I had my first ever training plan set for my fourth year racing. I started in November with 3 base periods and 2 builds preparing for a race in April. Then I got hit by a truck. I've been out a few weeks and probably won't be training hard again for another two. How do you pick up your training plan and move forward? When I am able to do the rides I used to again, do I jump into my build period or do I cut out build and return to base? Any tips on compensating? Or should I just scratch the April race, downgrade it to B priority and re-arrange the training plan?

I like your final suggestion.

Every crash is unplanned, so I think it's imperative to re-assess your training year to accomodate for the accident. Any effort to compensate or "make-up" for lost training will blow up in your face almost without a doubt. I think it's incredibly funny how you explain something like this to one of your friends and family and they look at you like you're an obsessed psychopath for getting back on the bike.

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Cervélo S2 2012 Red
Great minds think alike... sadly, so do the mediocre ones.

Yeah most non-cyclists in my life are aghast when I talk about getting back into it as soon as possible. It's not an easy situation for me to deal with, honestly, as I was hit pretty hard and am extremely lucky to be alive. Cycling brought me immense joy before and the accident changes nothing. It is definitely something that a lot of people don't understand.

I had a month to month and a half off and when I got back on the bike in November I felt so out of it for the first week. I'd come back sleepy from short rides, then the secon week I started to get better and after about a month I was back to we're I left off. So I think ou need to scrap your old plan, and feel our way through the first month

I think you should switch back to the basic.Also I think you should consult a doctor and take his advice about your training.

Unfortunately one of my greatest challenges has been finding a doctor who understands athletes and not just 75 year old men with heart disease.

After riding some last week, I definitely do need time to re-adjust. It's tough to find yourself 2+ months behind schedule and I am now fully realizing I won't be as prepared for the early season as I woud've been and a new plan definitely needs to be made to reflect this reality. I'm hoping I can progress a bit faster than I did in November and find myself catching up to some degree.

I feel for you as I have experienced a similar setback recently. In my case it was a serious crash with broken bones and severed ligaments. I couldn't do anything for 8+ weeks. Nor did I really want to in that condition. As you have found out, restarting reveals a shocking loss of fitness. My first month back was very gentle and gradual. It still felt like hell. I rode nothing but base. now 3 months back I am entering a build phase and actually feel I can accomplish something although I have yet to approach anything close to my previous FTP. However, I can now see that I can get there. You will too. I bet my experience is very typical. Good luck with your recovery.

I've had to come back a number of times, from crashes or prolonged illness. For me as a 50-something masters racer I figure it takes 2x as long as I was out to get back to where I was. But it isn't a consistent improvement. One week I'll be crawling and wondering if I'll ever be back to keeping up with the group on climbs and the next week I'll be in with them.

Something to watch out for is trying to do the same training volume or intensity you were doing before. You can't do that now, you have to work back up to it.
For me having a power meter and the Performance Manager to tell me that I have been ramping up my ATL for too fast too long is important. Even then I sometimes don't listen to it and end up on a death march or having to call my wife for a ride home.

Good luck with the recovery. Hopefully the people in your life who don't understand now will come around eventually.