Resuming Cycling After Covid

 I recently found out that I had Covid, and am now on the road to getting back up to speed.

One of the interesting things about this round, is that the first indication that something was amiss came from my Apple Watch's VO2 Max reading dropping suddenly, which happened on July 1.  It decreased from 38.5 on June 10 to 36.3, and it usually will increase or decrease in increments of 0.1-0.2, so this was a sudden and large drop.

I didn't really think any more of this drop, and continued to ride, both to work and recreationally, for the next several days.  I was a little tired and had sinus issues during this time, but this was my rest week following three weeks of going harder, so the symptoms were not unexpected.  On July 6, I took a Covid test, basically just to rule it out, and was surprised to find that the second line turned dark very quickly - yup, it was Covid.  The symptoms were not nearly as bad as the first time I hac the virus, but I did feel fatigued and spacy.

During my break, I found this article and infographic that was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine that outlined specific steps in recovery that I thought would be useful.  I'm now a couple of days into the protocol, and feeling pretty good, so I wanted to document this information for my own future reference, as well as possibly helping others.

Since I've now resumed activities, I've also returned to walking and was happy to see that on July 16, my iPhone VO2 Max had returned up 38.1.

Mt. Baker Highway 2024

 I rode up the Mt. Baker highway again this year, after a couple of years off.  It was a gorgeous day, somewhat on the cool side weather wise, which I really appreciated on the way up.

The lower parts of the climb were quite cloudy, and it was not a certainty that the clouds would clear and render the peaks visible.

The pavement was mercifully dry; however, and I set about climbing while trying to limit myself from going too hard too early.  As I made my way up, some blue patches began appearing in the sky.

The road flattens somewhat at the ski area, and even though it's still around a 3% grade, it almost feels like pedaling downhill given the gradients preceding it.

Once past the ski area, the road switchbacks up through and into the snow.

Which gets thicker to the point that the upper reaches of the climb were cleared by snow plow just a couple of weeks prior to my ascent.

North Cascades Highway 2024

I was able to ride the North Cascades Highway all the way to Washington Pass car free this year. There was a much lighter snow pack than normal, so the WSDOT road clearing operation didn't take nearly as long as usual - this meant it was essential to seize the day and get up there. Unlike most of my previous rides up, I knew from the outset that the road had been cleared all the way to Washington Pass, the only question was whether my legs and spring form would allow me to make it all the way.

 

The way is up up up.

The secret seems to be out in terms of this ride being on folks' radar now. The parking lot at the Roass Lake Trailhead was beyond full, and cars were parked on the side of the road going down from the closure gate.  There were many people cycling up on all manner of bikes, from fancy road bikes to commuter e-bikes and everything in between.  Several factors likely contributed to the exceptional numbers:  the shorter than normal clearing operation, the first sunny weekend in a cool and wet spring, and the fact that this was likely the last remaining weekend that the road would remain car free.

It's great that the word is out and so many folks are enjoying the beautiful alpine scenery by bike.

As I crested Rainy Pass and counted down the mile markers during the brief descent to the base of Washington Pass, I figured I might as well continue all the way there.  Though this was further than I had ridden over the spring, I could not pass up the opportunity to keep going.  I was rewarded with a spectacular view of Liberty Bell and the WSDOT road clearing equipment.

I also got to take a picture (drive side out!) of my bike leaned up against the snowbank with the Washington Pass sign in the background.  One of these days, I'll continue down the other side of the pass to Mazama and/or Winthrop in the Skagit Valley on the other side.

The descent back down to the car at the Ross Lake trailhead started out very cold, so I was glad of all the layers I had with me, even though on the way up I was too warm on the parts below the snow line.  It's always important when cycling in the mountains to realize that both the speed and effort differential between the ascent and descent will result in vastly divergent experiences of the same temperature.