Cardio Myopathy

[lo123]

I have hypertrophic cardio myopathy AND asthma. I have lots of problems climbing and keeping up a fast pace. I'm always the last one in the group and end up pushing my bike up some hills because I can't breathe. I was just wondering if anyone else has these problems and how their performance is. I am on cardiac meds and an inhaler when needed. I beat myself up because I can never "keep up"

Before I start my spiel - talk to your doctor or cardiologist and make sure you know your safe zones. Only you and your doctor know how far you should push yourself

I have asthma (allergy and exercise induced) and mild aortic stenosis with a bicuspid valve. Things that have helped me:
a. taking a hit off the inhaler before a ride. (and a zyrtec if it's high allergy season)
b. wearing a heart rate monitor
c. learning where I need to keep my heart rate (consulted with cardio and we based this off of the numbers I was seeing and when I was having symptoms)
d. setting alarms on the heart rate monitor for about 5 bpm below my threshold. That gives me enough time to back down before I have symptoms
e. working on the trainer to build base endurance and focus on heart rate

The biggest thing was learning to listen to my body. I've found that if I just ride my ride up hills, I don't get light headed or short of breath. I just have to find my "happy place" (if there is such a thing on big *** hills) and stick with it.

If you don't have one now, find a group that will regroup after climbs. It may be a slower group, but there's nothing wrong with that. It definitely helps with the self esteem to not ride over half the ride alone. I ended up changing the group I ride with because I was always getting dropped, and there was no regrouping. I usually ended rides feeling like crap because I got dropped again. Just remember, you're riding for fun. It's not a race. And ultimately, exercise is good for your heart.

[ny biker]

FWIW, I have asthma and the main trigger for me is riding up steep hills. So I just have to shift down, slow down my cadence and ride the pace that allows me to keep breathing. It means I get dropped on hills, but so be it.

There's no point in beating yourself up over something you can't control.