Getting back on bike after lay off

[MLC]

As expanded on in beginners section I had a lay off for a while due to injury (back/sciatica) and have lost a shed load of fitness.

I tend not to take my own advice and once I have my new bike I know I will go hell for leather thinking I have the same fitness levels as I had last summer and end up miles out somewhere wondering how the hell I am going to get home.

I know I should limit the length and speed of my rides and take it easy till I get a modicum of fitness back. I know all that honest, but unless I remove the peddles or tape over the change to the big ring lever or drag along a 50kg dumbell or tie my left leg to the seat tube I just know that I am gonna go stupid.

Has anyone been through this before and was there anything you did that helped rein the thank F. I'm back on a bike eagerness back a bit or am I just doomed to end up sitting under a tree in the middle of nowhere with cramp in my legs and snot all over my face pleading with the missus to come and pick me up.

Joking aside if anyone has any tips or been through something similar I would love to hear.

Thanks

 

[Rob3rt]

I have had several layoff's from running. One was genuinely due to a miscalculated training load (cant get it right all the time). The others were the knock on effect of that initial event, i.e. couldnt stop myself from just running and running when I started back up again.

Quite frankly, you just need to use your head. Rein it back. If you become super enthused, use that enthusiasm to do something related to cycling but not riding?

 

[montage]

I'm in a similar situation, and have found a heart rate monitor has been an extremely useful tool, keeping within a low zone

 

[Jambon]

Im doing this right now, I had been off the bike from October after thinking my 30 mile daily commute was too much.

Previously I thought of everything as a race, I wanted to be the fastest commuter on the roads and would always look to chase anyone down on a bike, basically it wasn’t possible for me to continue riding like that and I wore myself out and had to stop.

I started again on Wednesday last week and I’ve been taking it nice and easy, I’ve broke the commute down and think of it as stages, I also take each day as it comes, not thinking ahead to tomorrows commute. I’ve also made a point of being hydrated and fuelled properly as well as getting plenty sleep.

Hope you enjoy being back out!

 

[Ravenbait]

I wish I knew.

I've got a Suunto HRM that is supposed to keep me in check by giving me a training effect, but I just get depressed when it tells me my activity levels are so much lower than they used to be. I've been off since May (!!!!) with a serious foot injury that turned into permanent bone damage followed by influenza with secondary infection that took about two months before I felt like I was properly recovering. I'm still what my GP referred to as "convalescing". I'm having to consider, seriously, taking an entire year off from triathlon because I'm concerned that entering a race will push me into overtraining in an attempt to pick up where I left off, which, realistically, isn't going to happen. If I decide not to enter any races right up front then maybe I can concentrate on a sensible recovery plan and let my body dictate rather than the calendar.

I think the only way you can do it is to pay attention when it hurts or feels difficult, and keep telling yourself you're in the recovery stage. It's not hurting because it's supposed to: it's hurting because you're doing too much. There's nothing wrong with easing off, staying within your comfort zone and treating caution as the better part of valour. Your body will tell you when it's ready to push harder, believe me.

Sam

 

[cyco2]

I found when I was doing the Thames Path on the only bike I had, a folding shopping bike, that speed was not essential. So, when I start to get too frisky now I remind myself 'that speed is not essential'. Obviously this is not easily done in comfort on a lightweight so out comes the tourer. This way you still get the workout if you want it but you're not so far from home. A HR monitor is handy too. Try riding at no more than 75% of max. even up hill, difficult. The discipline will keep you occupied. I had to do this on a tour up through France because the rides were long and I was able to feel very comfortable at the end of the day.