I don't think anyone posting here was commenting on what you should do, or what cyclists should do universally. People have been responding to OP and the responses were specific to one person, considering what that one person was trying to accomplish & what he hold us about his strengths & limitations. [MENTION=382578]LGHT[/MENTION] did not mention any cardiac issues until later in the thread, at which time he was basically told, 'nevermind, listen to your cardiologist'.

Huge important concept is that I personally can't imagine ever posting or advocating what cyclists should do universally. I'm a bit of an outlier myself in the world of cycling & frequently get advice that's suited to a man, or someone younger, or someone with different goals/aspirations, etc. Im not a 28 yo male crit racer nor a 55 year old female rando rider. I dont ride just to experience the wind in my hair or to admire the scenery (although I do admire fine scenery quite frequently). Its not just about managing weight. All those paradigms present unique training challenges, but since none of them represent my paradigm, the advice given may not pertain. I've come to realize that it's just a hard thing to really visualize what someone else is doing on a bike, so if you're going to give someone advice, you actually have to try to listen to what he/she is asking & learn about what he/she is doing or trying to do. And that's exactly what happened in this thread. No one gave any universal rules.