I am nearing the end of my 12 week “all purpose” plan which isn’t going to plan. I managed to get halfway up to the “Half Monty” test without any real hitches but had to move the rest of the plan 1 week forward to accommodate a weeks holiday (no workouts). I wasn’t well at all during that week and was COVID positive when I came back last Saturday evening. I actually felt fine by then but scrapped the Sunday workout or club ride and resumed the plan on Monday this week. I don’t think I am 100% because today (Thursday) I couldn’t complete the “Defender” workout, caving in 38 minutes into the 56 minute workout.
Now the issue, I have my first ever 4DP Test in two weeks but I want to be fully fit but not sure I will be, plus I have another weeks camping starting the day after (again no workouts). I am thinking of using the next two weeks building back my fitness by adding some endurance type workouts to my calendar up until the holiday and moving what’s left of my calendar (two weeks and the 4DP test)forward to the end of my holiday and hopefully after a weeks rest there will be enough training in that two weeks for me to hit the 4DP in the best shape?? would appreciate any other suggestions many thanks
@ozmadman Very good questions here. First, great that you are on the path to recovery after COVID. With your illness being so recent, you will need to keep track of your morning metrics such as, resting morning heart rate, to judge your training readiness. In most cases, heartrate response and resting heart rate take about 2 weeks to return to normal. To keep pushing while the body is still recovering will not give you the results you desire. It may also prolong the recovery period.
When your resting morning heart rate returns to normal and you feel recovered I would suggest moving forward with the Transition Dial it Down Plan. Its a 6 week plan that you could do for 4 weeks and then resume your current plan. Less is more right now to see the gains you want at the end of your current plan.
Happy Training!
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Must admit it worries me how such a relaxed plan can benefit my fitness and not make me loose more, especially as there seems so much emphasis on yoga which I have never done before ( I do the strength program alongside my normal workouts) and only a few hours “training a week”. I also notice that there is a Half Monty at the end. Should I do that and then the 4DP two weeks later at the end of my normal plan?
It should also worry you more than it seems to that you are pushing yourself so hard before full recovery from COVID. The data suggests that pushing too early after COVID can cause long term symptoms and long term loss of fitness.
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