What can I expect?

fungus_the_muffin_man

Short story is I was knocked off the bike Feb, bike broke and been waiting for a new one ever since due to Insurance taking forever!
My work has at last taken up bike 2 work so bikes ordered and waiting for arrival.

I had a long off time due to lower back/ neck/ shoulder injury. I've managed to do some mtbing since then maybe 10 trips out. Still having physio and pain killers for stiffness and pain.

How should I work myself back up to fitness, especially with the winter months starting in? Can I expect to manage a 30 miler straight off albeit at a slow rate. Or am I best going for shorter intense runs?

One idea I had was to utilize the bike lane of the East lancs and try do some kind of session work along the longer unbroken stretches? I have a turbo, but struggled to motivate myself to get on it when the bike was in one piece.

Any advice on how to get fit and recovered again? Both physically and psychologically.

Thanks
Fungus

bobtbuilder

As you struggle for motivation on the turbo trainer, then riding outside seems to be the obvious answer.

As for your first ride, could you plan a route of 30 miles but that meanders around your local area so that if you do run out of steam, you're never more than 5-6 miles from home?

Now that Winter is truly here, I would suggest enjoying the sensation of riding again and gradually build up your distance. You will get fitter and faster again as a by-product anyway.

spinndrift

I've just had a fair few weeks off due to glandular fever and have done a half hour and an hour ride so far. The sorest part for me has been been my upper body especially across the shoulders.

I'm just doing low HR rides for a few weeks before training harder.

LightningTony

Recovery
Hi Fungus
It appears we have something in common. I too got knocked off me bike, not as long ago as you, but still losing lots of fitness. Would be out again but knocked down by massive cold and cough for last five weeks (thats why I have been on here so much lately!).
I am a coach and also studying a sports science degree and looking into this very subject for academic reasons as well as my own benefit.
The best advice I can give right now is be really patient. Lots of short rides are better than a few long ones, and it is really easy to overdo it. You say you are still having physio for stiffness and pain, which means you should be even more careful. I would aim for no more than 45 mins three times a week for the first 2 – 3 weeks then see how the stiffness and pain progress before planning the next phase.

I did come across a recovery formula once, recently, but lost it. It is the subject of another posting of mine, suggest you check that out and see what other experts are saying.
Am not much of an expert on forum use, probably ought to be able to link you to it but I have no idea how to do that, anybody wanna help!
Good luck
Tony

simon_e

I think LightningTony has the best advice.

To link to anything (web page, PDF etc) you either just paste in the address or click a piece of text and click the 'URL' button above the text box. This will add square brackets and you insert the address in the first one:

[url=http://mywebaddress.com/]your text[/url]

My suggestion to the OP would be to primarily do something you enjoy. Keep the intensity low for now and just get the legs used to spinning and the cardio system used to regular, deep breathing and elevated heart rate. A traffic-free location would be good - less to have to think about. If motivation is an issue then see if you can find a club or local CTC section that does group rides.