Commuting - Holy Crap, I had a scare today.

I didn't realise just how totally out of shape I was. I haven't ridden at all since perhaps October last year, but even before then my 'riding' was not exactly frequent. I've been pretty fit since my early twenties until about 4 years ago, when I became a lot less active. However during the last year, my lifestyle has become extremely sedentary.


I've just finished building up a few bikes for all-purpose use and took the opportunity to take one out for a spin today on my way to work. This was the first time I've ridden a bike in at least 5 months or so. There was a headwind and I was riding a slightly inappropriate bike for the task, but it wasn't out of the ordinary to me... I used to commute on freerides.


I got three-quarters of a mile from my house at what I thought was my usual pace. That is, until I started to lose all strength in my legs, my heart started pounding like a jackhammer and I started seeing stars. I nearly fell off my bike, but managed to swerve safely to the side of the road and stagger off onto the pavement, where I sat clutching my chest. My heart was racing like I'd never had happen before, and I actually had a pain in my chest. It wasn't 'heart attack' pain but man it was scary. I rode back home very slowly, and took the car after recovering.


Lesson learned: Start slow!

I'm no MD, but this sounds like it may have been a heart attack nonetheless.

I'd get to the Doc and demand an EKG ASAP!

Yes, you can drive there.

Second: see a doctor. now.

Do not try to diagnose yourself. My grandfather misdiagnosed himself and died of cancer, and he was a surgeon. The fact is your symptoms are consistent with serious heart trouble, so don't think you know more than you do. It may be nothing, but you really don't know that right now. Don't risk it.

Eat aspirin. Go to Hospital. Now.

I am a doctor. Take my advice, please, and seek medical attention now-- even if you feel fine currently.

MERTON say thou art a dumbass if thou dost not see thine doctor.

I had a similar experience a while back. Now, a couple years later, I can see a reason why I slowly became more and more sedentary. I've had some surgery and now I feel great. What a difference! See a doctor! It may not even be heart related. My problem had to do with my uterus.

please let us know if you are still alive!!!! we are worried about you!

If you're 2old2befast, then you're 2old2beignoringsignsofheartpainswhileridingandblackingout.
SEE A DOCTOR! This isn't like flying off a bike and cracking 2 ribs. SEE A DOCTOR!

What everyone else said: pop ONE aspirin. Go to hospital. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Oh, and do come back when you can and tell us what happened and how you are!

Wow, the story sounds similar to what happened to me... I just was in ER with an atrial fibrillation... I have a cardiac stress test tomorrow. This is after years of bike commuting and long distance swimming.

Yeah, there have been some breaks in there, but I have always managed to grind back to some healthy exercise routine (sucks when you start back up again). This last season I swam daily in the ocean, for at least a 1/2 mile. That was April to October. Been walking and pumping iron since, then suddenly as I get up from my desk one day...

Get into a hospital and don't fool around!

A chest pain with numbness or weakness in the limbs are heart attack symptoms. The ekg tests and stress tests may not show anything, but you should have it checked out.

I had a similar thing happened to me a while back when I was 60 pounds overweight and ate fatty food like it was going out of style. I had a pain in my chest like someone was squeezing my heart and my hands and feet went numb and cold. The doctors in the emergency found nothing but elevated enzymes, high blood pressure, and a cholesterol level that was scary. I passed all the tests, but I showd pretty much all the signs of being high risk. My heart was also weak for sometime. Walking across a parking lot was quite a struggle for a while. It did change my view on what is healthy food (90% of the stuff in supermarkets is basically junk food), on controlling stress, and taught me to take things more slowly. I am not 20 anymore.

Anyhow, have it checked out and excercise slowly at first.

A chest pain with numbness or weakness in the limbs are heart attack symptoms. The ekg tests and stress tests may not show anything, but you should have it checked out.

I had a similar thing happened to me a while back when I was 60 pounds overweight and ate fatty food like it was going out of style. I had a pain in my chest like someone was squeezing my heart and my hands and feet went numb and cold. The doctors in the emergency found nothing but elevated enzymes, high blood pressure, and a cholesterol level that was scary. I passed all the tests, but I showd pretty much all the signs of being high risk. My heart was also weak for sometime. Walking across a parking lot was quite a struggle for a while. It did change my view on what is healthy food (90% of the stuff in supermarkets is basically junk food), on controlling stress, and taught me to take things more slowly. I am not 20 anymore.

Anyhow, have it checked out and excercise slowly at first.


Stress tests don't show heart malfunctions? Sheesh, what are the darn things good for?

I just had one, and sadly it all came back "normal." :D With the biking in my background, I was hoping for better than "normal."

Yeah, you are right... not 20 anymore... :(

Jesus, that IS scary. Waiting for a report back 2old . . .

Hope the old fellers o.k.
I'd tell him to go to the hospital as well, maybe they kept him for a few days observation? Good going guys.

It turned out to be nothing serious. Just overdoing it, and have been told not to... Obviously what happened was a pretty clear indicator that I'd been overoptimistic. But they definitely advised exercise as things are pretty gummed up in my system.


The other clear indicator should have been that I can no longer fit into some of my freeriding trousers / shorts!!


Thanks for the concern anyway guys.

It turned out to be nothing serious. Just overdoing it, and have been told not to... Obviously what happened was a pretty clear indicator that I'd been overoptimistic. But they definitely advised exercise as things are pretty gummed up in my system.


The other clear indicator should have been that I can no longer fit into some of my freeriding trousers / shorts!!


Thanks for the concern anyway guys.

Well sounds like the message has been made loud and clear... sadly it seems to take so much more effort to recover where you knew you once were.... sigh...

This sounds a bit like a condition I had called Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT). Sometimes when I got very hot and exerted myself I would get a very rapid heartbeat which usually subsided after a short time.
One time it didn't stop and I went to hospital where they stopped it with an injection of adenosine.

I subsequently had radiofrequency ablation treatment to correct electrical signal problems in the heart.

You could get a test done to see if it can be reproduced.

I got three-quarters of a mile from my house at what I thought was my usual pace. That is, until I started to lose all strength in my legs, my heart started pounding like a jackhammer and I started seeing stars. I nearly fell off my bike, but managed to swerve safely to the side of the road and stagger off onto the pavement, where I sat clutching my chest. My heart was racing like I'd never had happen before


Glad to hear you're okay. I don't ride a lot of long distances, so I was told when I was going to ride a century to "Start slow, and taper off slower". It was kind of meant as a joke, but it DOES work.

This sounds a bit like a condition I had called Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT). Sometimes when I got very hot and exerted myself I would get a very rapid heartbeat which usually subsided after a short time.
One time it didn't stop and I went to hospital where they stopped it with an injection of adenosine.

I subsequently had radiofrequency ablation treatment to correct electrical signal problems in the heart.

You could get a test done to see if it can be reproduced.

Wow, I have this exact condition. I once saw a doctor about it once, maybe ten years ago, and they wanted me to wear this bulky device and press a button to record my pulse when it happened. But I didn't want to wear this giant thing for 3 months, so nothing was done. Typically I can get it to stop by breathing deeply, and sometimes it is also necessary to get low, but I've never had one go over 2 minutes. I suppose in the spirit of this thread, I should get that checked out again.

Wow, I have this exact condition. I once saw a doctor about it once, maybe ten years ago, and they wanted me to wear this bulky device and press a button to record my pulse when it happened. But I didn't want to wear this giant thing for 3 months, so nothing was done. Typically I can get it to stop by breathing deeply, and sometimes it is also necessary to get low, but I've never had one go over 2 minutes. I suppose in the spirit of this thread, I should get that checked out again.

I would think they could get the same results today with an HRM that downloads to a computer.

if You go to the bike dealers/shops with those that have been working in the business with qualified experieince. They WILL tell You this. Even on a basis, whe You don't stop riding for that period. Even more, when they know You closely, and care about You.

Well, I too was scared last week. I went on vacation to the wonderful state of Washington. I was looking forward to spending time with a good friend and his wife. I got a call at the airport that Larry was in the hospital
...The long short of it all: I wound up spending my vacation in St. Pete's hospital in Olympia, WA. My buddy had a heart attack, and had to have a triple bypass. I wound up ferrying his wife to and from the hospital, a two hour drive one way. I did get a break, and got to see a place I would love to work in Port Townsend. The weather was fantastic, a drought is underway, while to the south California is getting drenched.
I didn't get a chance to ride all week. The stress of being in the hospital, and my best friend's condition. I need a vacation!
Now home, I've got an annual physical coming up, and again I'm sharing with the MD the recent scare in my life. Not to mention sharing with my family, cause I'm not going to do this with anyone else. They better start now, cause I'm not going to watch someone close to me get their chest split.

You were so close to me. I live about 1 1/2 miles from that hospital. My commute goes down Martin Way & passes right by by St Pete's. Hope you had a chance to checkout the local bike shop "The Bike Stand". It is one of the best. If I had known you were in town, you could have borrowed one of my bike's to unwind a bit. Hope your friend has a speedy recovery. Don

I would think they could get the same results today with an HRM that downloads to a computer.

I thought so too, before I had to have one done. I think he's talking about a Holter device, which is a mini-EKG machine. You have to have lots of sensors pasted on your chest, making bathing a pain in the...When it's done, you have a much more involved set of data for the doctor to print out and examine.