High heart rate on hills

[bikerz]

Hey there - what kind of gears to you have?

My HR can get high going up hills, and it would get very high when I started out, especially before I got my super-duper hill gears. Now I have a mountain cassette in the back and a very small (24) inner front ring, and these gears allow me to spin easier and climb very slowly (and that takes excellent balance, you know ). On some hills I am only doing 3-4 mph, and this really helps keep my HR lower. On days when I feel stronger, and as the season progresses, I can push harder gears and go a little faster. But the climbing gears made a huge difference getting myself uphill without sending my HR through the roof.

The other thing that helps is to keep my hands on the bar tops so I am more upright, and that makes it easier to breathe. Then I sometimes just try to breathe more calmly (see my sig line ), and think about keeping my HR down. And finally, trying to focus on form: pedaling with good smooth circles, engage the core, shoulders down, elbows in, etc. all help get more power out for the effort in.

I'm sure others out there will chime in with advice. It might be worth discussing this with your doc, to see if they think some tests are in order, given your history. I also have occasional irregular heart beat (PVCs) but they haven't affected me in cycling, at least as far as I can tell. Good luck!

[jobob]

Now I have a mountain cassette in the back and a very small (48) inner front ring,

You mean 28, right?

[Veronica]

You mean 28, right?

BikerZ is a strong chick with a 48 inner ring!

V.

[OakLeaf]

I third seeing a cardiologist. I know I wouldn't trust any Internet advice if I had a possible history of heart attack at such a young age!

One thing I wonder though (and that would be helpful to tell your doctor as well), is it only hills? What happens when you sprint on the flats? Maybe you aren't breathing properly on hills. I know a lot of people unconsciously hold their breath when they climb stairs, maybe something like that is happening to you?

As far as HR conditioning, there's another thread going on here someplace about the best way to do intervals. But if I were you I would definitely get it checked out.

ETA: bikerZ and her sig line reminds me of a sort of mantra I used to have for hills in my touring days. Chanted in rhythm with my cadence, "Take it easy, take it slow, stay cool, what's the rush, don't push."

[Andrea]

First- go get a stress test. They'll hook you up to an ECG (to watch electrical activity of your heart), put you on a treadmill (or sometimes a stationary bike), and have you work until you're close to your age-predicted max HR. They can look for arrhythmias and indications that you are currently having heart problems.

If everything checks out, then just practice, practice, practice. You'll get better as you figure out gearing, pedaling circles, learn how to pace yourself, learn when to sit/stand, etc...

[Grog]

I agree that you should see a cardiologist if you have a history of heart issues.

This being said, hills are THE hardest thing, for both running and cycling. It's where my fitness seems to leave me first when I don't exercise as intensely for a while. How experienced are you as a cyclist and as an athlete in general? How much have you trained before? If you've been doing this for years, you're hitting hills every other day and it feels the same all the time, then I'd recommend investigating your condition more. The good thing is that hills are also where fitness gains are the fastest and most noticeable.

I agree with Oakleaf's advice to mind your breathing. Also, try to take the hill as easily as possible, even if it's really, really slow, so slow in fact you might fall over You can go as slow as 5 kmh without falling if you have a triple. Focus on your breathing and heartrate, keeping everything under control. If it's not under control, go slower, or stop for a few seconds, then start again.

Good luck. And, yeah, see a cardiologist. Don't let your family doctor tell you not to worry about it, request a reference...

[bikerz]

OMG! 48 inner ring! Yikes! Clearly I hadn't quite had enough coffee yet!

No, good catch guys, my inner ring is a 24! (I edited the original error )

(In fact, in the interest of full disclosure, my gearing setup is: 11-34 in the back and a 24-38-52 in the front, thus permitting the "carry on" portion of my mantra!)

[kat_h]

How experienced are you as a cyclist and as an athlete in general?

Complete newbie compared to everyone here.

How much have you trained before?

Never deliberately trained. I've had periods where the bike has been my only form of transport and I unicycle for fun but it's only in the last nine months that I've really started to ride a lot, and only since I bought my Jake last month that I've even attempted hills. I want to bike the Highwood loop this summer - highway 40 through Kananaskis - so I need to be able to climb.

The good thing is that hills are also where fitness gains are the fastest and most noticeable.

I like the sound of that.

I agree with Oakleaf's advice to mind your breathing. Also, try to take the hill as easily as possible, even if it's really, really slow, so slow in fact you might fall over You can go as slow as 5 kmh without falling if you have a triple. Focus on your breathing and heartrate, keeping everything under control. If it's not under control, go slower, or stop for a few seconds, then start again.

Will do. That's exactly the sort of advice I'm looking for. There's a hill near me that I'm planning to practice on because it's fairly short and very low traffic. I'm just waiting for some of the ice to melt.

Good luck. And, yeah, see a cardiologist. Don't let your family doctor tell you not to worry about it, request a reference...

Unfortunately I don't even have a family doctor right now. He had to retire suddenly due to his own health problems and couldn't find anyone to take over his practice. I've been trying to find a new doctor but haven't had any success yet. If I had a doctor I would go.