Training hiatuses . . . how fast do you lose it?

Really generic figure is for every 2 weeks of complete inactivity (we're talking about laying in bed or doing very little) that you lose 50% or so of your overall fitness.

The reality is that it is totally dependent on what part of your body you are talking about.  You lose anaerobic gains pretty fast (which is why doing intervals early in the season is counterproductive in some ways).  Aerobic gains less and muscular adaptations even less.  There was some chart someone had posted a few years ago that broke down how the body "loses" its fitness.

To me - it seems like it can be compared to how long it takes to gain fitness.  Like Rick mentioned - the speed that you will loose gains is faster for anaerobic, then aerobic then muscular adaptations.  Just like when you gain fitness - it takes for ever (as it seems) to get muscluar adaptations and gain an aerobic base.  however, anaerobic gains seem to come quicker (except for those who are pushing the very top of their capabilities - olympians etc).

i am not a doctor or antyhing - but it makes sense to me that if it comes quickly, it will go quickly.  if it takes a while to develop, it will take a while to lose.  then again, logic doesn't always work

I got a stress fracture in my right foot on 5-16-09 at a marathon. I just got back to running again 6 weeks later.

Personally, I lost it QUICKLY!

6 weeks of no running and just cycling and swimming... it's like I'm back at square one again with the running. The last 6 mile run I did a few days ago... well I hurt for days. Last night I did 4 miles and WOW... the pain started while I was running. Sore hammys, pain in my lower legs (ongoing issue I have, but it had resolved itself). I HURT today.

I was in marathon shape (w/a 3/2 walk/run combo)... and now I can barely make it 4 miles without my body falling apart. Don't even get me started on the side cramps I have been dealing with each time I run. *Sigh*

I have a 25K in 10 days... and I'm doing to DNF it. I will do 6-9 miles of it as a training run (since I have to train anyways and I paid for it), but I will have to bail after that. There is NO WAY I can make it 15 miles without being miserable and paying for it physically for days.

With all the said, my cycling and swimming fitness is amazing.

I lose it in apx 3-4 days,,, it then takes 3- 4 months to get it back..

I was pretty much out for 4-5 weeks,, couldn't really do anything, then starting back in the texas heat has hurt just as much

Just focus on what you can go and keep moving forward

Check out episode 67 of the Tri Talk podcast for good coverage of the topic.

For me swimming comes back quickly, running slowly, and biking somewhere in between. 

If I lose a complete week of running I figure it will take me about two weeks or more to get back to where I was (I'm 47; I assume younger folk get it back a bit quicker).  I try not to take many breaks from running for that reason.  I just took a complete week off after my HIM and expect this will be only one of two weeks of breaks during the year (the next one after my half marathon).

Brian
  

You could always pool run. I was out 8 weeks last summer with a metarsal sfx and pool ran the whole time...and I GAINED fitness. I ended up setting a PR in the 10 mile not long after returning to land running.

That being said, I always take at LEAST a month or two off from running, and it really doesn't affect me that much. Am I slower and a bit sluggish when I come back? Sure...but it's winter, and that's fine.