Originally Posted by
Comtour
It is hard to raise my heart rate to my training levels, so I know that I am losing some fitness in the short-term. ...I will return to the scene and finish the last 800 miles of the tour, probably next year. I should be able to get in a few thousand miles in the meantime.
Great attitude!
If you're simply holding back some to give yourself recovery time, then yes, you'll lose some fitness. If you are having trouble raising your heart rate because of beta blockers, then you aren't necessarily losing fitness, anymore than you'd gain fitness by taking a drug that sped up your heart rate while exercising.