Back to it

[PaulSB]

Last Sunday our club ride was out to Fleetwood to pass the spot where I had my heart attack and celebrate being able to do it 12 months to the day with a 72 mile ride.

Took me five months to get back on the bike but I walked around 5-6 miles a day during 3 months rehab. My physio's attitude was if we can't get you back to where you were we've failed!!

I'm back to rides of 60-65 at an average of 15.5/16mph. I can ride 75 at a lower pace but can't yet make my old standard of 85. I think that is a mental thing.

I'm definitely fitter and stronger than 12 months ago and have felt so well in years.

I have two pieces of advice. It sounds as though, like me, you have been very positive from the start of rehab. You probably feel very good, I know I did. It wasn't until I was truly better that I appreciated I'd actually been quite poorly so don't do too much!!

Secondly can I suggest wearing a heart rate monitor during exercise. It's helped me a great deal.

 

[Shaun]

Well yesterday was a good day, the first ride since my heart attack five weeks ago, it was only 5.5 miles but it certainly felt good to be back in the saddle, so fingers crossed the weather stays suitable for cycling so I can keep getting out.

Good for you. I don't have any advice, just best wishes that your recovery goes well and your cycling steadily improves as you get better and fitter. Chapeau.

 

[Alan O]

Secondly can I suggest wearing a heart rate monitor during exercise. It's helped me a great deal.

Seconded.

It was suggested to me by a nurse at the time of my rehab that getting hung up on such things isn't always good for heart patients, but for people like cyclists who thrive on such things I think they're great.

I started out with a chest-strap HR monitor, and now I'm using a Fitbit Surge. Whatever exercise I'm doing (walking, cycling, exercise bike, cross-trainer), I can target various times at various heart rates, and I can be confident I'm doing enough but not pushing things too far.

Alan

 

[DRM]

I bought a TomTom Spark multisport watch with a HRM, so I use this to upload stuff to strava, rather than the Garmin Edge 200, it seems my heart rate wont go much over 153 bpm,
however I had a nice gentle 10 mile run on my MTB, no rushing about, just nice and steady mainly off road, and felt good.

 

[finsbury]

Well done on the ride(s) and best of luck on your continuing recovery

 

[cyberknight]