Get the minimally invasive version of the hernia repair surgery if you can. I wish I’d have checked into it more and done that, as recovery is reported to be much faster than the traditional open surgery.
My surgeon was a runner and pushed me to get back into training more quickly than I really felt that I should. I didn’t do that nearly as fast as he was suggesting, but as best I recall I was doing some light training again a few weeks out.
Coming out of CX season I was hovering around a 310-315w FTP. I took 4weeks off the bike and am now at 280-285w FTP. This is a 10% drop. I tried to come back at the FTP I was at…no possible way.
After speaking to my surgeon and doing a ton of research I have decided to go with the open-method.
I spoke to my surgeon about the options. He can do both (with the Robotic arm too) and he strongly advised the Open method. He indicated given my fitness level and body composition, it would make the Open method very easy with very positive results. He also indicated that the combined entry point incision areas would be about the same for the one Open incision. I followed his advice and am quite happy with results at this point…
I know I have dropped fitness levels. I think that is a big part of the higher heart rate I am experiencing. I did a ramp test two days before the surgery and was up 11 watts (6%). I did not accept the FTP change as I knew I would be down after the surgery. I have left the FTP at the level prior to the ramp test but think it is still a little high. I am going to wait to probably 7 weeks post surgery to complete another ramp test and then begin a training program. The Doc said the tissues in the area would be as strong as they will be at about 6 weeks. I figure no need to push things by taking the ramp test and diving into the SSB program at the four week mark. I will report back fitness losses when I take the test…
Great. Keep us posted and I’m glad to hear you had a positive experience with your surgery. There is SO much information online that makes this process seem daunting…nice to hear a positive result.
You’ll get it back, just be patient.
It’s been a number of years since I went through it, but I do recall that it was definitely tough on my body for several weeks after the surgery. It wasn’t a little procedure and then bounce back and be just as strong a couple weeks later, more like ease back into training after a few weeks (2-3 weeks maybe, I’ve forgotten) and eventually in a few months things were starting to feel decent again. I recall the first couple of “light” stationary bike workouts feeling extraordinarily and shockingly challenging.
I will say that when I developed my hernia, I had just been setting running PRs that I have never touched since (and won’t now). But that’s okay. I’ve been strong on the bike since those days at times and have gotten into decent running form (for me) at times, as well. Maybe you’ll come back stronger than before!
So this really piqued my curiosity, and I dug back in my training logs to see if my memory jived with reality. Surgery was end of this month 7 years ago. First workout was 15 days after surgery, 40 minutes on a recumbent stationary bike. Must not have been fun because the next workouts were more than a week later and were my first couple of runs. Daily training began again about 4 weeks post surgery, mostly running at first, but I was in a run focus at that time. Judging by my limited bike data, there was definitely a substantial drop off in performance, but during my first many weeks of training during recovery I was spending much more time running than biking, probably 4:1.
Oh well, just keep a good attitude and enjoy every workout as you ease back into it. I can say confidently that years later you won’t notice that old surgery one bit. 
All right! I was just looking at your calendar the two weeks before you took some time off and saw one of those weeks was the highest TSS you’ve had in that 2 year period and the next week was the 3rd highest TSS you’ve had in a 2 year period. So it might not be unreasonable to conclude that there was some overreach going on there. It’s a pretty well accepted idea that maximal HR is lower after a period of overreach. Consider the case study ’ Proteomic Markers of Non-functional Overreaching During the Race Across America (RAAM)’ where maximal HR fell from 192 to 181 pre- to post- race. I’m not suggesting you were engaging in that type of extreme effort but that’s the type of HR response you might see in a period of overreach.
After some period of rest plasma volume becomes reduced and maximal HR at a given effort increases. Consider Coyle/Coggan’s study of detraining wrt blood volume where they found HR increased by 11% after ~4 weeks of detraining…but returned to ~4% below pre-break levels when plasma volume was artificially increased.
That’s a big part of what was going on with you HR during the 10jan Pettit. HR was about 17% higher during the 10jan Pettit vs your 08dec Pettit. Guess what? That’s about 11% due to blood volume and about 4% due to actual de-training…or ~15%. Pretty close to the 17% difference you observed.
Good luck with your comebacke, btw!
Great info. I really appreciate your input and knowledge on the issue. I agree, I am sure I was in the process of overreaching based on my TSS volume levels. As I am still relatively new to cycling and have not really been consistent with structured training, I just did not think I had reached a point an overreach situation. Given my lack of personal experience with training I definitely don’t know what it feels like and assumed, based on reading forums and other web resources that I would feel it coming on in a more obvious fashion.
Without the surgery looming, I would have taken a recovery week in that block, but figured I might as well pile on the stress as I would have a month off…Probably not the best approach.
The info regarding changes in plasma volume is very helpful to put some parameters around the changes I have experienced. It helps to understand a little about what’s going on and to quantify the impact of the extended break would have in general. I definitely have some homework to do to review the studies you mentioned.
Thank you again for your input - it is appreciated!!
Hi again.
So I’m back from surgery 3 1/2 weeks just did my second workout.
The observations I made is that my HR is at up to my Sweet Spot HR before surgery, but I don’t huff and puff, I even breath through my nose. Also it’s very easy to pedal at 50ish% (pre surgery)FTP even if I lost 10-20% fitness within 3 weeks it’s still low. I upped it for 2-3 mins to 75%ish FTP and only noticed a 3-4BPM rise in HR.
This is the last workout 3 weeks ago or so:
Not much more to comment, just this anecdotal obsersvation.
@Brennus is onto something regardning HR in his previous post I guess.
Can you tell us what type of surgery you had? Assume it was for a hernia?
Actually it was a complete tummy tuck. But I think the repair process and recovery is similar.
Woah! That’s way too soon. Inguinal hernia surgery takes a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks to heal. Did you talk with your surgeon about this on your follow-up appointment? Anyway you’ll do what you will. But for the sake of you keep the riding light and short.
And it’s pretty normal that your HR is off the charts your body is still healing + a long period of inactivity. Though it comes back pretty quickly.
OP here, with an update.
I am 7 weeks and 3 days post-op now. I took my post-surgery ramp test this past Wed. and wanted to share the results.
From the Ramp test taken the day before surgery, I was down 14 watts (7.4%). I never trained at that level as I knew I would be off for four weeks. So my recovery riding post-op has been at the previous FTP level. From that level, I am down 3 watts (1.7%) so effectively the same.
The riding I have been doing up to the latest Ramp test has been mainly zone 2 with two Tempo and one VO2 Max efforts. Generally, the riding has been fine. I did complete my goofy Irishman ride last Saturday which was a 3 1/2 hour endurance ride while watching the Irishman. I was a little uncomfortable after that ride, but not bad.
I also started a new strength training program at week 6 post-op. Light weights as getting reacquainted with the movements to make sure form is correct. Probably should have waited a bit before starting that, but seems to be working ok.
Overall, I am feeling pretty good. And I am just starting into SSB LV1 as of today (did Baxter). Heart rate is still high given relative efforts, but the riding has been manageable. Assuming I don’t do something to cause a relapse or complication, I feel like I am on a path back to regular training levels on the bike. Excited to have added the strength training, as i am 52, and desperately needed it.
me? or OP?
My comment pertained to OP’s question.
So interesting how different doctors have vast differences in regards to time off.
So this is interesting… did a 70% FTP endurance ride, breathing through my nose and watching TV, if my planning was better and I had more than one bottle of water and some snacks I could have pedaled for 4 hours or more at this power.
Even then my HR is waaaay up there… a ride at this level 1 month ago was at 130BPM.
160+ is what I usually had at the last minute of the Ramp test, gasping for air.
Anyone have a link to the science of this? I’m really curious what’s going on. Did I set my HR zones way out of the real range?
Has your HR gone down for the same effort?
Mine seems to be stuck 10-20% higher even after 4 weeks of exercise and only 3 weeks brake…
