Hills - Should you back off as you get older ?

[david k]

Apologies if my posts were misleading or lacked some history.

I've had AF but it's been sorted through a heart ablation, so yes his advice was probably in that context.

However he was talking more generally, and from memory it was the heart consultant at Liverpool hospital, he was referring more towards, long hard triathalons and pushing myself to the limit, rather than don't train within your limits.
I'm mid 40s and his advice if I recall correctly was about middle aged men pushing themselves very hard over sustained periods could do damage. Not that training within yourself isn't beneficial, and this followed a conversation about cycling, so he was probably just being cautious. I felt this was an additional insight into 'how much to push yourself' and IME working within my limits just feels better for me.
Obviously this is just one opinion for people to consider, there may be other views from different people and doctors etc.

 

[kingrollo]

OP Here.
Went to GP explained the situation showed her 2 weeks of peak flow reading I was expecting all sorts of excuses and at best they would tweak my in inhalers. I was somewhat taken aback with how seriously she took it - I am now booked in for blood tests and a chest xray with a lung function test to follow dependent on the results of those.
I pushed for some sort of provisional diagnosis she said:-
1.Those with asthma\reliever inhaler use for many years some times the lungs go brittle and as such don't respond to inhalers
2.It might be a problem with small airways obstruction - and not really asthma at all
3.Worst of all and she was keen to stress this was only a theory - that cycling in built up areas is actually damaging the lungs due to pollution....

bit gutted by it all to be honest.

 

[Duffy]

OP Here.
Went to GP explained the situation showed her 2 weeks of peak flow reading I was expecting all sorts of excuses and at best they would tweak my in inhalers. I was somewhat taken aback with how seriously she took it - I am now booked in for blood tests and a chest xray with a lung function test to follow dependent on the results of those.
I pushed for some sort of provisional diagnosis she said:-
1.Those with asthma\reliever inhaler use for many years some times the lungs go brittle and as such don't respond to inhalers
2.It might be a problem with small airways obstruction - and not really asthma at all
3.Worst of all and she was keen to stress this was only a theory - that cycling in built up areas is actually damaging the lungs due to pollution....

bit gutted by it all to be honest.

That's a bit of a sore one, here's hoping that she's just erring on the side of caution and that it's not as bad as that!

 

[petek]

65 here and my bike is heavy.
Hills had seemed to get steeper of late so traded up from a 3-speed to a 5-speed hub that has a kinder 1st gear.
Was getting off and pushing the bike up one slope, can ride it up there again now.
As long as someone is fit then by all means -with decent gearing- 'push yourself'.
Any doubts or twinges though, probs best to check with the doc first.