billycraig Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 What spurred me to check was I had dropped my TLR on a downhill section, front wheel slid out on a rock and the bike ended on its side stuck between a few sapplings. The effort of dragging the bike out of the scrub on a steep slope, getting it upright and started added to the riding was demanding. Then I realised that I hadn't brought any water but was close to home and so I headed back to the house. I was aware that I was very hot and breathing very heavily and so I wondered just how hard the heart was working. It took me several minutes to find and remember how to start the monitor and when it did I was still pumping at around 105 bpm (there is a monitor on my exercise bike runs from the hand grips and the two units are very close in their readings). But again I stress I am not panicking and I am not going to stop riding. I think the danger for me is when I ride trail/trials with other more advanced riders and I feel the need to keep up - if I drop the bike I jump up and try and get upright and moving so as not to hold others up. I know that 2 or 3 hours of this and I am exhausted - and I mean sick bucket exhausted. As a result I am practicing in order to reduce the drops, improve technique and build my upper body strength and that is working - but I think I need to really remind myself to take a breather. Make sure you keep the water handy, dehydration and lack of electrolytes causes the heart to work harder. If you slow down the other riders theirs probably a fair few who are glad of a breather but also didn't want to slow the group either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalshell Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 two simple words.. be sensible the heart is not a machine and just because you can ride for hours, win races. do triathlons well, does not mean your heart is fine. At 27 i was a damned good cyclist ( first three every weekend) heart and lungs of an ox i thought until quite by chance i found myself hooked up to an ecg and from there to hospital and from there to operating theatre from there to being in a different room to my heart! and all by pure chance... dont believe because you can do this or that that all is okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billycraig Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 two simple words.. be sensible the heart is not a machine and just because you can ride for hours, win races. do triathlons well, does not mean your heart is fine. At 27 i was a damned good cyclist ( first three every weekend) heart and lungs of an ox i thought until quite by chance i found myself hooked up to an ecg and from there to hospital and from there to operating theatre from there to being in a different room to my heart! and all by pure chance... dont believe because you can do this or that that all is okay. Well said , the amount of athletes that suffer heart failure is frightening. Its not meant to be pushed to far to often, gentle regular activity is better than over doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keychange Posted July 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Well said , the amount of athletes that suffer heart failure is frightening. Its not meant to be pushed to far to often, gentle regular activity is better than over doing it. Yep very true - we tend to take our bodies for granted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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