My !@&^% heart rate!

[lovelylibrarian]

Wow, thanks so much for all of the excellent feedback. I'm feeling a bit better today. I get frustrated when I see that my husband and others can make it up the hill, but I can't. I just need to be more patient with myself.

I agree that I should stop freaking out by watching my heart rate and instead focus on how I feel. Also, my husband made the same point as one of the comments above. I'm not used to long slow rides and spinning isn't really preparing me for that. I'm thinking that I'll take one of the days I usually spin and take a long slower ride on my bike outside or in the gym instead. That should help me improve. I've only been spinning for about 4 months and my classes range from 45 minutes to an hour. When I MTN bike, it's usually 3 hours of biking with various stops in between.

For those in CA, here is a map of the area and bike trails at Mount Diablo State Park in the East Bay. http://www.bikemapdude.com/diablomap.html

We started at Mitchell Canyon Road and I made it up to Deer Flat. Then we took some loop around back down. Total elevation gain for me was 1500 ft.

Thanks again for the suggestions. I'm going to change how I work out during the week, read a bit more on things and not give up!

Karen

[Smilie]

I had a friend tell me that your fitness level isn't a sign of how high your heart rate goes up, but the length of time it takes to recover after exertion. Like after your big hills. I was frustrated as well, as I thought hey I am in shape, why is this so difficult for me, and why is my heart pounding so hard. But then my recovery was pretty quick, and we are working our bodies hard, so I gave myself a bit of a break.

[Andrea]

I often will turn my HRM to where I can't see it on really difficult sections of road

...and like many of the ladies here, the age predicted max formula is off for me, too- I'm 27 and I see numbers in the low 200s every time I do a sprint or other max intensity workout (not that they stay there for long, but I can hold low 190's for several minutes). You just have to work your way up with how long you can stay in that heart rate "red zone". Don't worry, you'll get there!

Just go for it- pedal until you feel like you can't pedal any more (HRM be damned)!!

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Uhm, yeah NOW I'm laughing. Last year after a great riding season year round riding in the desert in Nevada (desert does not mean flat btw!) and then up in the Sierras after the snow melt, I went to Mt Diablo to ride to get out of the smoke when Tahoe was on fire (literally in my neighborhood) last year. I'm seriously laughing now. You would think that being up in the mountain and riding hills at altitude I would find it easier. Oh NO WAY! Oh was I humbled. I thought it would be hard but not...as hard as it was! So as far as your concern not being able to get up that hill? That is NOT an easy hill! So go easy on yourself. Just keep cranking at it if that is your goal. I think on Mt Diablo I went up not even halfway, got too hot and just went home. I know people that love that ride, but there are *so many* other rides I think you would enjoy, don't base mountain biking on that climb!!!! Darn, wish I was back on the west coast I could take you on some reallllyyyyy fun ones!!! Spinning really helped your aerobic level (and possibly your lactate threshhold depending on your instructor) but really pushing your lactate threshhold is what will keep you going up that hill. Meaning, you need to get up in the attic as far as your HR and work it as an interval. There are hundreds of different ways to do it, the easiest is what you are doing already. Ride until you can't. Get off. Push. Get on when you can breathe and talk. Ride until you can't. Rinse. Repeat.

One of my first really hard rides as a beginner with some friends was in the Nevada desert with a climb of 800 feet. I was trying to keep up with everyone. I wound up tossing my cookies over the handlebars. If I had listened to my body and stopped, I think I would of been better off. But it taught me a lesson that as many have said before, "where there is a biker, there is a hiker"...

[lovelylibrarian]

Uhm, yeah NOW I'm laughing. Last year after a great riding season year round riding in the desert in Nevada (desert does not mean flat btw!) and then up in the Sierras after the snow melt, I went to Mt Diablo to ride to get out of the smoke when Tahoe was on fire (literally in my neighborhood) last year. I'm seriously laughing now. You would think that being up in the mountain and riding hills at altitude I would find it easier. Oh NO WAY! Oh was I humbled. I thought it would be hard but not...as hard as it was! So as far as your concern not being able to get up that hill? That is NOT an easy hill! So go easy on yourself. Just keep cranking at it if that is your goal. I think on Mt Diablo I went up not even halfway, got too hot and just went home. I know people that love that ride, but there are *so many* other rides I think you would enjoy, don't base mountain biking on that climb!!!! Darn, wish I was back on the west coast I could take you on some reallllyyyyy fun ones!!!

Thanks again for the support. I'm sure it didn't help that it was 2:30 pm when we started and really hot! If you ever make it back to the Bay Area, be sure to let me know. I'd love to meet you.

There are many road bike groups in the area but I haven't met any women that are experienced MTN bikers yet. I'm going to try to go on a Velo Girls ride in Palo Alto one of these days if I can get myself down there. The support would be great.