June 2021 - I finish a plan and take a rest week. Get back on bike, knee completely gone. 4 months being told arthritis, new diagnosis, 7 months of physiotherapy for a torn quadricep tendon, knee surgery, rehab, really bad COVID, secondary lung infection, long COVID…
After all this time, 90lbs of weight put on (don’t eat like you are training if you are not training), I finally got cleared to start exercise again, slowly.
Last time I just wandered aimlessly around zwift for a month to get some base fitness back, before jumping into a back to fitness program, then into full blown plans.
Goal is to be a diesel engine that goes all day.
I don’t want to zwift.
Any suggestions for that first “I’m so unfit I need to ease back and all plans are probably too much”?
If it were me, I’d start with recharger. Then, maybe even do some of the vids you enjoyed even if you have to scale them down to whatever you can tolerate. Then, maybe once you’ve had a few rides under your belt you could start checking out the plans.
I’d seriously consider the fitness kickstarter that has you do a Half Monty on the 2nd day to give you current and accurate numbers to work with and ends with Full Frontal to see how you fared over 6 weeks.
There’s a thread on here somewhere on how to get back to training after CoVid that’s worth searching for. If I find it I’ll get back and post.
You’ve already taken the first step so welcome back!
And if the plans aren’t working for you, perhaps starting with some of the Inspiration workouts, or any of the On Locations or A Week With, perhaps done in level mode or at reduced intensity in ERG.
Thank you for the welcome. I actually really enjoyed recharger so that’s a great suggestion. I currently have no idea what my 4DP would look like, I am guessing it would be pretty poor so getting a guestimate from a half monty would probably be a good start.
It won’t be poor, it will be what it is. The best thing is to get yourself a realistic number so the future workouts aren’t too hard or too easy. Don’t try to compare yourself to where you were, other than perhaps as a goal to reach for.
I’m not big on motivational quotes as a general rule but am a fan of the late Arthur Ashe who said: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Welcome back @Fezzek. I’ve been where you are enough times (ilness, injury) and always thought coming back was too hard. But little and often is an acceptable strategy. Don’t go too hard straight out the starting blocks.
Another option is a Base build plan (in the General fitness section).
Herein lies the solution IMO. Become consistent with riding again and you will want to ride more if you havent gone too deep too early. Then set a goal some months out and work towards thatwith a structured plan.
I hope some or all of that is behind you sir. And stays there !
I don’t know what the advice you’ve got is re knee and lungs … though the rehab sounds good as that presumably had strength work in there to build some supporting muscle up post surgery.
Have you still got a continuing rehab strength type thing to do? If not, I would be tempted to build cycling round whatever you were doing in rehab for strength (having done the muscle loss thing from busted knee / crutches for what seems like forever thing). So manintaining and building the functional strength and flexibility, then adding in whatever other cycling you feel like.
If the focus is that way round, you’ll reduce the injury odds.
At this point - I’m not a Physio, doctor or any other professional- just someone been through running and cycling scenarios
Do you ride outside and in?
Have you the option to go get some normal
Social level riding in to get the cycling legs shifting again without following targets?
On Suf - I’d ride without targets (off ERG) and just do some videos where you use the bike gears and how you ‘feel’ so that you aren’t pulled in to over doing things and depending on what you like of course, there’s a heap of stuff in the recovery ride space, there’s various on location sections now, all of which you can choose to ride at whatever pace suits before you begin any plans or tests
Welcome back Martin. If you dont have a specific goal (i.e. you can take your time), then my olnly advice would be take your time to fall back in love with it. Gong all-in with a SUF plan will do good things, but as you knwo they’re quite intense.
The new On Location rides and the A Week With plans a are a wonderful way to get back on the bike - solid workouts but a different style to the real SUF stuff. Definitley recommended. I’ve basically been try ing to tick these off as a way of getting over this year and prepping some fitness ready for gearing up to a big 2023. It has worked a treat.
