Just coming back from 3 weeks of inactivity and sickness. I still don’t know if my infection was viral or bacterial but I’m on my second round of antibiotics and it’s still not completely gone! I don’t get sick very often so I’m a bit new to managing a return to form.
Anyway…climbed back on the bike Sunday and did Mount Field. Interestingly enough, I had done that same workout as my last ride before getting sick so I was able to compare the two efforts.
Before I was sick my NP for the ride was 230 and average heart rate was 141. I completed the ride and enjoyed the workout.
First ride back I realized during the warmup that I was going to have to dial it back. I reduced intensity to 95%. Even with that I was only able to manage two of the three 12 mintue intervals. My NP was 222 and my average heart rate was all the way up to 152.
Today I did the same workout again. This time I took the intensity all the way down to 90%. I completed the entire workout but simulated climbing for all three intervals - kept the cadence lower and shifted the effort from lungs to legs. NP was 208 and heart rate was a more reasonable (for me) 146.
Should I just keep trying to keep it easy like this till I find it getting easier? Should I go even easier?
Any advice on how to move forward would be appreciated!
@darrenadam I too have been sick for 21 day now. Viral. Coming out of the worst but, resting HR still elevated 5+, light congestion, occasional cough, energy not normal etc…I’ve committed to restarting base and moving goals back a couple months. So go easier imo. Was it Joe Friel who said for every day of sickness equal two days of recovery endurance pace riding? Point is slow it down. Also, this is a good time to reset core. A few weeks of inactivity then back to the grind is a recipe for injury. This from experience.
Sounds like me currently. Been fighting with this for 6+ weeks now. See the same hr elevation as you. I could push through hard intervals but it doesn’t feel right. Also afterwards I don’t feel fine at all.
Had the exact same thing 2 years ago where suddenly after some rest I felt fine, took nearly 6 weeks though and hoped I wouldn’t have to go through this again. This time nothing has helped so far Had to move up an Ironman and a half marathon which sucks regarding all the preparation and investment gone with a tiny little virus or whatever it is (maybe overtraining)
I’m in a very similar place, currently been off training for 3 weeks and about halfway through a course of antibiotics for a recurrent sinus infection. When it comes to it, I’ll be really conservative coming back. I’ll start on 30 min recovery rides, move up to Slide Mountain -1 and then Carson before I resume anything like proper training. Expecting to need a month to get back to where I was, minimum.
Had to move up an Ironman and a half marathon which sucks regarding all the preparation and investment gone with a tiny little virus or whatever it is (maybe overtraining)