the past six weeks I've been using `full circle pedaling' with both bikes. Apply force pushing with one leg and pulling with the other leg. Lots of `ankle pedaling' to engage the entire leg.
To my surprise I'm climbing faster on the recumbent. Much faster. Which is interesting to me because the recumbent descends much, much faster than the upright bike. So, if I can continue to develop strength and stamina on the recumbent using the full circle and ankle pedaling methods I may not further consider the upright bike for shorter (less than 100 miles) competition.
Today I rode the upright bike over the mountain on a 22.7 mile circuit. It took me 13 minutes longer than on the recumbent bike two days ago.
Along with careful data collection from my training rides it is becoming clear to me that a) the DF bike is agony to ride, b) my 'bent legs allow better stamina, power aand balance.
And therein lies an incentive to emphasize full circle pedaling while climbing on the recumbent: riding the upright bike for any distance beyond 25 miles is an intensely painful experience.
Yesterday (45.5 miles out and back on the upright). My wife asked me on my return from training: "How was your ride?" I replied, grimly: "Agony. Pure agony. Shoulders, neck, wrist and hand numbness, arms, glutes, lower back, hamstrings. All so painful halfway through the training that I'm sure it sucked energy from my performance."
It's great isn't it? The only thing that was holding me back from riding more than 30 minutes was a DF. When some one asks me what I think of the Bacchetta, I always respond with, "No Back Pain, No Butt Pain, No Tingly Hands, No Wrist Pain, no Neck Pain." The only pain now is Just Leg Muscle pain. As it should be.
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