Got Covid or the flu? How to recover and return to training

The flu and COVID-19 are unwelcome guests in any athlete's training plan. As cyclists, we're often driven by discipline and a fear of losing fitness, which can tempt us to push through sickness rather than taking the time to recover properly. However, the path to long-term performance and resilience requires us to prioritize health over short-term training gains. Here’s the best way to manage illness and plan your return to training effectively.

Step 1: Rest and Recovery

The first rule of illness is simple but hard to follow: rest. Your body needs energy to fight off infection and recover, and pushing through symptoms often leads to prolonged sickness or even more serious complications.

What to Do

• Rest completely for 1-5 days during the peak of your illness, depending on its severity. Rest means rest—no gym sessions, no light spins, and no catching up on all the household projects you've been putting off.

• Focus on hydration, good nutrition, and quality sleep. Supporting your immune system is key to speeding up recovery.

• Rest till all below the next symptoms are gone.

Coaching Tips

• Patience is Power: View rest and recovery as an active part of your training, not a setback.

• Remember, resting during illness is an active choice to protect your long-term fitness.

Step 2: Ease Back In

Once you're symptom-free or have low symptoms for 24-48 hours, it's time to start easing back into training. The goal here isn't to make up for lost time but to gently reintroduce activity.

How to Start

• Begin with 1-3 days of easy Endurance indoor rides (stay warm and controlled). These should be shorter and less intense than your typical Endurance sessions.

• Avoid chasing watts or focusing on performance metrics. This phase is about reactivating your systems, not testing their limits.

Coaching Tips

• Patience is your best friend here. A slow start leads to a quicker return to peak performance.

• Do not chase power or measure heart rate; both will be off.  Just ride by feel and let your body finishing the healing journey

Step 3: Test the Waters

After a few easy rides, schedule a recovery test day to assess your readiness for more structured training. This is not an FTP test or a hard effort, but a simple evaluation.

Tempo Test Guidelines

• Plan 10-30 minutes of Tempo work at 75-85% of your FTP.  You can use this effort as a replacement for a day of training. 

• Monitor both power and heart rate during the effort. Expect a slightly higher heart rate for a given power output compared to your pre-illness numbers.

• Gauge how you feel. This effort should feel manageable, not grueling.

This step helps you determine whether your body is ready for more intensity or needs additional recovery time.

Coaching Tips

• If you can complete the Tempo effort and only see small changes (less than 10%) in the power-to-heart-rate relationship, continue forward with your training.

• If you cannot complete the effort or see a large variance in the power-to-heart-rate relationship (greater than 10%), consider easy Endurance for another 1-2 days and then complete the Tempo test again. 

Step 4: Final Endurance Day

If your Tempo test goes well, follow it with a steady Endurance ride at your normal endurance pace. This is your final go/no-go checkpoint before resuming full training.

What to Watch

• Your power-to-heart-rate relationship should begin to normalize.

• The ride should feel more like your typical Endurance efforts, though it's normal for everything to feel a bit harder than usual.

If all systems are a go, you're ready to jump back into structured training.

Key Takeaways

• Rest to recover: Don't let fear of losing fitness drive poor decisions.

• Listen to your body: Use how you feel as the ultimate guide in the process.

• Patience pays off: A gradual return ensures you're building fitness on a strong foundation.

Remember, illness is just a temporary detour in your cycling journey. By taking the time to recover fully and returning to training with a smart plan, you'll not only regain your fitness but also build resilience that benefits your long-term performance. Stay disciplined, stay patient, and trust the process.