Cycling

[scottonbike]

Ok

The last week in July I rode my bike almost across the state of Iowa. I rode about 350 miles in 5 days. I did not finish the ride (a total of about 430 miles) because I wanted to spend some time with my family. This is a huge event in Iowa that brings anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 riders. I passed about 200 riders the whole trip and got passed up by at least 5,000 riders a day.

The weather was great, I stayed well hydrated, I stayed well hydrated, and I stayed well hydrated. I never put the ticker to the test. I know that if I cannot keep up a normal conversation with someone while I am riding I am riding too fast.

I need to drop about 50 lbs before I do it again next year. I will still be going again next year if I don't.

Yeah for myectomies!!!!!!

Scott

[jsven33]

Re: Cycling

Scott,

You must have been on Ragbrai. I am a former I-wegian. Great to hear your story. I am in Cleveland right now and having a myectomy in 2 days. Thanks for the update very encouraging!!!!!

[Moosedreams]

Re: Cycling

Scott:

Awesome tackling RAGBRAI post myectomy. Gives all us HCMAers a "Field of Dreams!"

Born and bread in Des Moines, attended UofI and ISU!

My myectomy is a week from Monday at the CC.

Toodle pip... Moosedreams

[jsven33]

Re: Cycling

Born in Des Moines as well... Looks like Cleveland Clinic is about to get a big dose of Iowa Kick butt Moose!

I will leave my rubber ducky for you Moose just pass it on!!

John

[mandksiders]

Re: Cycling

Iowan here! (Des Moines born as well)....yeah for doing RAGBRAI. I know several people who ride it yearly.

Kaye

[Largehearted]

Re: Cycling

Wonderful effort! Makes my piddlin two miles a day seem like nothing! I am happy you can do it and wish I could.

Leon

[Susank]

Re: Cycling

Fabulous, thanks for sharing with us about this great event. I may have to visit Iowa!

I wonder if you wear a heart rate monitor when you ride? I do and am looking for tips on helping to stop the chafing on the long rides. I put "glide" on underneath but it doesn't last and my skin gets irritated.

I am confident that Dr. Maron at the HCM C of E in Boston will give me clearance to do the MS 150 in Oct. I am limited on where I can ride in NJ since I am not doing hills until I see Dr. Maron, but our MS 150 is a totally flat ride.

Ride on!

[CindyI]

Re: Cycling

I live in Des Moines and it is so good to have all you fellow (past and present) Iowans out there! I met a couple of friends who were riding Ragbrai and spent the night in Waterloo. Good for you Scott, on the ride! I would love to be able to do at least one day, but since I can't walk more than a block, that isn't going to happen. But, I still love the spectacle that is RAGBRAI...is is amazing to see that many people on bicycles...they come in all shapes, sizes and ages! It's always a little bittersweet to see, as I'd love to ride it but know I never will.
Cindy

[mtlieb]

Re: Cycling

Hey congrats, Scott!

Love to see fellow HCM'ers out there doing their thing. I had to look up what RAGBRAI is but it sounds very cool. I miss my bike and look forward to getting it back out of storage someday soon. Do you camp along the way or do you motel it? That seems like the kind of event where you meet lots of interesting people from lots of interesting places. I'd love to do something like that.

Jim

[GregA]

Re: Cycling

Are we certain that HCM is not an "Iowa Specific" disease?

I'm blown away by all you Iowans commenting here. Oh, and I also was born in Des Moines. My dad and my nephew rode RAGBRAI several years ago. My nephew was diagnosed with HCM while I was at Mayo (Jul. 26 - Aug. 3). My dad rode two years after a heart attack.

I'm really encouraged by Scott's post - gives great hope when I look at the brand new, year-old, ridden once 29 inch mountain bike in my garage!

[Midge Rollins]

Re: Cycling

Scott, I am glad you were able to do this again. Next time let me know and we will come one night when you are close to us. Way to go.

[Gabriel]

Re: Cycling

Hello again Susank !

I found this fora, and this might be the apropriate thread for our bike talk started in the "Hello my name is.." fora.

You asked me if i do hills. Well, Norway is just another word for hills...so i dont have any options if i want to go out cykling....

Even with my condition i have no big problems with hills, althought i dont go so fast as i used to. I slow down when i reach a level that i earlier called "limit-pushing". I used to go beyond this level on every exercise before i was diagnostice with HCM, but with my condition in mind, i better slow down. The strange thing is that i'm in quite good shape. Probably i train smarter now (sub-anaerob develop the small blood vessels in my musckles, and i have no use of anaerob capability any more). Earlier i should always set new records.
I feel good when i can push it. I love to feel that muscles and the hart are working. As a matter of fact, i have fewer "attachs" when i am in good shape than not. Even now i go probably faster than my doc want, but cyckling and exercise in general is giving me so much that i cant live without that warm, relaxing and eufhoric feeling after a good ride. My doc actually say that it is because of my many years of training that i rate very good, in spite of the ticker condition. He also say that i must continue training, but quit racing. When i do stress-test on a bike at the hospital, i rate as good as a normal 50-year old man in good shape, and thats very nice for me to know.

BUT, there is a risk of sudden heart-stop. The most dangerous thing with the obstructive HCM, as i understand, is the danger of a sudden "power out", and that might just happen when i push it. Read the article about hart failure among maratoners elsewhere in this fora. Under press during hard activities, the hart is more wounderable.

I understand that you have problem with hills. I dont know how you feel about my stubberness, but if your doc says to slow down, you should proparly do so.

My condition give few limitations in my daily life, nor in my exercise now that i am training on half machine compared to before. The tuff thing is when the attachs kick in. This is abnormal hearth rythm caused by increased blood-stream due to the obstruction
It's really scary, and it strike from clear blue sky. As a told in my introduction, i have learned to read the warning signs, and then i can sit down and relaxe for i while so the "gran mal" of my HCM dont happen.

Well, many words Susank. I dont know your condition as mentioned, and i'm sure that you have taken up the subject on exercise with your doc. If you cant go hills, go flats, go downhill, but do go biking.

Gabriel

[Susank]

Re: Cycling

Gabriel,
I have always been a recreational runner but I love it and also get a great feeling from it. Two years ago I met a wonderful man who got me into cycling. I love it but I live on the top of a significant hill, and it was a lot of work to train to be able to go up the hill without stopping.

Well, now I know I can't ride the hill at all, because my heart rate would set off my ICD. So, I have to load my bike onto my car - fortunately there is a little park at the bottom of my hill, and there is a short loop I can ride that keeps my heart rate at an acceptable level.

I don't have much thickening of my septum and and I am not obstructed, so I don't know why my heart rate spikes up so high with moderate exercise, even though I have been running (jogging, really) consistently for a long time. If I am feeling good and I kick it up a notch, my heart rate can jump to 190 and that is when my ICD goes into a "monitoring mode."

I do have a number (way below 190) that my doctor said was ok and I always wear a heart rate monitor when I exercise.

I feel fortunate that my health allows me to continue to run and cycle. I had to stop riding because I just had the ICD surgery a couple of months ago. But it is supposed to be a nice weekend and I am itching to get out on my bike.

Have fun and enjoy, but above all, be safe.

[Gabriel]

Re: Cycling

Today i will change to tire with spikes. We had a litle snow the other day. The streets are dried up, but in the forrest between the trees its still a litle snow and ice on the roads.
Hopefully i can use my bike for another few weeks before i can start skiing. Thats also a nice form of exercise. Where i live its many roads in the forrest that are prepared with tracks during the winter. We also have a couple of small downhill tracks nearby that i can use. Not so often anymore because my sons are now out of the alpine skiing business. I used to be a coach for them.

Gabriel

[tonbra]

Re: Cycling

Wow- cool on the ride. I used to love cycling and once did the Seattle-to-Portland (STP) in one day (200m)- I will never do that again- even if I didnt have HCM I wouldnt do that ride again in one day.

However, since I am now an Iowa state resident (as of a week ago) and I am a myecomite, I may have to do the RAGBRAI next year.