Originally Posted by
RChung
Because of work commitments I spent very few hours/miles on the bike in March, and also missed the first two weeks of April due to hay fever/asthma. So when I started riding again in mid-April, you could say I was, um, well-rested. My first ride back sucked, big time. My next ride I set my best 5-minute through 10-minute MMP of the year, at pretty close to my max HR. I don't think my "efficiency" improved during the hiatus, or between my first ride and my second ride back.
That rapid improvement was almost certainly due to a rapid "bounce back" in blood and stroke volume.
I've also noticed a similar quick "bounce back" on the second ride after an extended rest. Power goes up, perceived exertion goes down.
Last month, I had a reaction to a vaccine that knocked me down for a couple weeks. I ended up taking 11 days of rest. The first day back on the bike felt terrible. The next day was better, and each following day was better. "Newbie" gains? From my first ride back to yesterday, my Efficiency Factor (av. power/av. heart rate) increased by 37% in 7 days.
Conclusion: Taking several days off from training isn't as devastating as it seems while you're doing it.