Fifty Plus (50+) - I feel like I graduated or something

Gosh, I haven't posted here in so long... and I really debated whether this was worth breaking my moratorium (I haven't exactly been missed Oh well...)

Maybe some of you recall my "little condition", maybe not.

Oh, I don't know... do we really need another of my shaggy dog stories here?
That's so obviously played out

OK... my cardiologist said I don't have to hold my HR to 165bpm any more.

I'm sure that's much more thrilling for me than for you but I just thought I'd share.

You have been missed-

So no excuses for walking up the 3 mile 20% slope now.

Great news and glad to see you back

Glad to hear your feeling well. Welcome back SKT. Who were you??? :D

I was wondering if there was a riff - Since I am out from Nov - Mar, when I cam back you were gone. No since in repeating what must be worthless junk - just be happy to know we are glad you are back. Welcome to the sand box, I'll share my shovel and pale with you.

We have missed all your fabulous pics!

You were missed. It's just at our age we get used to people not coming back.
Great news on the old ticker. Hope I never have to meet a cardiologist.

Glad you are back and released to do bigger efforts. I thought you were a success story before but now there will be more.:thumb:

Welcome back and that's good news. But you could have come back and NOT told us that you can go over 165. It's a good excuse when you get dropped. :lol:

Glad you are feeling better. Now, just don't let your bpm fall below 0. ;)

Yeah, last time out I got a change of meds and just kept doing what I do.
Maybe, maybe, finally, we found a dose that is doing a pretty good job of getting my BP "normal"
Maybe a little too normal... I come home, get off the bike and watch it drop to 107/60. Whoa... where's the couch?

But he was pretty happy overall with the whole deal.
So I said "I've got a question...I did a stress test 2 years ago and you said don't ever, EVER get over 165BPM"
"I did a stress test last year, went 10 minutes beyond the maximum effort I could do the year before and you said just keep doing what I'm doing"
"Well, sometimes, as I pull myself up a good climb, I'm feeling pretty good -at least as good as one can when he's dragging 200+ lbs up a 10% grade for a mile or two- and I could keep going but my HR hits 165, 166 and I stop. And the only reason I stop is because I hit a number, not because I feel like I'm in any distress"
He said, "You don't need to worry about that anymore"
What?
"That's not a problem for you now, just don't get too high for too long"
"Too long? OK, I have one hill I do that runs an average of 10% or so, it takes me about 11-12 minutes to climb and keep my HR somewhere between 164-167"
"That's fine"
What?
"You can do that, that's not a worry for you"

So, now I feel like a whole world has opened for me. Sometimes, sure, I feel like stopping for whatever reason and I do... but I don't *have* to anymore.

I do find if I can spin a little faster up hill (for me, that's like 60-65rpm) it *is* easier but my HR hits 167, 168BPM so I slow my pace and, yeah it gets my HR down but it's HARD to climb like that. Now, I can work on my pacing... and, no doubt, there will be real conditioning benefits. And maybe my BP'll come down even more :)

I'm pretty stoked.

Sure we missed you. Why would you think otherwise? I've been wondering what happened to you. Congratulations on the good medical news. Do you think your progress in cycling was a big factor in your Dr.'s lifting the HR restrictions? I would sure think so.

Sure we missed you. Why would you think otherwise? I've been wondering what happened to you. Congratulations on the good medical news. Do you think your progress in cycling was a big factor in your Dr.'s lifting the HR restrictions? I would sure think so.

And I have been following your little adventure since day one... glad, REALLY glad it's going well.
You ain't no quitter. You blowing much, yet?

Do I think my progress helped? Oh yeah. When I completed my last stress test, he flat out told me to just keep at it because it's working. Like I needed an excuse? When I last saw him 4 months ago (that's another thing; I've been going every 4 months... he *really* wanted to keep an eye on me. I think he considers me challenge and who doesn't love a challenge? Anyway, he bumped me up to 6 months) But I digress). The last time I saw him, the first -the FIRST- thing he said when he came in was "How's my cyclist doing? Still riding?"

VERY glad you sound to be doing well. Keep it up!

Still playing music? I think you had a regular date in Pescadero or Davenport or somewhere? Mrs G and I will come to see you one of these vacations if so, we'll be the geezers in unbecoming cycling kit puffing and panting after a trundle up from Santa Cruz!

And the puppy? (See, we do pay attention!).

All the best:thumb:

VERY glad you sound to be doing well. Keep it up!

Still playing music? I think you had a regular date in Pescadero or Davenport or somewhere? Mrs G and I will come to see you one of these vacations if so, we'll be the geezers in unbecoming cycling kit puffing and panting after a trundle up from Santa Cruz!

And the puppy? (See, we do pay attention!).

All the best:thumb:

Yep, still playing just a tad north of Pescadero, in San Gregorio. Quite the cycling mecca. If you do make it by, please, please, please come up and say "hello".

So, I took out my new "form" yesterday to do a run up my old friend, Sharp Park Road.
I haven't felt as good on this climb since I got back from New York a month ago. I worry that I won't be getting that form back. Oh... sure I will... but I *do* need to drop a few pounds again.
But, I tried holding a 65-70RPM cadence and it'll take a while to find my comfort zone and then build on it.
The worst my heart got was 170 and that was out of the saddle up a short 15% kicker.
My asthma was really more the issue. That is something I'll just need to work around.

Puppy??? Hard to believe she's already 2! Still acts like a puppy, though... the Golden brain is the last thing to grow. And, now with Le Tour having started, it brings back that special day when we brought her home.

Speaking of Le Tour, since we tape it and watch it on a -sometimes quite- delayed basis, guess I'll be taking a little 3 week break.

Glad you are back and released to do bigger efforts. I thought you were a success story before but now there will be more.:thumb:

+1000

Pics or it didn't happen!

+1000

Pics or it didn't happen!

Will this do-

See if any other than SKT can remember

Will this do-

See if any other than SKT can remember

SKT posts some stunning scenery, and his ride reports are interesting, introspective (but not to the point of being all navel-gazingly analytical) and informative. I'm looking forward to what he has in store for us next.

He's good, that's for sure.