Coming back from illness and want to train? Anthony Walsh covers the one mistake that puts you straight back in bed, and why your instincts are working against you here.
Key Takeaways
The urge to smash a hard session the day you feel better is real. Anthony felt it himself before this episode. But the immune system stays vulnerable for a few days after illness, and if you hit a hard session too early you will get sick again. One easy endurance ride is manageable without triggering symptoms. That's the test. If you can get through that without feeling worse, you build from there.
The practical rule is simple. Easy endurance only until you've had a few clean days. No threshold, no intervals, no 'I'll just do a moderate one.' The day you think you're fine is the day you're most likely to overdo it, because motivation is high and recent fitness loss is sitting in the back of your head. Ignore both. Do the easy ride, go home, and build back next week.
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If you want to understand what easy endurance actually means in terms of effort and numbers, the episode on 5 fixable reasons your heart rate is high while cycling is worth your time. And once you're back training, the 5 things Pogacar always does after a ride covers the recovery side of the coin.