Post booster training

daniel_b

Morning guys,

just about to jump on the turbo for a threshold over/under workout.

Later today I have my booster booked in, and when I had my 2nd vaccine back in the summer, although I felt fine, I rode too hard out on the road, and paid for it for a good few days, my quads were toast to put it mildly.

I've been hitting the turbo hard (Work have asked us to wfh) for the last couple of weeks, generally 2 hour sessions, on 2 consecutive days, with a day off inbetween.

I clearly don't know how my body will react, but am cautious as I felt fine in the summer, but clearly wasn't up to full on effort.

I've not carried out much endurance work recently, so could this be a prime opportunity to get 10-14 days in of endurance easy spinning work, and then slowly ramp up the intensity to see what happens?

I don't want to set things back, but then equally I don't want to halt some pretty decent progress over the last 3 months.

I have a Velodrome session in February, and also Ride London in May are my main targets currently.

Thanks

pblakeney

I hit a PB the day after.
All posts on the subject suggest that is very much a case of YMMV.

ugo.santalucia

Did you not ask the exact same question regarding the first vaccine?

N0bodyOfTheGoat

I had a bad reaction to my first jab in April, didn't go near a bike for ~1.5 weeks and then had to ease myself back into it on the duration and especially power front, z3+ was a killer for ~4 weeks.

My reaction to the second jab in June was initially not great either, but on day 3 I started to feel more normal and I'd managed a gentle turbo session on day 2. On day 4 I joined a Zwift TT, started at high z3 and increased power according to how my legs felt, ended up doing my best 20mins for months... Legs ached horribly afterwards and had to ease right back to z2 for the next two weeks or so.

I boosted my FTP a bit in late September to tackle Road To Hell in October, but then came down with worst flu I've ever had, knocked me out for ~3.5 weeks.

Since early November, I've ridden everyday, anything from 30mins to 2 hours. Virtually all z1/2, with one day a week where I was doing one or two short Zwift races back to back.

Fortunately, the Zwift race series ended the week before my booster last Tuesday, because I had another rough reaction and I've had to resort to easy z1 since, because I am hell bent on completing my annual target of 365 hours and now have just over 7 hours to go having been 20 hours behind schedule after the flu.

I've had a dire cycling year due to Covid jabs and that flu, no idea if I will get my FTP back to the 270-295W it's been for the last few years. I've been using 220W for my training zones since mid November, will start doing some proper FTP boosting sessions in new year and see what happens.

My long winded advice is play things cautiously, unless you have cycling plans in the near future. Gradually ease back into z4+ workouts, listen to your body.

imposter2.0

It's a question of priorities. If you value having the jab and the protection it offers, then have it and accept the consequences.

katani

I believe the Pfizer vaccine has been reported to cause no issues, while at least my friends and colleagues who have got the AZ one, all suffered not so mild flu-like symptoms.
I hit my, at that time, half marathon PB, in the evening, following an early morning 1st jab. The nurse had told me that I could workout. Felt normal the day after. The 2nd jab didn't give me any issues either. Both were Pfizer.

daniel_b

ugo.santalucia said:

Did you not ask the exact same question regarding the first vaccine?

Not a clue Ugo, I can barely remember my own name since becoming a parent
2 or 3 months ago may as well be from a previous life.
If I did it would have been about vaccine 1 or 2, but as I am relatively late to the party with regards to the booster, thought a larger spread of people might have experience of post booster reactions.

N0bodyOfTheGoat said:

I had a bad reaction to my first jab in April, didn't go near a bike for ~1.5 weeks and then had to ease myself back into it on the duration and especially power front, z3+ was a killer for ~4 weeks.

My reaction to the second jab in June was initially not great either, but on day 3 I started to feel more normal and I'd managed a gentle turbo session on day 2. On day 4 I joined a Zwift TT, started at high z3 and increased power according to how my legs felt, ended up doing my best 20mins for months... Legs ached horribly afterwards and had to ease right back to z2 for the next two weeks or so.

I boosted my FTP a bit in late September to tackle Road To Hell in October, but then came down with worst flu I've ever had, knocked me out for ~3.5 weeks.

Since early November, I've ridden everyday, anything from 30mins to 2 hours. Virtually all z1/2, with one day a week where I was doing one or two short Zwift races back to back.

Fortunately, the Zwift race series ended the week before my booster last Tuesday, because I had another rough reaction and I've had to resort to easy z1 since, because I am hell bent on completing my annual target of 365 hours and now have just over 7 hours to go having been 20 hours behind schedule after the flu.

I've had a dire cycling year due to Covid jabs and that flu, no idea if I will get my FTP back to the 270-295W it's been for the last few years. I've been using 220W for my training zones since mid November, will start doing some proper FTP boosting sessions in new year and see what happens.

My long winded advice is play things cautiously, unless you have cycling plans in the near future. Gradually ease back into z4+ workouts, listen to your body.

Interesting @N0bodyOfTheGoat , that's not 'that' different to my experience - mine was AZ - first one knocked me out for a good week or more, with general tiredness, feeling devoid of any energy.
Second one I felt fine, where as you felt ropey for the first few days, but then I also hit it hard, and cramped up horribly, and then it was a challenge to go up or down stairs for 2-3 days, and then it gradually cleared.

That almost mirrors your Zwift TT experience, but mine was meant to be a fast road ride, so I think I will avoid repeating that, and stick to some longish endurance rides (Whilst watching Spiral) and take things easy.
I think it will be Moderna I'll be getting, if I react to it like my partner, she felt a bit rough for 2-3 days and has been steadily improving since, so I think I'll stay off the bike until after Christmas.

Bad luck with the flu, not what you need especially this year.
Nice work with the 365 target, I'm sure you'll be able to hit it before the year is out, and that's some impressive daily riding for that period of time.
I suspect my FTP is around 210-220 currently - I tend to max at around 250, though I'm trying a slightly different approach this time, and utilising the commute as well, or will be next year at least.

Thanks for the reply :-)

katani said:

I believe the Pfizer vaccine has been reported to cause no issues, while at least my friends and colleagues who have got the AZ one, all suffered not so mild flu-like symptoms.
I hit my, at that time, half marathon PB, in the evening, following an early morning 1st jab. The nurse had told me that I could workout. Felt normal the day after. The 2nd jab didn't give me any issues either. Both were Pfizer.

Happy to be proved wrong, but I gather in the uk the boosters are either moderna or pfizer - I might get lucky and get the latter, though I know my partner had moderna.
I'll update later!

daniel_b

So I was moderna'd yesterday late morning, kept the arm moving all day, and it seemed fine, but felt pretty tired in the early evening, and ended up going to bed at 20:30!
Managed a good 11+ hours of sleep, so clearly needed it.

Woke up at around midnight with a pretty painful arm, and that has continued for today, but touch wood currently that is the only symptom I am exhibiting.

Would be good if I could get shot of the arm pain by Saturday, as looks like I am going to have to ride 40-50 miles for christmas breakfast and lunch
I'll take it easy of course, but will mean I have to leave brutally early, much like a work commute

itboffin

I had my booster on Tuesday which resulted in being totally knackered that evening but okay so I thought the following morning however 20 miles into a 60 mile ride to Stockbridge I started falling apart, muscle aches all over, headache nausea no power dizzy and really tired and weak, I made it home but that was me toast for all of yesterday, last night I had a high temperature and sweating which continued until this morning. I feel right as rain now mind, planning a long ride tomorrow again, which will be super slowmo

daniel_b

So one day before me - would be interested to hear how your long ride goes tomorrow if you remember to update :-)
Sounds like you have had a very quick recovery from it though, so hopefully a quick and easy one to get over.

Your riding experience sounds a little like I experienced after the 2nd one, though minus the headache/nausea bit - mine started about 17 miles into a 45miler I think it was. Never had muscle pain like it.

itboffin

Yeah right what’s with in ride muscle pain and all over a most weird sensation even my triceps, not something I want to experience again in a hurry

ugo.santalucia

My stepdaughter is still going on about some imaginary side effects, 2 weeks on... after her much delayed second dose...

daniel_b

ugo.santalucia said:

My stepdaughter is still going on about some imaginary side effects, 2 weeks on... after her much delayed second dose...

My partner said she had kind of depleted energy for a number of weeks after vaccination number 2.

@itboffin how did your ride yesterday go?

I rode this morning (39 miles) early doors in pretty filthy conditions, took it really easy, no issues when I got here, or so far fingers crossed.

itboffin

All good again thanks Dan just need to get my fitness back again and lose a little Christmas timber but not that much

daniel_b

itboffin said:

All good again thanks Dan just need to get my fitness back again and lose a little Christmas timber but not that much

Very pleased to hear it.

Did you go full bore, go easy like you intended, or somewhere inbetween?

Having not ridden since Wednesday it wasn't easy to reign things in.

itboffin

Easy as with a few hill efforts to see where my heart rate is at, seems mostly okay. I still have a slight cough at times and a wheezing chest a bit like a heavy smoker.

daniel_b

itboffin said:

Easy as with a few hill efforts to see where my heart rate is at, seems mostly okay. I still have a slight cough at times and a wheezing chest a bit like a heavy smoker.

I hope it begins to clear for you soon, that sounds irritating.

I did a relatively easy tempo turbo session, but tweaked the percentage up to 110 by the end, and only had one weedy fan on, so it was harder than it might have been, but no after effects, or cramps etc, so boding well, but will still do one more easyish session I think, and then might be a good time for an FTP ramp test I suspect.

Mad_Malx

itboffin said:

Easy as with a few hill efforts to see where my heart rate is at, seems mostly okay. I still have a slight cough at times and a wheezing chest a bit like a heavy smoker.

Didn’t you have proper Rona back in November tho?
I did and I now have a lingering mild wheeze and I’m not keen on full efforts.

I decided I can put off my booster for a few months because I’ve now had the full version, and will hopefully squeeze a bit more time out of the booster.