TR has been my coach so far, but need some extra perspective on my situation.
Here’s the Good news: I’m doing the Rift on 7/20! I’ve got a lot of base. My goal for the ride is modest (finish safely, have adventure, come in around 12 hrs).
Bad news: I picked up Covid on 6/11. Symptoms were mostly gone by 6/17. Feeling about 90% now.
My plan: Don’t mess it up by trying to do too much, too fast. Don’t try to stack any gains in the time i have. Just avoid getting sick again. Eat well, sleep as much as i can.
Thinking: I’m going to do mid volume, Z2 through June 30 (about 12 hours). Then, try to do a big volume, low intensity week from 7/1-7/8 (4-6 hr rides at Z2). “Normal” week with some intensity 7/8-7/14. Taper down from 7/14 to the race.
Questions: Should skip the “higher volume” week and just keep doing mid-volume, z2 or Z3 (1.5-3 hr rides). Any other advice?
TLDR: As the title says, I got covid 1 month out from my A Race (the Rift). How do i not screw up my event?
In general, the idea of a big volume week ~4 weeks out from a race, followed by some shorter weeks with intensity sprinkled in is a sound concept.
Just listen to your body and shut it down if you don’t feel up it it. Everyone recovers from COVID a bit differently.
Most importantly, enjoy the race. I did it in 2021 and it was epic. Most of the climbing is in the front half of the race. Take it easy on the descents as there can be soft spots in the gravel. Have a full change of kit available at the drop bag location (especially shoes and socks). Pack a ShakeDry or similar jacket. Waterproof gloves can also be a bonus, depending on the weather ( definitely paid off in 2021 as it rained most of the day and only low 50’s*F)
Wonderful event and Iceland is spectacular. Can’t recommend the event or country enough.
Bummer about the COVID case. Hope you continue to feel better!
It sounds like you’re on the right track with your plan. Getting back to 100% health should be priority #1. Keep eating well and resting as much as you can!
I think the big volume week could be beneficial if you can work up to it. That might be a bit tough given you’re recovering from COVID at the moment.
Jumping straight into a big volume week of 4-6hr rides from Mid Volume could really leave you wrecked and throw the rest of your training/race prep off track. If you’re not able to build up your volume leading into that week, I still think there’s value in doing some longer rides to test out your equipment/nutrition/bike fit/etc., but I don’t think doing an entire week of long rides like that would help you that much. It may even do more harm than good.
As @Power13 said, big volume → shorter weeks with intensity is a sound concept, but listen to your body and don’t force it if you aren’t feeling it. Personally, I’d recommend veering on the safe side and avoiding overdoing the volume, especially 4 weeks out from your A event while recovering from illness.
Hope this helps – feel free to let me know if you have any additional questions on this!
This is great, supportive advice! thanks so much. As you hint at, i’ve re-centered my goals: Just enjoy the adventure. We ride for experiences, to learn about ourselves and the places we go, not just results. Will focus on the landscape and culture of Iceland, not just the metrics on the Wahoo.
Thanks for this thoughtful reply, @zacheryweimer. I’ve talked to a couple other folks, and i’m going to modify the “big volume” week, and do what you suggest: Build up and see how i’m doing. If i’m able to do alright, and not push the heart rate too high, I’ll build to one 7-8 hour day. Meanwhile, eat well, drink a ton of water, sleep and nap as much as i can. Thanks for the help!
The scenery on the ride itself is stunning…absolutely take the time to enjoy it. Pictures don’t do it justice. Take it all in and marvel at riding in such an incredible place. You’ll remember that long after any performance or result!!
Keep an eye on your HR. After i had covid my resting HR stayed way high for a while. Im no doctor, but i thought it was probably best to keep it real mellow until it got back to normal.
I have gone through covid recently. My experience is I am very very tired, two weeks after the tests came out negative. I also have headaches and I feel a little bit lightheaded at times. I went for a relatively mild ride a week ago, and that had my fatigue shoot through the roof. It took a whole week to come back to baseline HRV from just 3 hours of zone 2 by heart rate. So, be careful with the efforts and take it easy
Hope you continue to feel better!