Fitness is a wonderful thing, but very hard earned. Every week I ride more than 200K just to get stronger on the bike. Edging out my body to produce more power, going through mental barriers where pain doesn’t matter anymore and sliding on the abyss to injury – just to ride a minute faster on a 25Km long course.
Would be funny, if I loose this power within a short time. Statistically tough, most of your gained fitness is lost within two weeks and trust me, that’s the case.
At the beginning of 2016 I had a dramatic ear surgery, which knocked me out for almost four weeks. The doctor didn’t allow me, to get my blood pressure up. So I had to keep my legs in freezing mode. After this period, my overall speed dropped almost 4 km/h. I had to work four weeks, just to get to my normal level again. That is – by the way – the good side on fitness. If you had it already, you’re getting there faster again.
But what the hell is now my 4 day rule?
It means, that this is the maximal time between two rides in my training plan. If I’m resting more, I would loose to much fitness. Right now I’m in a recovery week and today would have been rest day number five. But I rode to work 😉
Do you have such a rule?
The Bike Escape 
I know what you mean. I took several weeks off of crossfit and its like starting over. Never again
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I had a leg injury a few weeks ago and had a couple of weeks off. I’ve found it hard to go as fast/far. I don’t have a rule but I will never let myself off unless I really have to. I’m back on track now though.
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I try never to go more than 4 days off the bike.
I’m just coming back from planter fasciitis which laid me off for several months and I’m only just at or around my levels from before after 6 months of riding and 3200km.
I usually get very slack around winter time but not this year even if it’s mostly turbo work.
Regaining fitness is so much harder than maintaining it.
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Actually, I have an anti-four-day-rule… I ride every day in some form. I actually have to hope for rain just so I can take one day off. I’ve ridden 400 km since 1 July, average of 66 km a day. While most people would take a day, I just ride slower in a real easy gear and spin my legs. This way I don’t have to deal with spinning my legs back up (You will come to find that it’s one day off, not four. I don’t lose fitness in one day, to suggest so would be silly. It is harder to go fast after a full day off though.).
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I tried to ride every day, but still have to work up to it 😉
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Take your time… It took me four years to figure out the proper balance between riding hard and recovery rides.
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