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Calling all 40ish p...
 

[Closed] Calling all 40ish people out there...how 'hard' do you push your heart?

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>Flip it on its head mate..
Tell the mrs that now she is getting on a bit it would be a good idea if she dragged her arse around the block abit more otherwise you might trade her in for a new one .<

Sage advice...

Better still - insist that SHE goes to see the Quack.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 12:50 pm
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...as I say...she doesn't get the whole 'sport' thing so...

We'll both go to the Doc together. On second thoughts, that might backfire if I'm told I'm past it!


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:10 pm
 Keva
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44 this year, I push it as much as I feel like doing without giving it a second thought. Never worn a heart rate monitor, never had max heart rate tested.

[i]Would you bounce off the rev limiter/be aggressive with the revs in a 10yr old car even though it has the bhp potential?[/i]

That's just pointless, not only because it damages the engine but more often than not the power peaks out quite before the red line.

[i]Dont drink the night before a ride.[/i]

pretty much all my w/end rides are done with hangovers and always have been 😉


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:10 pm
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My mate has been riding about 4 days a week for about the last 20 years and is usually fit as a butchers dog. He's in his early 50's but has had 2 hear attacks in the past 2 years. So it doesn't really matter how fit you are or that you've been fine for years. He was given the all-clear to ride after the first one - no specific cause found - but he had a second mild heart attack recently. Some people will unexpectedly have cardiac problems which can be severe.
I've had my own heart issues and I'd say that if something doesn't feel right, don't kid yourself, go to the Doctor. If your Doctor can't find anything wrong and you still don't feel right, keep going back until you get referred for proper testing.
I had another cycling mate who died of heart failure in his prime while out training. He was a top UK Elite roadie. He had been told not to worry about palpitations he was having.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:22 pm
 hora
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pretty much all my w/end rides are done with hangovers and always have been

Doesn't your blood thicken due to dehydrating effects of alcohol plus your liver working under-par etc/sluggish?

You're body is under strain and 'riding off a hangover' is bad IMO. Too many of them and you are ****ing your heart. Well thats my common-sense thinking, its probably hocum.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:27 pm
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AGE 45
MAX HR 187 (may be higher, but I don't like being sick!)
AVERAGE HR 175 (Masters E1234 80 min race)

When I'm commuting, 150 bpm feels like I'm just ticking over. If you don't like the numbers, ditch the HR monitor 😉


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:41 pm
 adsh
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Swayndo - Member
48 in a few weeks and I regularly push as hard as i can when riding ... lot's of steep ups on my local rides. I do suffer some mild chest pain when pushing real hard and in extreme cases can get dizzy, but have never owned or used a heart rate monitor. Should I?

I'd better go touch wood, yeah?

Ummm I don't want to worry you but actualy you should make an urgent (today) appointment to see your GP explaining your symptoms. You are likely to find they reccomend calling 999.

Chest pain/exercise = heart issues unless proven otherwise.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:42 pm
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43yo

I push, but try not to blow-up climbing, just stay on this side of the anaerobic threshold and it's much better for overall efficiency and endurance. But it happens, and you know when it starts so I just stop and let myself recover. I'm never racing or Strava-ing so I can do that. The main frustration is blowing up on a steep, rough climb where re-starting is problematic.

Chest pain/exercise = heart issues unless proven otherwise

Really? If you do for example, the bleep test, you are pushing yourself to the point of feinting and your heart will pound like its going to pop out. It's not a heart condition surely?


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:42 pm
 hora
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I do suffer some mild chest pain when pushing real hard and in extreme cases can get dizzy

Are you ****ing serious or trolling? Back right off and go and see a Doc/Please don't be in denial, get it looked at either way.

Going suddenly and prematurely leaves a mess behind for loved ones.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:45 pm
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53 do interval training for a few weeks every 3 months or so where i'm pretty sure maxing out as near enough to puking and I'm a bit above the theory max for my age - will on a short ride push to 90% on hills if know will have a recovery day before doing any longer rides
had some stress test stuff 3 years ago when went for an op and found had slightly elevated BP - GP didn't look too impressed when I told him my brother died at 55 and my dad at 48 both having had strokes - genetics not on my side but exercise probably is! Reduced alcohol had got BP down


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:52 pm
 adsh
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Really? If you do for example, the bleep test, you are pushing yourself to the point of feinting and your heart will pound like its going to pop out. It's not a heart condition surely?

Pounding heart is very different to chest pain. Your heart shouldn't hurt at all nor should you have any chest pain.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:52 pm
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pretty much all my w/end rides are done with hangovers and always have been

Doesn't your blood thicken due to dehydrating effects of alcohol plus your liver working under-par etc/sluggish?

You can compensate for the effects of this by taking your hip flask with you, and stopping at every pub for a quick 'freshener' en route. You could also work on your fitness in alternative manner by getting into a fight.

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:59 pm
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^^
BTW if I had chest pains during exercise I would def go and see GP ASAP

some other stuff from GP's is crap though - after had tests gave me leaflets on exercise (didn't ask me what I did) bugger me if i'm do bowling before i'm 80


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 2:03 pm
 hora
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Chatted to an 82yr old last Saturday in the Peaks who had just walked upto the top of Whinstone Lee Tor (up the steep cheeky).

I asked him for his secret- listen to your body. He said in his 20's he used to scramble up to Haystacks(?) quickly but took it easier later on.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 2:10 pm
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Chatted to an 82yr old last Saturday in the Peaks who had just walked upto the top of Whinstone Lee Tor (up the steep cheeky).

I asked him for his secret- listen to your body.

Not only do I do that, but everyone else often has the pleasure of listening to my body too.

[img] [/img]

Does that mean I is, like, REALLY healthy?


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 2:14 pm
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Never give it any thought just run till my eye balls pop regularly. I have ran competitively for the last 30 years so I assume by body is used to the stresses.
Low maximum heart rate though of around 175 absolutely flat out. Lowe resting heart rate of less than 40 when I was around 30.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 2:19 pm
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hora - Member

Dont drink the night before a ride.

Agreed, wait till you are at least half way around 🙂


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 2:19 pm
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Agreed, wait till you are at least half way around

How do you avoid spilling it?


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 2:22 pm
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Agreed, wait till you are at least half way around
How do you avoid spilling it?

That's what the Camelbak is for 😉


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 2:31 pm
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I'm 47, biking for 20 odd years and before that lots of swimming. Resting heart rate sub 40 and max of 175. Not changed how i ride at all as i've got older, in fact i'm in better shape now than ever. Always thought i would quite like to depart this mortal coil hurtling down a lovely piece of singletrack, then have my ashes sprinkled on a particularly nasty corner....might start a trend and eventually be a nice berm!!


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 2:40 pm
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39 at present and have regularly hit over 210bpm this year, usually brought on by a rowing race, if its that high on the bike then I know I'm ill because there's no racing on that! It's just a case of listening to your body a bit more, I've found that its the recovery that takes longer, I'm tired for a day or so longer after a big ride nowadays, especially in the legs.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 3:07 pm
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My Garmin's set with a max HR of about 182 and I have hit that once since I started using it for just about every ride and run I've done. In my defence, I was very, very angry and was pushing myself a lot harder than I normally would do on a particular section of track.

As a general rule, a run or cycle ride will see me top out at about 170 bpm on the harder sections with an average of 135 or so on flat parts.

I'm 39 and I know I should be pushing myself more.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 3:07 pm
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My mom hit 245bpm last year & she's 79,she was sat in the hospital all hooked up talking normally while that was going on too...OK,so it was a bit of a heart defect that they reckon she'd had since birth....Docs thought they might have to fit a pace maker,but managed to sort it with an electric charge....


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 3:22 pm
 hora
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Genuine wow. If I start to get anywhere near the blustered/beasting point I'll back right off.

I wont climb as hard as I can up a hill. Works too stressful, I'll hop off and push. Who wants to be ultra-fit? I want to be in good health, enjoy life and not push the limits. **** that. Injuries/knee problems etc can occur more and more later. I'd rather future-proof as much as Ican.

Unless you are racing to prove a point or podium then why?

Its obsessional. Just like people who hit the gym non-stop. Hitting such fitness in your 20's is good but later on - you need to consider a balance/looking after yourself as more of a goal than maxing it.

Peace.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 3:25 pm
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Unless you're a pro athlete then I agree with those on here who say listen to our body. You know within yourself how hard you're pushing yourself so forget the gadgets and 'one size fits all' rules and push yourself as hard as you can bearing in mind you're supposed to be enjoying it. I'm more of a fan of holding a lower heart rate for a longer period rather than pushing to max. So I guess 160 to 170ish sustained for a longer period with a few short bursts at higher heart rates. It's not good for you to push harder in my view. Your body is a machine and the heart has a limited life so thrashing it on a routine basis isn't a good idea.

Animals across species have a surprisingly similar average number of heartbeats over a lifetime. So whether you're a mouse with a life span of a few years or an Elephant with a lifespan of 50 yrs, the number of total heartbeats over a full lifetime is similar. So beware about using them up too quickly!


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 3:29 pm
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47, pretty active and fit. Bought a HRM a few years ago and have never really used it; gave it away recently. Have always pushed myself but listen to what my body says, generally. I'm sure working with HRM is valuable but I really can't face the faff and if I'm pushing too hard it's usually pretty obvious really. If I'm feeling washed out or knackered I don't ride as hard or far. And I don't let work stress me out.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 3:32 pm
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46 here and similar to most other oldies who posted.

I usually push myself as far as I can, bordering on throwing up, at some point on most rides. Max HR I've seen is 192 and I usually get above 180.

The in-laws told me at the weekend that middle aged people who do that will die, 'cos they read it in the papers, and so I shouldn't do it.

My responses included:
- You don't read of the thousands of similar people who push themselves and are perfectly fine.
- We all die at some point and if I croak after getting a sought after KOM then I'll die a happy man.
- I've not killed myself yet

and ended with "Off on a ride now and hope to see you later"
Came back grinning like a loon.

I find a HRM useful to know when I'm ill and to check on my recovery after hill reps. Unless you have a heart defect I reckon it's hard to kill yourself by pushing hard (ignoring taking stuff ala Tom Simpson), but don't quote me if you succeed.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 3:44 pm
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Andrew Marr's stroke was caused by a carotid artery dissection, a very rare cause of stroke caused by a mechanical tear in the main blood supply to the brain from the neck. This happened while he was doing HIIT on a rowing machine, and it is thought that poor technique with rapid flexion and extension of the neck initiated the tear. The tear will have happened at a point in the artery that already had some furring up/cholesterol deposit due to his previous smoking and unhealthy lifestyle.

So blaming it on vigorous exercise doesn't exactly tell the whole story!


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 3:48 pm
 hora
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bordering on throwing up, at some point on most rides

Why?!!!


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 3:56 pm
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hora - Member

bordering on throwing up, at some point on most rides

Why?!!!

Too much to drink half way around 🙂


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 4:10 pm
 hora
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😆


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 4:11 pm
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43. Average around 150bpm on most rides (riding at 150+ for extended periods feels pretty easy). Pushing on a hard climb or sprint will see me hit 175bpm and while that feels hard work I don't think I'm close to greying out.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 8:15 pm
 OCB
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I don't bother with my HRM when I ride, but my riding hr will be on tickover most of the time as I go everywhere at tourist pace these days, and frequently stop to look over hedges, take photographs etc 😉

Running tho' I average about 146, and can keep going for hours at upto about 153, as it's slow and comfortably relaxed.

I've not done much training on my aerobic side, and I do tend to bonk pretty quickly when I push it, so I try to stay under about 170 max - I can mange around 160-165 for a bit, say when I push on up a long hill, but I find that I need to eat something about 60 minutes in if I've done too much at that kinda rate. I can chug around at about 150 - 155 for a couple of hours and not even think about eating. I've always done some form of sport tho' - from really quite a young age, and I'm 46.25 now. 170 never seems to give me a problem - once I relax back it falls off pretty quickly.

Curiously, very steep, very rough downhills do occasionally seem to give me a bit of a palpitation, but I've assumed that's down to being shaken about, as it doesn't happen anywhere else, and my HR is usually below 135 running downhill ...


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 8:54 pm
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I've been listening to my body for a good few years now, 20 years plus of cycling and football up to 5 years ago.
I know when I can really push and when I can't.
I gave up using a hrm a few years ago when I stopped racing, now I can tell by my breathing sound on how hard I can push.

If I'm gonna kick the bucket I hope it's on the trail and not at work.
I refuse to worry about it, as there is far too much going on for me to worry about myself


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 9:06 pm
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53 here and ride up to three times a week,long mynd,keilder,llandegla,eastridge woods,clee hills and local trails in the last 3 months.
Turned the hrm off because the alarm is very annoying.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 9:14 pm
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At 53 I've never 'tested' it to the max.
I have a what I call sustainable max heart rate with is about 165.
It fluctuates around this during cyclo cross racing.
During training it's between 125 and 155 with 170 plus on hill efforts.
On the turbos max sessions are around 162
I've never monitored it during road racing as I'm only interested in what's going on all around me.
I've won one road race this year, and not finished out of the top ten all year so I'm happy with my stats.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 9:15 pm
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Andrew Marrs situation was bad because, as he said, he was under a high workload and I think he mentioned not eating well, so basically his body was under a lot of stress already, and then combine that with mad sessions on the rowing machine and you are asking for trouble.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 9:21 pm
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59 this year for me. Still hit my max regularly at 190 bpm. Cycle three times a week..... about 150 miles and do 1 hr spinning class every Monday. 🙄


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 9:25 pm
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41 and I did a 3 hour mtb ride at the weekend. Average 163bpm and max = 193. Reading these posts has made me stop worrying about my what I thought was high heart rate


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 10:05 pm
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I'm a medical person and can tell you that someone who does regular exercise is much less likely to have problems with heart attacks and strokes than someone who doesn't exercise, but then I'm sure you knew that anyway. Your body will limit how hard you can push yourself. I wish I had more patients coming and telling me that they were worried they are exercising too hard! The reality is very different. Keep on trucking my friend.


 
Posted : 08/06/2013 2:15 am
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Slight hijack - So, now you are in your 40s or older, anyone here find after a good hard ride they feel groggy/washed out the next day? I'm assuming this is normal and I'm not really worrying but interested as most of the people I ride with are younger and seem to have the energy/recovery of superhumans. 😉


 
Posted : 08/06/2013 7:12 am
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As you age your biggest enemy is those people who tell you you're getting old and ought to slow down.

Push yourself hard and then harder still. My Mum is 83 and as fit as a butcher's dog; she goes walking several times a week, leads a local Ramblers' group, goes to the gym, sings in three choirs, is a local museum guide and cycles to the shops. I hope I can be as fit as that when I'm in my 80s.


 
Posted : 08/06/2013 7:17 am
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I want to be globalti's mum


 
Posted : 08/06/2013 7:28 am
 Haze
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41, not sure what my HR max is but I sometimes hit around 200 (I know this probably isn't actual maximum).

Last LTHR test returned 172 which seems about right, I can maintain this for a fair bit without needing to back off. Could probably push a little harder and will be looking to squeeze a bit more out next test.

Sweet spot seems to be around 145, can tap it out at that for ages...


 
Posted : 08/06/2013 7:41 am
 Haze
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Bushwhacked, I sometimes get this...if I know I'm riding again next day I try to get a decent meal and/or a recovery shake down as soon as I've finished.

Not guaranteed but seems to make a difference more often than not.


 
Posted : 08/06/2013 7:48 am
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