Do I worry about my heart? Sometimes I have concerns, like recently. Here is the history.
My first heart attack was in 2005 and the way I remember it the doc said I lost about 15% of heart capacity. A couple of stents were implanted. I became active in the gym and pool after that event. in early 2010 I had some occasional chest pain and a stress test was recommended. The treadmill was relatively easy and the results showed I was in the top 1% for my age group. Three weeks later I had a second heart attack after lifting bundles of stone from a pallet. More stents. Takeaway: a stress test is no guarantee things won’t be different the next day.
Since 2010 I have been an active cyclist averaging about 6k per year with a reasonable amount of climbing. Serial knee replacements in 2015 slowed me down for a year or so, but I bounced back fine. Since 2010 I have had occasional chest pains, but nothing too worrisome and those pains have seldom happened while riding. My resting heart rate is in the range of 45-52 and while pushing hard my heart rate is in the mid to high 150’s. Last year on sustained climbs my heart rate peaked in the low 160’s. I am 75.
This year has been different, starting with some delays riding because of a second shoulder surgery in December 2018. I have about 4500 miles this year and 200k of climbing so far, so I am a bit behind my average. After some rides I am very tired, enough that I lay down and take a nap after the ride, which is unusual for me. My average speed has dropped about 1.5-2 mph. There is one hill I climb regularly and it is my own personal “stress test”, an average 10% grade for about 1/4 mile, which I do all out. My heart rate will get into the low 150’s, but I have not had chest pains. However, my overall performance on that hill has slowly declined.
The combination of being tired after some rides, lower average speed, and decreased climbing capacity does not make me worry, but it has my attention. At my recent cardiology appointment I mentioned these issues to my doc and another stress test is scheduled in a few weeks followed by an echo cardiogram after that. Maybe It is just aging, maybe it has just been one of those years, maybe it is a change in my cardiac functioning. Time to find out.
So, before the formal stress test I am riding 4 times a week, pushing a little harder than usual, climbing a bit more, drinking less wine, focusing on sleeping better. So, while I am not worrying about my heart, I know that I can’t ignore what can be signs of a developing issue. I am also keeping the nitro FOB a bit more accessible during the next few weeks.
