Riding while recovering from illness (cold)

On Tue, 23 May 2006 10:32:48 -0400, "Ken C. M." <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I had a pretty good cold on Sunday (two days ago) and started on that
Zicam stuff, I have used it before and find it works pretty well, and
today (Tuesday) I felt that I felt well enough to do a short ride.

I wasn't planning on do too hard or too long of a ride. I was thinking
about 20 miles and medium pace. Well for the most part thats how it
worked out. But at one point on my route there is a man-made hill (the
only type there is in SW Florida) that I climbed out of the saddle at a
pretty good pace, and then after crossing the intersection after the
descent I stopped to take a short rest, and it felt like my heart was
going to explode in my chest! I think I scared myself somewhat and took
it pretty easy for the rest of the ride. I think I might invest in a HRM.

Anyway just curious, I know I have read at least a couple of articles
about sudden cardiac events while cycling. Even a couple of deaths that
resulted from heart attacks and other events while riding. How common is
it? Would it occur more when recovering from an illness such as a cold?

Some comments...

Zicam is unlikely to be a factor. If you're hypersensitive to zinc,
you might have a problem with it, but it's unlikely to be doing
anything to make your recovery worse. It's unlikely to be doing much
of anything at all, for that matter.

Colds make people feel lousy; recovering from one alleviates the
symptoms. Since the sense of well-being is largely a comparitive one,
there's a tendency to overestimate the degree of recovery as symptoms
finally begin to abate.

Pulmonary involvement in a cold is easy to underestimate since it may
not manifest itself until the lungs are stressed.

You live in a flat place. *Really* flat. Climbing a hill is
something that you mostly just read about. If you don't climb that
hill very often, you might not have much of a basis for comparison to
use in determining if your reaction to the stress was all that
unusual...and by stopping almost immediately instead of continuing on,
you hit the pulse-pounding point full on. I wouldn't get too worried,
but I'd take it as a sign that you're pretty much fully adapted to
your local terrain.

--
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Werehatrack said:

Some comments...

Zicam is unlikely to be a factor. If you're hypersensitive to zinc,
you might have a problem with it, but it's unlikely to be doing
anything to make your recovery worse. It's unlikely to be doing much
of anything at all, for that matter.

I agree that it is probably not related to the heart rate deal. But, in
my opinion it's the reason that I was able to feel well enough to do a
little ride after just two days. It's the only homeopathic remedy of any
sort that I find that does what the manufacturer claims.

Quoted message said:

Colds make people feel lousy; recovering from one alleviates the
symptoms. Since the sense of well-being is largely a comparitive one,
there's a tendency to overestimate the degree of recovery as symptoms
finally begin to abate.

Pulmonary involvement in a cold is easy to underestimate since it may
not manifest itself until the lungs are stressed.

You live in a flat place. *Really* flat. Climbing a hill is
something that you mostly just read about. If you don't climb that
hill very often, you might not have much of a basis for comparison to
use in determining if your reaction to the stress was all that
unusual...and by stopping almost immediately instead of continuing on,
you hit the pulse-pounding point full on. I wouldn't get too worried,
but I'd take it as a sign that you're pretty much fully adapted to
your local terrain.

Yeah SW FL is FLAT. The reason I ride that route is FOR the HILL. I
think you might be right about being mostly adapted to the local
terrain. The only variation in my ride is the wind.

Ken
--
New cycling jersey: $49
new cycling shorts: $39
Not being a slave to the petrol pump: priceless.

Ken C. M. wrote:
:: I had a pretty good cold on Sunday (two days ago) and started on that
:: Zicam stuff, I have used it before and find it works pretty well, and
:: today (Tuesday) I felt that I felt well enough to do a short ride.
::
:: I wasn't planning on do too hard or too long of a ride. I was
:: thinking about 20 miles and medium pace. Well for the most part
:: thats how it worked out. But at one point on my route there is a
:: man-made hill (the only type there is in SW Florida) that I climbed
:: out of the saddle at a pretty good pace, and then after crossing the
:: intersection after the descent I stopped to take a short rest, and
:: it felt like my heart was going to explode in my chest! I think I
:: scared myself somewhat and took it pretty easy for the rest of the
:: ride. I think I might invest in a HRM.
::
:: Anyway just curious, I know I have read at least a couple of articles
:: about sudden cardiac events while cycling. Even a couple of deaths
:: that resulted from heart attacks and other events while riding. How
:: common is it? Would it occur more when recovering from an illness
:: such as a cold?

Well, don't ride if you're sick enough to want to take medications.

But what are the details of the short hill? That could definitely drive
your HR up even if you're not sick.

Ken C. M. said:

I had a pretty good cold on Sunday (two days ago) and started on that
Zicam stuff, I have used it before and find it works pretty well, and
today (Tuesday) I felt that I felt well enough to do a short ride.

I wasn't planning on do too hard or too long of a ride. I was thinking
about 20 miles and medium pace. Well for the most part thats how it
worked out. But at one point on my route there is a man-made hill (the
only type there is in SW Florida) that I climbed out of the saddle at a
pretty good pace, and then after crossing the intersection after the
descent I stopped to take a short rest, and it felt like my heart was
going to explode in my chest! I think I scared myself somewhat and took
it pretty easy for the rest of the ride. I think I might invest in a HRM.

Anyway just curious, I know I have read at least a couple of articles
about sudden cardiac events while cycling. Even a couple of deaths that
resulted from heart attacks and other events while riding. How common is
it? Would it occur more when recovering from an illness such as a cold?

i have heard about this but it probably doesn't mean everyone who has a
cold.From what I understand, Zicam isn't like most OTC medicines. I
should mention that i tried that stuff. We can't get it in canada, that
i know of. But a friend of mine brought me some from NY and i used it
when i had a cold. It really works. It shaved like 2 days off my cold. I
recommend it highly.

However, i find that after having a cold it takes a while to get your
energy back to 100 percent, even when you feel better.

Roger Zoul said:

Well, don't ride if you're sick enough to want to take medications.

Well Zicam isn't what I would call a 'medication' more of a home remedy
/ homepathic remedy.

Quoted message said:

But what are the details of the short hill? That could definitely drive
your HR up even if you're not sick.

Short hill = 30 foot rise over 175 to 200 feet climb to the summit. Not
the steepest hill I have climbed, but it's the steepest around where I live.

Ken
--
New cycling jersey: $49
new cycling shorts: $39
Not being a slave to the petrol pump: priceless.

Marlene Blanshay said:

i have heard about this but it probably doesn't mean everyone who has a
cold.From what I understand, Zicam isn't like most OTC medicines. I
should mention that i tried that stuff. We can't get it in canada, that
i know of. But a friend of mine brought me some from NY and i used it
when i had a cold. It really works. It shaved like 2 days off my cold. I
recommend it highly.

I recommend it as well. Not only does it shorten the lenght of the cold.
But also makes it less intense.

Quoted message said:

However, i find that after having a cold it takes a while to get your
energy back to 100 percent, even when you feel better.

Well I knew I wasn't 100% but wanted to do a little ride anyway.

Ken
--
New cycling jersey: $49
new cycling shorts: $39
Not being a slave to the petrol pump: priceless.

But at one point on my route there is a man-made hill (the

Quoted message said:

only type there is in SW Florida) that I climbed out of the saddle at a
pretty good pace, and then after crossing the intersection after the
descent I stopped to take a short rest, and it felt like my heart was
going to explode in my chest! I think I scared myself somewhat and took
it pretty easy for the rest of the ride. I think I might invest in a HRM.

Anyway just curious, I know I have read at least a couple of articles
about sudden cardiac events while cycling. Even a couple of deaths that
resulted from heart attacks and other events while riding. How common is
it? Would it occur more when recovering from an illness such as a cold?

Something similar happened to me last Fall, ad produced a good scare.
As one poster said, recovery is subjective..One feels better than they
did a few days ago, but forgets how well they felt the day -before-
the cold.
In my case, the cold had turned to bronchitis. I ride mostly trails,
and must say, a couple of miles from anyone when running out of oxygen
is a damned scary place to be..I had visions of them finding my
bleached, gnawed bones in the Spring. There are some pretty mean
hills on my usual trail ride, one around a 15% grade for several
hundred feet. After that one, I actually disgraced myself by walking
the bike for a few minutes. I got home, and went to the ER.
Zithromax knocked it down in a week, but that being Fall, it
essentially wrecked the best part of my season.
That event last year became the reason I carry my cellphone.

Ken C. M. says...

Quoted message said:

Anyway just curious, I know I have read at least a couple of articles
about sudden cardiac events while cycling. Even a couple of deaths that
resulted from heart attacks and other events while riding. How common is
it? Would it occur more when recovering from an illness such as a cold?

I had a fever and chills last night and this morning as bad as I can
remember. Stayed home from work, slept until 10:00 AM. Had no
appetite, but forced myself to have some lunch. Was feeling somewhat
better by the afternoon. Coughed up some horrible looking phlegm and
had a weak voice, but it was a sunny and beautiful day and I felt like
going for a ride in spite of being sick. I rode for 2 hours at my usual
pace. I never had a problem exercising while sick. Did it in my
running days too. Of course, I was in no condition to go riding last
night, but I believe if you feel up to it, go for it.

Ken C. M. wrote:
:: Roger Zoul wrote:
::
::: Well, don't ride if you're sick enough to want to take medications.
:::
:: Well Zicam isn't what I would call a 'medication' more of a home
:: remedy / homepathic remedy.

well, true, but I think it's almost the same difference.

::
::: But what are the details of the short hill? That could definitely
::: drive your HR up even if you're not sick.
:::
:: Short hill = 30 foot rise over 175 to 200 feet climb to the summit.
:: Not
:: the steepest hill I have climbed, but it's the steepest around where
:: I live.
::

Would not that be a ~15% grade!?!

Roger Zoul said:

Ken C. M. wrote:
:: Roger Zoul wrote:
::
::: Well, don't ride if you're sick enough to want to take medications.
:::
:: Well Zicam isn't what I would call a 'medication' more of a home
:: remedy / homepathic remedy.

well, true, but I think it's almost the same difference.

Nah. Medications are full of synthetic stuff that can produce more side
effects than natural / homeopathic stuff.

Quoted message said:

::
::: But what are the details of the short hill? That could definitely
::: drive your HR up even if you're not sick.
:::
:: Short hill = 30 foot rise over 175 to 200 feet climb to the summit.
:: Not
:: the steepest hill I have climbed, but it's the steepest around where
:: I live.
::

Would not that be a ~15% grade!?!

Yeah 15% sounds about right. It's the climb to the top of a draw bridge
going over one of the inter-coastal waterways.

Ken
--
New cycling jersey: $49
new cycling shorts: $39
Not being a slave to the petrol pump: priceless.