Age and Heart Rates

On 2016-12-05 09:21, wrote:
I am seldom riding with the local old folks group because they have a
habit of racing all the time. Then 3/4ths of the way into a ride they
get really tired and are dragging up the final hills.

I don't like climbing as fast as possible nor trying to keep up on
the flats to people 5 years older than me that are maintaining heart
rates at 90%. And this is directly out of the box with not one minute
of warm-up.

Now I like to exercise at elevated rates so riding with the "easy"
groups is out. But I don't riding with people whose objective is to
beat someone else to the top of the hill as if this proves them
superior. And this soon degenerates into not waiting for the slower
members.

Unfortunately, these acts of proving one's self better than others
can significantly shorten the live's of those over 55.

If you are one of those that must prove yourself on every ride there
is a target rate on
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Health...1_Article.jsp#

If you regularly ride above these rates you are a heart attack
waiting to happen. Not to mention that often you are pulling the
entire group above their safe zones.

Let's ride as smart as well as fast.


What is a good way to gauge the heart rate if the bike is not equipped
with a whole smorgasbord of medical devices such as pulse meters? Taking
one hand off the bar and counting wrist pulses isn't very safe in most
places around here.

I sometimes get carried away on long boring stretches and find myself
riding full tilt. Whatever "the engine" can deliver goes into the
pedals. But I usually don't become tired after an hour. Or two. Or four.
Is that a good enough indicator to be in the healthy zone?

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 11:22:06 AM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2016-12-05 09:21, wrote:
I am seldom riding with the local old folks group because they have a
habit of racing all the time. Then 3/4ths of the way into a ride they
get really tired and are dragging up the final hills.

I don't like climbing as fast as possible nor trying to keep up on
the flats to people 5 years older than me that are maintaining heart
rates at 90%. And this is directly out of the box with not one minute
of warm-up.

Now I like to exercise at elevated rates so riding with the "easy"
groups is out. But I don't riding with people whose objective is to
beat someone else to the top of the hill as if this proves them
superior. And this soon degenerates into not waiting for the slower
members.

Unfortunately, these acts of proving one's self better than others
can significantly shorten the live's of those over 55.

If you are one of those that must prove yourself on every ride there
is a target rate on
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Health...1_Article.jsp#

If you regularly ride above these rates you are a heart attack
waiting to happen. Not to mention that often you are pulling the
entire group above their safe zones.

Let's ride as smart as well as fast.


What is a good way to gauge the heart rate if the bike is not equipped
with a whole smorgasbord of medical devices such as pulse meters? Taking
one hand off the bar and counting wrist pulses isn't very safe in most
places around here.

I sometimes get carried away on long boring stretches and find myself
riding full tilt. Whatever "the engine" can deliver goes into the
pedals. But I usually don't become tired after an hour. Or two. Or four.
Is that a good enough indicator to be in the healthy zone?

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Your heart rate will increase linearly as long as you're in the aerobic zone. If you go into the anaerobic zone it will only increase a little. At this time the muscles start burning lactate that is stored in the muscles and this is difficult to do for more than half a minute or so.

This represents your actual max heart rate. But that is not you healthy heart rate with is 220-age.

This practical heart rate has to do with your metabolic heart rate and will be below your true max heart rate.

If you are over 50 and operate for any amount of time over 90% of your max metabolic heart rate you are starving the heart muscles of it's very small storage of lactate. That is, your heart is operating in it's anaerobic. Since the older you are the slower you can reload your muscles (and the heart is a muscle) with lactate and the most chance you have of it seizing up.

Bicycling is an endurance sport and that means you must always operate within your aerobic zone.

If you start breathing harder and when you back off a little it takes awhile for your heart rate and breathing to come back down you are going too hard. If you are in your aerobic zone when you back off your breathing will almost immediately back down as well.

On 2016-12-10 13:13, wrote:
On Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 11:22:06 AM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2016-12-05 09:21, wrote:
I am seldom riding with the local old folks group because they
have a habit of racing all the time. Then 3/4ths of the way into
a ride they get really tired and are dragging up the final
hills.

I don't like climbing as fast as possible nor trying to keep up
on the flats to people 5 years older than me that are maintaining
heart rates at 90%. And this is directly out of the box with not
one minute of warm-up.

Now I like to exercise at elevated rates so riding with the
"easy" groups is out. But I don't riding with people whose
objective is to beat someone else to the top of the hill as if
this proves them superior. And this soon degenerates into not
waiting for the slower members.

Unfortunately, these acts of proving one's self better than
others can significantly shorten the live's of those over 55.

If you are one of those that must prove yourself on every ride
there is a target rate on
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Health...1_Article.jsp#



If you regularly ride above these rates you are a heart attack
waiting to happen. Not to mention that often you are pulling the
entire group above their safe zones.

Let's ride as smart as well as fast.


What is a good way to gauge the heart rate if the bike is not
equipped with a whole smorgasbord of medical devices such as pulse
meters? Taking one hand off the bar and counting wrist pulses isn't
very safe in most places around here.

I sometimes get carried away on long boring stretches and find
myself riding full tilt. Whatever "the engine" can deliver goes
into the pedals. But I usually don't become tired after an hour. Or
two. Or four. Is that a good enough indicator to be in the healthy
zone?

-- Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Your heart rate will increase linearly as long as you're in the
aerobic zone. If you go into the anaerobic zone it will only increase
a little. At this time the muscles start burning lactate that is
stored in the muscles and this is difficult to do for more than half
a minute or so.

This represents your actual max heart rate. But that is not you
healthy heart rate with is 220-age.

This practical heart rate has to do with your metabolic heart rate
and will be below your true max heart rate.

If you are over 50 and operate for any amount of time over 90% of
your max metabolic heart rate you are starving the heart muscles of
it's very small storage of lactate. That is, your heart is operating
in it's anaerobic. Since the older you are the slower you can reload
your muscles (and the heart is a muscle) with lactate and the most
chance you have of it seizing up.

Bicycling is an endurance sport and that means you must always
operate within your aerobic zone.

If you start breathing harder and when you back off a little it takes
awhile for your heart rate and breathing to come back down you are
going too hard. If you are in your aerobic zone when you back off
your breathing will almost immediately back down as well.


Maybe that's the sign. For me heavy breathing usually slows down within
5-10sec so I guess that counts as "immediate".

Sometimes I pass road bikers on fancy machines decked out in expensive
lycra and it seems some don't like it when a guy above 50 passes them in
T-shirt and jeans on an old steel frame bike. "This is not going to
happen!" and then they start following me, breathing hard. Until they
drop back, and that's probably pushing it too hard in their cardiac
department. Sometimes it's the other way around and I try to follow but
when I realize that the guy or gal is doing a sustained 25mph I drop
back. Too old for that.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 2016-12-10 14:05, Phil Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Sat, 10 Dec 2016
11:22:19 -0800 the perfect time to write:

On 2016-12-05 09:21, wrote:
I am seldom riding with the local old folks group because they have a
habit of racing all the time. Then 3/4ths of the way into a ride they
get really tired and are dragging up the final hills.

I don't like climbing as fast as possible nor trying to keep up on
the flats to people 5 years older than me that are maintaining heart
rates at 90%. And this is directly out of the box with not one minute
of warm-up.

Now I like to exercise at elevated rates so riding with the "easy"
groups is out. But I don't riding with people whose objective is to
beat someone else to the top of the hill as if this proves them
superior. And this soon degenerates into not waiting for the slower
members.

Unfortunately, these acts of proving one's self better than others
can significantly shorten the live's of those over 55.

If you are one of those that must prove yourself on every ride there
is a target rate on
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Health...1_Article.jsp#

If you regularly ride above these rates you are a heart attack
waiting to happen. Not to mention that often you are pulling the
entire group above their safe zones.

Let's ride as smart as well as fast.


What is a good way to gauge the heart rate if the bike is not equipped
with a whole smorgasbord of medical devices such as pulse meters? Taking
one hand off the bar and counting wrist pulses isn't very safe in most
places around here.

You can get an HRM on watches these days, and it wouldn't surprise me
if a small bluetooth device were available to allow you to log it to a
smartphone.
Edit: Yes -
http://www.bestheartratemonitor.org/...r-smartphones/

Allegedly, there are apps which allow the camera on a smartphone to do
the job, although keeping one finger over the lens while cycling may
be a challenge.


Minor problem: I ain't got no smart phone. Some day I may cave in but so
far I can't see the ROI of it. In the UK you probably have better deals,
the lowest one here is $35 plus tax per months. Only makes sense if you
really use it.



I sometimes get carried away on long boring stretches and find myself
riding full tilt. Whatever "the engine" can deliver goes into the
pedals. But I usually don't become tired after an hour. Or two. Or four.
Is that a good enough indicator to be in the healthy zone?

That and the time taken for heartrate to return to normal after the
end of the exertion


Usually I am not out of breath for long. Of course, currently I don't
know what my heart rate is at that point. I try not to redline it too often.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Sat, 10 Dec 2016 11:22:19 -0800, Joerg
wrote:

On 2016-12-05 09:21, wrote:
I am seldom riding with the local old folks group because they have a
habit of racing all the time. Then 3/4ths of the way into a ride they
get really tired and are dragging up the final hills.

I don't like climbing as fast as possible nor trying to keep up on
the flats to people 5 years older than me that are maintaining heart
rates at 90%. And this is directly out of the box with not one minute
of warm-up.

Now I like to exercise at elevated rates so riding with the "easy"
groups is out. But I don't riding with people whose objective is to
beat someone else to the top of the hill as if this proves them
superior. And this soon degenerates into not waiting for the slower
members.

Unfortunately, these acts of proving one's self better than others
can significantly shorten the live's of those over 55.

If you are one of those that must prove yourself on every ride there
is a target rate on
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Health...1_Article.jsp#

If you regularly ride above these rates you are a heart attack
waiting to happen. Not to mention that often you are pulling the
entire group above their safe zones.

Let's ride as smart as well as fast.


What is a good way to gauge the heart rate if the bike is not equipped
with a whole smorgasbord of medical devices such as pulse meters? Taking
one hand off the bar and counting wrist pulses isn't very safe in most
places around here.

I sometimes get carried away on long boring stretches and find myself
riding full tilt. Whatever "the engine" can deliver goes into the
pedals. But I usually don't become tired after an hour. Or two. Or four.
Is that a good enough indicator to be in the healthy zone?

Actual heart rate varies considerably between individuals and even
among rating systems. The calculation for "max heart rate" depends, to
an extent, on what system you are using. Most people, if they are
athletic at all can produce a heart rate that is higher than the
calculated maximum heart rate.

Heart rate is usually used as a part of a training schedule, i.e., 30
minutes at 100% followed by 10 minutes at 20%", or whatever, and is a
method of determining the intensity of the exercise.

Back in the primitive days people used do essentially the same thing
by training by distance, i.e., a quarter as hard as you can go
followed by a quarter at a walk, and so on.

As for your full tilt for hours, you really aren't doing that. What
you are doing is riding at an energy output that you can maintain for
some period. If you really were to exert 100% you might get a quarter
of a mile before you collapsed.
--
cheers,

John B.

On 2016-12-11 00:50, John B. wrote:
On Sat, 10 Dec 2016 11:22:19 -0800, Joerg
wrote:

On 2016-12-05 09:21, wrote:
I am seldom riding with the local old folks group because they have a
habit of racing all the time. Then 3/4ths of the way into a ride they
get really tired and are dragging up the final hills.

I don't like climbing as fast as possible nor trying to keep up on
the flats to people 5 years older than me that are maintaining heart
rates at 90%. And this is directly out of the box with not one minute
of warm-up.

Now I like to exercise at elevated rates so riding with the "easy"
groups is out. But I don't riding with people whose objective is to
beat someone else to the top of the hill as if this proves them
superior. And this soon degenerates into not waiting for the slower
members.

Unfortunately, these acts of proving one's self better than others
can significantly shorten the live's of those over 55.

If you are one of those that must prove yourself on every ride there
is a target rate on
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Health...1_Article.jsp#

If you regularly ride above these rates you are a heart attack
waiting to happen. Not to mention that often you are pulling the
entire group above their safe zones.

Let's ride as smart as well as fast.


What is a good way to gauge the heart rate if the bike is not equipped
with a whole smorgasbord of medical devices such as pulse meters? Taking
one hand off the bar and counting wrist pulses isn't very safe in most
places around here.

I sometimes get carried away on long boring stretches and find myself
riding full tilt. Whatever "the engine" can deliver goes into the
pedals. But I usually don't become tired after an hour. Or two. Or four.
Is that a good enough indicator to be in the healthy zone?

Actual heart rate varies considerably between individuals and even
among rating systems. The calculation for "max heart rate" depends, to
an extent, on what system you are using. Most people, if they are
athletic at all can produce a heart rate that is higher than the
calculated maximum heart rate.

Heart rate is usually used as a part of a training schedule, i.e., 30
minutes at 100% followed ...


Wow. I thought that long at redline would be damaging to the heart
muscles. But I am not an expert, all I did so far is design electronics
for cardiac diagnostics.


... by 10 minutes at 20%", or whatever, and is a
method of determining the intensity of the exercise.


Sounds like what cyclists call intervall training.


Back in the primitive days people used do essentially the same thing
by training by distance, i.e., a quarter as hard as you can go
followed by a quarter at a walk, and so on.

As for your full tilt for hours, you really aren't doing that. What
you are doing is riding at an energy output that you can maintain for
some period. If you really were to exert 100% you might get a quarter
of a mile before you collapsed.


Yes, that is what I think as well. My limitation is more the breathing
and I don't enjoy being totally out of breath for a long time. I was
always an endurance kind of guy, never a good sprinter.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 07:21:20 -0800, Joerg
wrote:

On 2016-12-11 00:50, John B. wrote:
On Sat, 10 Dec 2016 11:22:19 -0800, Joerg
wrote:

On 2016-12-05 09:21, wrote:
I am seldom riding with the local old folks group because they have a
habit of racing all the time. Then 3/4ths of the way into a ride they
get really tired and are dragging up the final hills.

I don't like climbing as fast as possible nor trying to keep up on
the flats to people 5 years older than me that are maintaining heart
rates at 90%. And this is directly out of the box with not one minute
of warm-up.

Now I like to exercise at elevated rates so riding with the "easy"
groups is out. But I don't riding with people whose objective is to
beat someone else to the top of the hill as if this proves them
superior. And this soon degenerates into not waiting for the slower
members.

Unfortunately, these acts of proving one's self better than others
can significantly shorten the live's of those over 55.

If you are one of those that must prove yourself on every ride there
is a target rate on
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Health...1_Article.jsp#

If you regularly ride above these rates you are a heart attack
waiting to happen. Not to mention that often you are pulling the
entire group above their safe zones.

Let's ride as smart as well as fast.


What is a good way to gauge the heart rate if the bike is not equipped
with a whole smorgasbord of medical devices such as pulse meters? Taking
one hand off the bar and counting wrist pulses isn't very safe in most
places around here.

I sometimes get carried away on long boring stretches and find myself
riding full tilt. Whatever "the engine" can deliver goes into the
pedals. But I usually don't become tired after an hour. Or two. Or four.
Is that a good enough indicator to be in the healthy zone?

Actual heart rate varies considerably between individuals and even
among rating systems. The calculation for "max heart rate" depends, to
an extent, on what system you are using. Most people, if they are
athletic at all can produce a heart rate that is higher than the
calculated maximum heart rate.

Heart rate is usually used as a part of a training schedule, i.e., 30
minutes at 100% followed ...


Wow. I thought that long at redline would be damaging to the heart
muscles. But I am not an expert, all I did so far is design electronics
for cardiac diagnostics.

I thought it was obvious that the example you quoted was an example
not an exact recommendation :-)

The "maximum heart rate" as usually used in training is just a
formula. The basic formula is 220 - age = maximum heart rate, or maybe
208 - (0.7 x age in years), or maybe 206.9-(0.67*Age), or maybe one of
calculation that various studies have developed. These various
calculations apply to individuals only in a general way.

Then we have the formula to calculate level of effort: "
Target Heart Rate = ((max HR x resting HR) × %100) + resting HR.


... by 10 minutes at 20%", or whatever, and is a
method of determining the intensity of the exercise.


Sounds like what cyclists call intervall training.

It is. If you add in the long rides. For example, Monday 1 min at 90%
followed by 1 min walk (continue until you vomit); Tuesday 1 hour at
race intensity, Wednesday rest, and so on. The long days can be
thought of single intervals.



Back in the primitive days people used do essentially the same thing
by training by distance, i.e., a quarter as hard as you can go
followed by a quarter at a walk, and so on.

As for your full tilt for hours, you really aren't doing that. What
you are doing is riding at an energy output that you can maintain for
some period. If you really were to exert 100% you might get a quarter
of a mile before you collapsed.


Yes, that is what I think as well. My limitation is more the breathing
and I don't enjoy being totally out of breath for a long time. I was
always an endurance kind of guy, never a good sprinter.

Yes, endurance is generally determined by oxygen intake. Yes, runners
and bicycle sprinters can perform at higher intensities but only for
short times. A "miler" will run three laps at about maximum oxygen
intake and the last lap he will accelerate and go into oxygen
deficiency.
--
cheers,

John B.

On 2016-12-12 16:24, John B. wrote:
On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 07:21:20 -0800, Joerg
wrote:

On 2016-12-11 00:50, John B. wrote:
On Sat, 10 Dec 2016 11:22:19 -0800, Joerg
wrote:

On 2016-12-05 09:21, wrote:
I am seldom riding with the local old folks group because they have a
habit of racing all the time. Then 3/4ths of the way into a ride they
get really tired and are dragging up the final hills.

I don't like climbing as fast as possible nor trying to keep up on
the flats to people 5 years older than me that are maintaining heart
rates at 90%. And this is directly out of the box with not one minute
of warm-up.

Now I like to exercise at elevated rates so riding with the "easy"
groups is out. But I don't riding with people whose objective is to
beat someone else to the top of the hill as if this proves them
superior. And this soon degenerates into not waiting for the slower
members.

Unfortunately, these acts of proving one's self better than others
can significantly shorten the live's of those over 55.

If you are one of those that must prove yourself on every ride there
is a target rate on
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Health...1_Article.jsp#

If you regularly ride above these rates you are a heart attack
waiting to happen. Not to mention that often you are pulling the
entire group above their safe zones.

Let's ride as smart as well as fast.


What is a good way to gauge the heart rate if the bike is not equipped
with a whole smorgasbord of medical devices such as pulse meters? Taking
one hand off the bar and counting wrist pulses isn't very safe in most
places around here.

I sometimes get carried away on long boring stretches and find myself
riding full tilt. Whatever "the engine" can deliver goes into the
pedals. But I usually don't become tired after an hour. Or two. Or four.
Is that a good enough indicator to be in the healthy zone?

Actual heart rate varies considerably between individuals and even
among rating systems. The calculation for "max heart rate" depends, to
an extent, on what system you are using. Most people, if they are
athletic at all can produce a heart rate that is higher than the
calculated maximum heart rate.

Heart rate is usually used as a part of a training schedule, i.e., 30
minutes at 100% followed ...


Wow. I thought that long at redline would be damaging to the heart
muscles. But I am not an expert, all I did so far is design electronics
for cardiac diagnostics.

I thought it was obvious that the example you quoted was an example
not an exact recommendation :-)

The "maximum heart rate" as usually used in training is just a
formula. The basic formula is 220 - age = maximum heart rate, or maybe
208 - (0.7 x age in years), or maybe 206.9-(0.67*Age), or maybe one of
calculation that various studies have developed. These various
calculations apply to individuals only in a general way.

Then we have the formula to calculate level of effort: "
Target Heart Rate = ((max HR x resting HR) × %100) + resting HR.


... by 10 minutes at 20%", or whatever, and is a
method of determining the intensity of the exercise.


Sounds like what cyclists call intervall training.

It is. If you add in the long rides. For example, Monday 1 min at 90%
followed by 1 min walk (continue until you vomit); Tuesday 1 hour at
race intensity, Wednesday rest, and so on. The long days can be
thought of single intervals.


I think it's different, more like what Lee said. Where a sprint maxes
out the muscles. I don't max out mine much, meaning I could hammer up a
hill faster but then I'd be pooped for many minutes and the ride would
no longer be an enjoyable one.


Back in the primitive days people used do essentially the same thing
by training by distance, i.e., a quarter as hard as you can go
followed by a quarter at a walk, and so on.

As for your full tilt for hours, you really aren't doing that. What
you are doing is riding at an energy output that you can maintain for
some period. If you really were to exert 100% you might get a quarter
of a mile before you collapsed.


Yes, that is what I think as well. My limitation is more the breathing
and I don't enjoy being totally out of breath for a long time. I was
always an endurance kind of guy, never a good sprinter.

Yes, endurance is generally determined by oxygen intake. Yes, runners
and bicycle sprinters can perform at higher intensities but only for
short times. A "miler" will run three laps at about maximum oxygen
intake and the last lap he will accelerate and go into oxygen
deficiency.


Seen it but I was never good at that. Even in the army my better times
were long-haul. 5km on the sports field, xx kilometer on "hikes" in full
gear. With cycling it is similar. Yesterday was 43mi or 69km, to pick up
a $1.75 item in the valley that I urgently need. About 30% of that ride
was extra and just for fun. However, after this discussion I tried some
muscle max-out phases and paid for that the last 10mi which are almost
all uphill.

I see that sometimes where guys blast by me at high speed and then on
the next long hill I pass them.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 1:25:57 PM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2016-12-10 13:13, wrote:
On Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 11:22:06 AM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2016-12-05 09:21, wrote:
I am seldom riding with the local old folks group because they
have a habit of racing all the time. Then 3/4ths of the way into
a ride they get really tired and are dragging up the final
hills.

I don't like climbing as fast as possible nor trying to keep up
on the flats to people 5 years older than me that are maintaining
heart rates at 90%. And this is directly out of the box with not
one minute of warm-up.

Now I like to exercise at elevated rates so riding with the
"easy" groups is out. But I don't riding with people whose
objective is to beat someone else to the top of the hill as if
this proves them superior. And this soon degenerates into not
waiting for the slower members.

Unfortunately, these acts of proving one's self better than
others can significantly shorten the live's of those over 55.

If you are one of those that must prove yourself on every ride
there is a target rate on
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Health...1_Article.jsp#



If you regularly ride above these rates you are a heart attack
waiting to happen. Not to mention that often you are pulling the
entire group above their safe zones.

Let's ride as smart as well as fast.


What is a good way to gauge the heart rate if the bike is not
equipped with a whole smorgasbord of medical devices such as pulse
meters? Taking one hand off the bar and counting wrist pulses isn't
very safe in most places around here.

I sometimes get carried away on long boring stretches and find
myself riding full tilt. Whatever "the engine" can deliver goes
into the pedals. But I usually don't become tired after an hour. Or
two. Or four. Is that a good enough indicator to be in the healthy
zone?

-- Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Your heart rate will increase linearly as long as you're in the
aerobic zone. If you go into the anaerobic zone it will only increase
a little. At this time the muscles start burning lactate that is
stored in the muscles and this is difficult to do for more than half
a minute or so.

This represents your actual max heart rate. But that is not you
healthy heart rate with is 220-age.

This practical heart rate has to do with your metabolic heart rate
and will be below your true max heart rate.

If you are over 50 and operate for any amount of time over 90% of
your max metabolic heart rate you are starving the heart muscles of
it's very small storage of lactate. That is, your heart is operating
in it's anaerobic. Since the older you are the slower you can reload
your muscles (and the heart is a muscle) with lactate and the most
chance you have of it seizing up.

Bicycling is an endurance sport and that means you must always
operate within your aerobic zone.

If you start breathing harder and when you back off a little it takes
awhile for your heart rate and breathing to come back down you are
going too hard. If you are in your aerobic zone when you back off
your breathing will almost immediately back down as well.


Maybe that's the sign. For me heavy breathing usually slows down within
5-10sec so I guess that counts as "immediate".

Sometimes I pass road bikers on fancy machines decked out in expensive
lycra and it seems some don't like it when a guy above 50 passes them in
T-shirt and jeans on an old steel frame bike. "This is not going to
happen!" and then they start following me, breathing hard. Until they
drop back, and that's probably pushing it too hard in their cardiac
department. Sometimes it's the other way around and I try to follow but
when I realize that the guy or gal is doing a sustained 25mph I drop
back. Too old for that.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Two years ago I did 5 miles at 28 mph with a stop light at every mile marker that was always red. When it changed I would accelerate up to 28 again and hold that steady until I would JUST miss the next light. When I pulled into the parking lot my breathing dropped down pretty rapidly but I had burned up ALL of my lactose and couldn't find my car for almost 10 minutes. I kept riding around in a haze unable to get my bearings. I won't do that again..

On Sunday, December 11, 2016 at 12:50:21 AM UTC-8, John B. wrote:
On Sat, 10 Dec 2016 11:22:19 -0800, Joerg
wrote:

On 2016-12-05 09:21, wrote:
I am seldom riding with the local old folks group because they have a
habit of racing all the time. Then 3/4ths of the way into a ride they
get really tired and are dragging up the final hills.

I don't like climbing as fast as possible nor trying to keep up on
the flats to people 5 years older than me that are maintaining heart
rates at 90%. And this is directly out of the box with not one minute
of warm-up.

Now I like to exercise at elevated rates so riding with the "easy"
groups is out. But I don't riding with people whose objective is to
beat someone else to the top of the hill as if this proves them
superior. And this soon degenerates into not waiting for the slower
members.

Unfortunately, these acts of proving one's self better than others
can significantly shorten the live's of those over 55.

If you are one of those that must prove yourself on every ride there
is a target rate on
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Health...1_Article.jsp#

If you regularly ride above these rates you are a heart attack
waiting to happen. Not to mention that often you are pulling the
entire group above their safe zones.

Let's ride as smart as well as fast.


What is a good way to gauge the heart rate if the bike is not equipped
with a whole smorgasbord of medical devices such as pulse meters? Taking
one hand off the bar and counting wrist pulses isn't very safe in most
places around here.

I sometimes get carried away on long boring stretches and find myself
riding full tilt. Whatever "the engine" can deliver goes into the
pedals. But I usually don't become tired after an hour. Or two. Or four.
Is that a good enough indicator to be in the healthy zone?

Actual heart rate varies considerably between individuals and even
among rating systems. The calculation for "max heart rate" depends, to
an extent, on what system you are using. Most people, if they are
athletic at all can produce a heart rate that is higher than the
calculated maximum heart rate.

Heart rate is usually used as a part of a training schedule, i.e., 30
minutes at 100% followed by 10 minutes at 20%", or whatever, and is a
method of determining the intensity of the exercise.

Back in the primitive days people used do essentially the same thing
by training by distance, i.e., a quarter as hard as you can go
followed by a quarter at a walk, and so on.

As for your full tilt for hours, you really aren't doing that. What
you are doing is riding at an energy output that you can maintain for
some period. If you really were to exert 100% you might get a quarter
of a mile before you collapsed.
--
cheers,

John B.

The only accurate way of determining the actual max heart rates per individual is instrumented on a treadmill in a lab. But the differences are pretty slight - a maximum of about 5% between the calculated and the actual.

100% is NEVER used save in sprints. 20 seconds or more at 100% can be fatal to even young athletes. Though not often. Muscle lactose is very rapidly depleted and your most powerful muscle is your heart. Anaerobic metabolism utilizes lactose.

"Full tilt" is the output at which you can continue using your metabolic digestive rate to continue supplying carbs to your muscles. These days a great many younger riders are "spinners" and actually use too low a gear and are passed not because they don't have more power than someone else but because a lot is wasted spinning and using too low a gear.