Quote Originally Posted by Crankin View Post
OK, this sounds like the normal anxiety people have with a major illness (I'm a therapist and most of the work I do is around anxiety disorders). The thoughts in your head are what stop a lot of people from doing what they want to do. Our brains are naturally wired to go to the negative and then, we often ruminate on the negative, and the thoughts take on a life of their own and can become distorted. If you want, PM me, and I can give you some strategies to deal with those thoughts.... but I might still ask if you have any specific restrictions around your heart rate. Sometimes, when we say "ride" to a doctor, they think of a leisurely 8 mph cruise on flat ground.
I'd say most new riders get winded when trying to conquer hills at first!

Thanks, I have total peace over the fact of where I'm at physically, I've always been fit & a little athletic, I clearly explained to my cardiologist what I was hoping to do & he saw no reason that I shouldn't, it's probably more the charts they want you follow to as far as exertion levels in cardiac rehab, I was not their "typical" patient. I had no plaque or cholesterol and that wasn't "normal." I'm not terrified or anything, but it's just a concern. I don't have a road bike yet, so really anything I'm doing is probably a little "harder?" I don't know, I've never ridden a road bike to compare. I will continue to just start slowly & not exert myself too much. I have a hrm that doesn't always want to work for me. :/