I have not riden in about a week due to grad stuff, etc, and just simply no time to ride

Today I decided to go back and start intervals again, getting ready for this Sunday (crit) and my A priority crit in 2 weeks. It was hot today at 4 p.m., about 86 degrees, and quite windy. I had been drinking all day and chose an interval course that was shaded, so the temp was a little more barable. As soon as I got on the bike though I knew something was wrong. My legs felt absoultly great, I was spinning down this little flat section cold at 22 MPH, just working along, warming up for the intervals. On the way there I was feeling kind of sick, although my legs were working great cruising about 19.5 MPH on the slightly graded course, that is when things went from bad to worse.

I started having troble with my aerobic system, I was no where near threshold, but I was having to breath hard, and my breathing sounded wierd, not like the normal fast breathing when I go anaerobic. I started my interval and imeditly started pushing way to hard, i.e. up this little grade (maybe 2 percent, I do not know) at 26.9 MPH. After a few fluxuations in speed I started going anaerobic but once again my breathing was not normal, like I was having trouble, and I started feelig really sick nut my legs were fine. I immedatly stoped but I was not recovering, my breathing would not ease up. Back at the car I still felt sick and my breathing was still not 100% normal.

I ended up lying in the car and sleeping for about a hour, in that time the temp had dropped considerably. I jumped into the recovery ride and I felt normal, breathing fine etc.

Any idea what happened? It really was very very scary.

I don't know what happened to you, but I can imagine that was really scary.

How's the air pollution in your area? My theory is that perhaps the heat mixed with the smog really messed you up, and once it cooled down your lungs could handle it again.

Are you losing weight? I'm deliberately trying to burn my toxic body fat (mercury poisoning from dental amalgams) and one of the effects is that I've found myself struggling for breath when realy I have very good lung function. My best guess is that the toxins I'm excreting are interfering with my oxygen or producing too much co2. I'm guessing here. It's to do with me burning fat anyway. As an experiment I deliberately consumed something high in sugar so as to go into carbohydrate burning mode instead of fat burning mode and the problem went away.

I've also recently suffered from some dizzyness / lightheadedness at the end of a hard ride too.

It's bust or bust through but not with total abandon.

Regards, AnthonyG

Did you have any grapefruit within 24 hours prior to your ride?

No,

I think smog might have played a part in it, I am not sure though, I should be sure to do intervals after 6 pm this time of year...

I was just thinking at work...

When the very nice looking young lady on the TT bike that I talked to for a while (well everyone else said she was pretty, I did not notice) I asked her where you rode today. She said she did intervals about the same time I tried them and she said she felt a little sick too. It must have been something out there today that was doing it...

I am going to try and limit my riding to times when it is cooler though!

For me it would have been caused by not riding for a week and the heat. For the past 2 weeks it has been pretty crappy weather here in GA and I haven't had time to ride as much as normal. I didn't ride for atleast 4 or 5 days in a row during this time. The first day I rode it was 90 deg out, I didn't have much time to ride so I was going to do hill repeats. My legs felt ok like yours did, but my chest and breathing just did not feel right. After not riding for a couple days it usually feels like this for me, but I am back to normal after a day or two.

When the very nice looking young lady on the TT bike that I talked to for a while (well everyone else said she was pretty, I did not notice)

Oh, you WILL soon my friend!
Forget about this breathing incident. One time=fluke thing. Repeated, now it's time to start thinking about what's going on.

Sounds like bonking or maybe something you ate.

I'm not a doctor but I play one here on the forums - so this advice is meaningless.

Don't take medical advice from strangers - talk to real doctors.

Dr. 55/Rad