Regaining strength/stamina after cancer recovery

[barongreenback]

Hi all

Has been a long while since I posted here. Got into cycling a few years ago before upgrading to a road bike in 2011. Unfortunately a bowel cancer diagnosis put me out of action for 2 years but thankfully I'm currently cancer free and it's been 9 months since I was last sliced open and nearly a year since my last round of chemo.

I've been (slowly) building up the mileage and intensity since March and I can maintain around 17mph on a flattish route up to about 25 miles but I'm really struggling with anything more than a mild gradient. It's kind of like I both run out of breath and my legs run out of strength at the same time. There are some great hills that would make for some interesting new routes, if only I could get up them! I was never great at hills so now seems the time to address this issue once and for all.

I'm right at the top of the healthy BMI scale and I'm losing a few pounds, so obviously this will help but can anyone recommend any particular exercises on or off the bike? I travel a lot with work so often have to make do with hotel gyms and mostly get to ride out at the weekends.

Thanks in advance.

 

[S-Express]

Good luck with the recovery. How many hours (or miles if you pref) and how many rides are you getting in each week on average?

 

[vickster]

Do you have hill friendly gearing on your bike and are you making use of all the gears
Can you add swimming to your exercise regimen, v good for overall fitness

 

[MartinQ]

I've been struggling with lung clots for the past few years and its only recently that I've felt any energy returning. Got an mot at papworth in a few weeks to see how things are. Having said that, one of the few things that I managed to keep going during that time was a flattish commute (25 mile round trip) and while it wasn't easy, I did feel it was important to keep at it. I've tried a few hilly rides and while I could do them, they drained (knackered) me. Advice(?), whatever you do, just keep it regular and your fitness will return and your weight drop. Put some easy hills into your ride to begin with, make sure you keep going over the winter and don't worry about timings. Use your gears and if people spin past you (like they did me), a cheery hello is all that's necessary and don't worry about it.

If you're really bothered about your weight, look at what you're eating / drinking rather than trying to do extra exercise (of course both are important). @ColinJ has similar stuff to me and he shifted a couple of pounds

Whatever you do though, hope you keep healthly and enjoying it is more important than times.

 

[steve50]

Hi all

Has been a long while since I posted here. Got into cycling a few years ago before upgrading to a road bike in 2011. Unfortunately a bowel cancer diagnosis put me out of action for 2 years but thankfully I'm currently cancer free and it's been 9 months since I was last sliced open and nearly a year since my last round of chemo.

I've been (slowly) building up the mileage and intensity since March and I can maintain around 17mph on a flattish route up to about 25 miles but I'm really struggling with anything more than a mild gradient. It's kind of like I both run out of breath and my legs run out of strength at the same time. There are some great hills that would make for some interesting new routes, if only I could get up them! I was never great at hills so now seems the time to address this issue once and for all.

I'm right at the top of the healthy BMI scale and I'm losing a few pounds, so obviously this will help but can anyone recommend any particular exercises on or off the bike? I travel a lot with work so often have to make do with hotel gyms and mostly get to ride out at the weekends.

Thanks in advance.

Well done on the recovery, you state you can maintain 17mph over a 25 mile flat route which is great but are you possibly pushing yourself too hard on the flat leaving nothing for the hills?
What gearing do you have on the bike? If you are using an 11-28 cassette you will struggle somewhat with the hills, maybe changing the cassette for a more hill friendly set up (11-30(32) will help. Exercise wise I would suggest weighted squats and lunges will help strengthen the quads. http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/the-best-strength-exercises-for-cyclists

 

[barongreenback]

Thanks all. To answer your questions:

- Manage about 50 miles a week (usually a couple of shorter 10-15 miles and one longer ride of 20-25 miles).
- I have a compact chainset with a 11-32 on the back so gearing definitely not an issue
- Swimming a little difficult as if I went without the kids (primary school age) they would kill me plus the pool is a good 25 minutes away (should take up triathlon lol!)

Thanks for the strength exercise link @steve50 . I have some dumbbells so I can give those a try.

I'm using MyFitnessPal to keep an eye on the calorie intake and it's worked very well in the past. 10 years ago I weighed in at over 23 stone and now at a more manageable 14.5 stone, having lost a couple of stone since my last op - a combination of steroids, a temporary ileostomy and no energy to do anything other than a bit of light walking meant I put weight back on.

I've been a stone lighter when I was at my fittest - used to run but took its toll on my knees, which prompted the change to cycling. Hopefully getting there should help!

@MartinQ definitely all about the enjoyment for me and I'm loving being back on the bike. Really missed it.

 

[vickster]

Is there never a pool at the hotels you stay at?

 

[S-Express]

- Manage about 50 miles a week (usually a couple of shorter 10-15 miles and one longer ride of 20-25 miles).

Not sure how your surgery or chemo might have had an impact on your ongoing fitness/strength, not to mention any medication that you might still be on?

Having said that, 50 miles probably equates to around 4-5 hours of riding at the most - it simply might not be enough to bring on any major improvements in itself. If you are still in recovery(?), then I would speak to your surgeon or GP before ramping up any kind of exercise. They might see it as a good thing, or they might not.

 

[barongreenback]

Not on a lot of medication any more, at least none that would affect strength/stamina. Have had two major surgeries with a portion of bowel removed but having had a Bupa medical recently, barring the cancer history, I'm in good condition. Medical staff have encouraged the return to exercise and I've ramped up gradually as my last op involved a hernia repair (which is holding!)

 

[numbnuts]

All the best

 

[Grant Fondo]

Fair play to you! Agree @vickster that swimming and cycling are a superb low impact combo, although its always hard fitting in both.

 

[S-Express]

Not on a lot of medication any more, at least none that would affect strength/stamina. Have had two major surgeries with a portion of bowel removed but having had a Bupa medical recently, barring the cancer history, I'm in good condition. Medical staff have encouraged the return to exercise and I've ramped up gradually as my last op involved a hernia repair (which is holding!)

In that case, if there's nothing physically or medically holding you back from riding/riding hard, then just steadily increase your weekly hours and begin to introduce some harder efforts into your schedule and you should begin to see some improvements over the coming weeks/months.

 

[barongreenback]

Thanks again all. If only my company budget stretched to hotels with a pool! I aspire to the Saintbury climb and Dovers Hill (if you're close to the Cotswolds/Stratford upon Avon area you'll know them) without getting off the bike. One day

For the time being it will be a few earlier mornings, a good set of lights and maybe a turbo if I'm being a wuss.

 

[adamangler]

Increase the mileage. I would suspect with the limited mileage you are doing you ate going anerobic too quickly on hills lacate builds up and you blow.

People think that doing a lot of hill reps etc will make you stronger on the climbs and its certainly true to an extent but only on top of good aerobic endurance.

You see if you ride long steady (zone 1-3) miles the power you can produce at a low heart rate will go up over time this combined with losing weight will raise your watts per kilo whilst still being aerobic. This means especially with the 32 gearing you have you should be able to ride most hills on at a lower exertion therefore saving the legs.

I have exactly the same problem as you at the moment. Only doing 50 - 80 miles per week and mostly short threshold efforts. I've decided to do a 3 month block of base miles with 2 sessions of weight lifting per week.

 

[barongreenback]

Thanks @adamangler

To give you an idea of where I am at the moment (as measured by Strava), I did the following last Sunday:

- 39.1 miles
- 954ft elevation gain
- 16.4mph average speed
- 156bpm average heart rate
- 189bpm max heart rate

I'm 193cm tall and weigh 92kg.
Your description of lactate building and blowing is exactly what I experience.