WHY THIS HAPPENS
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Rushing the rebuild — the fitness you lost took months; it needs months to return
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Pain scale confusion — discomfort during rebuild is different from injury pain
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Detraining is real: 2-4 weeks off costs 5-10% of VO2max; 3+ months costs 20%+
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Muscle imbalances post-injury — one side stronger, different recruitment pattern
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Mental-fitness gap — legs are ahead of confidence, or vice versa
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Missing the rehab-to-training transition — going straight from PT discharge to normal rides