Generally it has gone down to lower levels. However, definitely not consistent when I look at a few workouts I did just after surgery and more recently. My volume is up to the highest levels since I started riding and have added strength training, so am kind of in new territory. But generally my HR seems to be lower over most efforts than it was the first few weeks after surgery…
FWIW,
Took 16 days off the bike after I had surgery (2/7/20). I have only been doing Pettit, but have dropped the target wattage by 5% in order to align with a certain drop in fitness that would/has occurred after that many days off the bike. Here’s what I’m finding:
A lower heart rate than prior to surgery. I think it has to do with the fact that I’m very well rested and carrying zero fatigue in my legs. I was quite surprised. When I’m in a block my heart rate is usually in the 130-140 range for Pettit. Right now it’s not going above 130 BPM. I don’t put a lot of weight into this, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
Last Pettit before surgery (FTP 295w)
First ride (Pettit) post-surgery
Second ride post-surgery, also Pettit
Third ride post-surgery, also Pettit
Fourth ride post-surgery, also Pettit
Apologies for spamming this thread with a bunch of boring rides!
An update:
I’m now 16 weeks post surgery (open style).
I’ve been racing again since mid-January and although my fitness is low, i’m able to put out good power numbers again.
I still feel a niggle from the op area from time-to-time. Not usually while riding, but somtimes when stretching or moving in an abnormal way.
The op-site is obviously still recovering, so i’m still being cautious and have re-scheduled a couple of rides/trainer sessions over the past couple of months when it has felt a bit tender.
Overall though, it’s not affecting my cycling / life in general, I just feel it pinch or feel uncomfortable around once a week. This is normally nothing sustained and it goes away when I stop doing what I did to cause to to pinch…
With regard to the HR discussion, I did have a period of hitting higher HR’s and my resting HR was also higher. Although, this now seems to be coming more back to normal - so I figure it was just due to some de-training after a long period off the bike.
Same here. Glad to hear you’re doing well though.
I’m only 20 days post-op, but I feel a sharp pinch (nerve-related?) on a daily basis sort of around my inner upper thigh down by where my nut-sack attaches to my body. It comes and goes, and usually happens when I get up from sleeping or sitting for a prolonged period of time. My understanding is that these types of niggles are common and can take a while to go away. Still numb around the incision, but do have some tenderness within a 4" radius around the incision site. Overall, feeling good though
On day ten started petite. Hear rate was quite high. Started at 110 and went to 132, 129 watts. Next day petite maxed out 146, 151 watts. Next whorl 3 days later 171 watts and 146 bpm. 2 days later whorl 170 watts and 151. Seemed to take about 3-4 weeks to go back to normal. I had a lot of rides in by that point. I was very glad when my left testicle was not the size of a softball.
That’s great. Fitness is probably back to where it was pre-surgery as well? You learn some valuable lessons about life and training when you’re forced to take a month off the bike. For me, I’ve learned that I don’t lose as much fitness as I assume I would and that it takes a month of structure to get back to where I was.
I’m curious when you all started working higher intensity back into your workouts. I’ve been doing Pettit a couple times per week, but I’m planning on starting Sweet Spot Base next week. I’m 4-weeks post-op and still feel tender to the touch around my surgical site.
I just did 2 easy 50%FTP rides and then some endurance rides for a week then started SSBMVI at the same FTP I had before surgery.
I skipped 2 workouts from the plan in the beginning, but completed all the other workouts 100% with the same FTP I had before surgery, I guess I learned the same thing as you that I lost maybe max 10% of fitness… the first workouts week 1 felt hard but now I’m smashing the workouts and feel motivated to do even the IF 0.89 ones no problem. I guess about a month to feel really great again fitness wise 
My calendar is open if it’s of interest, I started up again 30jan.