Hills - Should you back off as you get older ?

[reacher]

Finally, to the OP - it simply sounds as though you don't have the most appropriate gearing in relation to your current level of fitness. So change gearing, improve fitness, or both.

My apologies, I didn't see this insightful post on how to train from you, all those pages and pages from so called experts on training and you have it nailed down in one sentence

 

[Alan O]

No offence taken, however the way I ride seems to say the opposite so far, I dont think I will taking your advice on it anytime soon, No offence

You should obviously never take the advice of any random person on the internet*, as the vast majority have no medical training (and those who do would almost never offer advice on any specific condition without being able to examine the patient).

Alan
*at least not regarding health - things like what size axle nuts to get are obviously less risky

 

[kingrollo]

Spirometry measures lung capacity and function and is usually performed when conditions like asthma or others are suspected. However, if you didn't have asthma then, you probably don't have it now. I would suggest that what you are actually experiencing when going up that climb is simply a lack of cardiovascular fitness and nothing more.

I had bad asthma as a kid - whole days gasping for breath - weeks of school in the winter - back then the advice if you have asthma don't excercise. I was always last at running, etc.
Now I haven't had an out and out ashtma attack for years - but it does seem to kick in when climbing hills and generally pushing it on my bike.

 

[Crackle]

I had bad asthma as a kid - whole days gasping for breath - weeks of school in the winter - back then the advice if you have asthma don't excercise. I was always last at running, etc.
Now I haven't had an out and out ashtma attack for years - but it does seem to kick in when climbing hills and generally pushing it on my bike.

I developed asthma as an adult. Sometimes I go out and forget my inhaler or sometimes I need to double it up because I'm struggling a bit in cold weather or with an infection. The difference between it being controlled and uncontrolled is night and day. I really don't feel I can get a full lungful of air with it flaring. When it's controlled my breathing is largely normal, I don't notice it except as a consequence of effort. What i mean is, there is a distinct difference between breathing hard from effort and not being able to get my breath.

 

[reacher]

You should obviously never take the advice of any random person on the internet*, as the vast majority have no medical training (and those who do would almost never offer advice on any specific condition without being able to examine the patient).

Alan
*at least not regarding health - things like what size axle nuts to get are obviously less risky

Not sure what your suggesting here but my advice was to not do what everyone else seems to be suggesting he does, it has nothing to do with medical qualifications or training on my part,nor was it suggested or implied that it was, its just common sense.

 

[reacher]

Spirometry measures lung capacity and function and is usually performed when conditions like asthma or others are suspected. However, if you didn't have asthma then, you probably don't have it now. I would suggest that what you are actually experiencing when going up that climb is simply a lack of cardiovascular fitness and nothing more.

unlike this post, which if the op has any common sense at all will completely ignore

 

[Alan O]

Not sure what your suggesting here but my advice was to not do what everyone else seems to be suggesting he does, it has nothing to do with medical qualifications or training on my part,nor was it suggested or implied that it was, its just common sense.

No specific implications, just general advice.

 

[Tin Pot]

Just getting peoples thoughts. If its winding u up choose another thread - no disrespect intended.

I don't know the risk - hence Im asking - hence the variety of replies

Its listed at 10% - but for quite long sections its 17-18% - As I say I think part of the problem was the narrow road - if a car came either way - Id be off - I wouldn't have time to unclip.
I run a 25 rear sprocket - but have ordered a 28 - see how that goes. Another question I can't see how to train for such a hill without riding such a hill ! - most of my rides include 2500ft of elevation - but does doing lesser hills prepare (to any great extent) for steeper hills

Just grind slowly up the hill in the 25, stay seated, huff a bit.

Stop if you feel unwell, obviously.

End thread?

 

[Tin Pot]

Oh and what hill is it, so we can all say "that's nothing, I can do that backwards, double speed on a fixie."

 

[arch684]

I'm 66 had a heart attack at 53 still taking medication,but i' live in a very hilly area no escaping them.I think my heart is in much better condition now.I just take it slowly up the hills but i think that is more to do with age and not fittness

 

[S-Express]

unlike this post, which if the op has any common sense at all will completely ignore

Please explain which parts of my post were wrong, in your opinion, and why.

 

[S-Express]

But when I'm out, all I look at is the screen that shows my time, distance and average speed - I almost never check my heart rate. The thing is, what would it mean? If I'd seen the maximum 171bpm that occurred on yesterday's ride (when the 220-age guideline would suggest 162bpm as my max), would I have paused to let it settle or just continue? I felt fine at the time.

With hindsight, I'm pleased that my max HR is actually significantly better than 220-age (I've had 180+ on numerous occasions), but it's the kind of thing that could get people panicking.

220-age has no basis in cardiology, the only way to establish your mhr is to test individually. To that end, most people's mhr is significantly higher than their 220 figure (mine is 15bpm higher), so 'backing off' when you hit your theoretical mhr is in most cases completely unnecessary. There are no excuses for panic through a lack of understanding of something so important.

 

[S-Express]

I had bad asthma as a kid - whole days gasping for breath - weeks of school in the winter - back then the advice if you have asthma don't excercise. I was always last at running, etc.
Now I haven't had an out and out ashtma attack for years - but it does seem to kick in when climbing hills and generally pushing it on my bike.

Exercise-induced asthma may not show up on regular spiro tests, for obvious reasons. But it would most likely kick in whenever you increased effort, particularly in cold or cooler weather. Get it investigated if it concerns you...

 

[reacher]

Please explain which parts of my post were wrong, in your opinion, and why.

Because its a pure guess, you said it yourself in the advice you gave, quote I would suggest what you are experiencing is a lack of cardiovascular fitness and nothing more,
What if your wrong ? I'm not suggesting you are wrong but the point is you have no way of knowing. Your trying to tell people that riding until they can no longer sustain the effort is not dangerous and to continue doing so will actually improve performance when clearly these people are not in a condition to do so. Anyhow I'm not here to get into a copy and paste pick out parts of posts debate about how it's worded etc just so that you can prove a point. Makes no differance to me I'm not the one who will be following your advice to keep going up climbs until I pass out.

 

[S-Express]

Because its a pure guess, you said it yourself in the advice you gave, quote I would suggest what you are experiencing is a lack of cardiovascular fitness and nothing more,
What if your wrong ? I'm not suggesting you are wrong but the point is you have no way of knowing. Your trying to tell people that riding until they can no longer sustain the effort is not dangerous and to continue doing so will actually improve performance when clearly these people are not in a condition to do so. Anyhow I'm not here to get into a copy and paste pick out parts of posts debate about how it's worded etc just so that you can prove a point. Makes no differance to me I'm not the one who will be following your advice to keep going up climbs until I pass out.

You're tieing yourself up in knots here. Of course it's a guess, just like your own comments. But what isn't a guess is my comments about mhr and the fact that in a healthy heart, hitting mhr is categorically not dangerous like you seem to think it is. An effort to failure is not dangerous in that context. If you disagree with that, then respond with something worth debating, and not just more of your own misconceptions.