Cycle Fitness...Such A Transitory Thing

[Linford]

Having had an enforced stoppage of something I wanted to ride, and coming back into it about a month ago and feeling so unfit again to the point I was having to stop for breath after climbing a hill 1 mile away, I'm back up doing 40 mile runs. Now certainly not going to set the world on fire with my pace, but being able to get back to that point so quickly makes me feel that whilst I'm having to go through a period of adjustment, it isn't that hard to get up there if you are bloody minded enough about it...and have the time to play.

What struck me was how quickly the cycle fitness had been lost as I've still been riding a loaner MTB on and off, and do quite a lot of walking.

 

[Globalti]

Linf, I suffer the same loss of fitness and muscle tone when I go on my two week overseas trips. I drink lots of excellent African beer and do zero exercise so the first ride is always a bit tough. However if there's good base fitness it soon returns and if you're disciplined about snacking between meals and you keep the portions small and avoid beer the weight soon drops off.

 

[Ciar]

I am with you there, took 10 days off at home relaxing decorating and generally sitting on my harris, I did get out a few times on my MTB, 5-6 miles each time decent ish pace but with the dog, so lots of stopping and starting...

This week first commute 2 days on the trot, my times seem to be slower, pace similar to pre holiday and cadence/hr similar as well, where as my legs are dead and i was puffing like bill!

seems these holiday things are just not good for you ;-)

 

[Globalti]

You shoulda seen my neighbour who fell off his bike, after two weeks flat on his back in hospital - when he first sat up in bed he nearly fainted.

 

[Biker Joe]

Performance levels do drop off significantly after time off. Globalti's comment was good about base fitness.
I've had quite significant health issues over the past one and a half years. I've finally got over that now but, boy, I've got a lot of catching up to do. Base fitness = 0
I was always very fit but now I have to start from square one and I find it quite frustrating at times.
I'm coming up to 70 now so I expect progress will be hampered by the age factor.
I try not to take more than 2 days rest between 3 or 4 days of riding. It seems to work for me.
I'm hoping the weather will be kind enough to enable me to put in some significant training.
It is very good to be back on the bike. It's what I like doing most of all.

 

[ColinJ]

I agree that it can be a shock how much fitness can be lost quite quickly. I have had 2 or 3 months off my bike many times, and could always feel the lack of miles in my legs when I eventually started up again, but I used to find that a 1,000 km or so of riding over a month or so was enough to get most of the fitness back.

Obviously, the fitter you were to start with, and the more you lose, the more you have to gain back, but I think the previously fit get fit quicker than those who have never been fit who are doing it for the first time.

Having said that, I was unprepared for how seriously unfit I became when I got very ill last year. I was pretty much bed-ridden for almost 2 months and my leg muscles withered horribly in that time. It actually made me feel ill just looking at them ... It took months to build them back up once I was actually well enough to start walking and cycling again.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

It's always surprised me at how quick fitness can go, but equally its surprising how quickly it can come back.