For a number of years now, my symptoms have been that while I'm out cycling (or doing other exercise) in the cold, I'm fine, but shortly after I stop exercising and go in where it is warm, I hack up a lung and continue to do so for hours after. In some cases, even days. However, I could deal with that and I never had it checked.

Then last year I developed a new symptom: hyperventilation. I'd be on a cool/cold ride, exerting myself a little more than usual and breathing hard. I would develop the rasping and wheezing while still on the bicycle and if I continued to push, I would suddenly start hyperventilating so badly that I would have to stop cycling right then and there, and really focus on calming my breathing down. That worried me a bit, but I still didn't have it checked.

The final straw was my Great Southern Randonnee - 1200 kms in 90 hours . . . and I spent most of that time hacking up a lung, struggling to breathe, and hyperventilating. Now apparently the Black Wattle was in bloom then and it causes hay fever and allergic reactions in many people, so that could be a contributing factor. And it probably also didn't help that I have a very, very mild allergy to eucalyptus, and 90% of the trees in Australia are eucalyptus. Add to that exertion in cold temps ... and I was in trouble.

Now I'm having it checked. I'd like to be able to ride AND breathe.