How often do you get close to touching your "max"? - Page 2

06-28-2004, 02:19 PM

On 2004-06-28, Roger Zoul <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote:
> My theoretical max is 174 (i'm 46). I get 170 a lot while riding up hills as
> fast as I can. I seem to recover quickly have no problems with it. I
> haven't a clue what an anxiety or panic attack would do to max HR, or why
> having them would be a factor in hitting your max HR, but I'd suggest you
> don't invent stuff to worry about

I would agree. Problem is I only have so much control over my anxiety.
Sometimes it just gets the better of you, especially when you look down
and see 181 on your HRM.

Preston

06-28-2004, 02:53 PM

Preston Crawford wrote:
|| On 2004-06-28, Roger Zoul <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote:
||| My theoretical max is 174 (i'm 46). I get 170 a lot while riding up
||| hills as fast as I can. I seem to recover quickly have no problems
||| with it. I haven't a clue what an anxiety or panic attack would do
||| to max HR, or why having them would be a factor in hitting your max
||| HR, but I'd suggest you don't invent stuff to worry about

||
|| I would agree. Problem is I only have so much control over my
|| anxiety. Sometimes it just gets the better of you, especially when
|| you look down
|| and see 181 on your HRM.

I see what you mean. I once looked at my HRM and saw 226. I momentarily
freaked and then realized I wasn't even working THAT hard...the damn thing
was acting up.

From what I understand, if you're in pretty good health, there should be no
problem hitting your max -- it's just that your HR won't increase beyond
that. Also, you likely won't be able to keep it up for very long anyway, as
lactic acid would build up in your legs and eventually force you to slow
down. Finally, getting up that high every once in a while is supposed to
increase your fitness, so there is some benefit provided you don't end up
overtraining.

06-28-2004, 02:53 PM

Preston Crawford wrote:
|| On 2004-06-28, Roger Zoul <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote:
||| My theoretical max is 174 (i'm 46). I get 170 a lot while riding up
||| hills as fast as I can. I seem to recover quickly have no problems
||| with it. I haven't a clue what an anxiety or panic attack would do
||| to max HR, or why having them would be a factor in hitting your max
||| HR, but I'd suggest you don't invent stuff to worry about

||
|| I would agree. Problem is I only have so much control over my
|| anxiety. Sometimes it just gets the better of you, especially when
|| you look down
|| and see 181 on your HRM.

I see what you mean. I once looked at my HRM and saw 226. I momentarily
freaked and then realized I wasn't even working THAT hard...the damn thing
was acting up.

From what I understand, if you're in pretty good health, there should be no
problem hitting your max -- it's just that your HR won't increase beyond
that. Also, you likely won't be able to keep it up for very long anyway, as
lactic acid would build up in your legs and eventually force you to slow
down. Finally, getting up that high every once in a while is supposed to
increase your fitness, so there is some benefit provided you don't end up
overtraining.

06-28-2004, 02:53 PM

Preston Crawford wrote:
|| On 2004-06-28, Roger Zoul <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote:
||| My theoretical max is 174 (i'm 46). I get 170 a lot while riding up
||| hills as fast as I can. I seem to recover quickly have no problems
||| with it. I haven't a clue what an anxiety or panic attack would do
||| to max HR, or why having them would be a factor in hitting your max
||| HR, but I'd suggest you don't invent stuff to worry about

||
|| I would agree. Problem is I only have so much control over my
|| anxiety. Sometimes it just gets the better of you, especially when
|| you look down
|| and see 181 on your HRM.

I see what you mean. I once looked at my HRM and saw 226. I momentarily
freaked and then realized I wasn't even working THAT hard...the damn thing
was acting up.

From what I understand, if you're in pretty good health, there should be no
problem hitting your max -- it's just that your HR won't increase beyond
that. Also, you likely won't be able to keep it up for very long anyway, as
lactic acid would build up in your legs and eventually force you to slow
down. Finally, getting up that high every once in a while is supposed to
increase your fitness, so there is some benefit provided you don't end up
overtraining.

06-28-2004, 02:53 PM

Preston Crawford wrote:
|| On 2004-06-28, Roger Zoul <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote:
||| My theoretical max is 174 (i'm 46). I get 170 a lot while riding up
||| hills as fast as I can. I seem to recover quickly have no problems
||| with it. I haven't a clue what an anxiety or panic attack would do
||| to max HR, or why having them would be a factor in hitting your max
||| HR, but I'd suggest you don't invent stuff to worry about

||
|| I would agree. Problem is I only have so much control over my
|| anxiety. Sometimes it just gets the better of you, especially when
|| you look down
|| and see 181 on your HRM.

I see what you mean. I once looked at my HRM and saw 226. I momentarily
freaked and then realized I wasn't even working THAT hard...the damn thing
was acting up.

From what I understand, if you're in pretty good health, there should be no
problem hitting your max -- it's just that your HR won't increase beyond
that. Also, you likely won't be able to keep it up for very long anyway, as
lactic acid would build up in your legs and eventually force you to slow
down. Finally, getting up that high every once in a while is supposed to
increase your fitness, so there is some benefit provided you don't end up
overtraining.

06-28-2004, 02:53 PM

Preston Crawford wrote:
|| On 2004-06-28, Roger Zoul <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote:
||| My theoretical max is 174 (i'm 46). I get 170 a lot while riding up
||| hills as fast as I can. I seem to recover quickly have no problems
||| with it. I haven't a clue what an anxiety or panic attack would do
||| to max HR, or why having them would be a factor in hitting your max
||| HR, but I'd suggest you don't invent stuff to worry about

||
|| I would agree. Problem is I only have so much control over my
|| anxiety. Sometimes it just gets the better of you, especially when
|| you look down
|| and see 181 on your HRM.

I see what you mean. I once looked at my HRM and saw 226. I momentarily
freaked and then realized I wasn't even working THAT hard...the damn thing
was acting up.

From what I understand, if you're in pretty good health, there should be no
problem hitting your max -- it's just that your HR won't increase beyond
that. Also, you likely won't be able to keep it up for very long anyway, as
lactic acid would build up in your legs and eventually force you to slow
down. Finally, getting up that high every once in a while is supposed to
increase your fitness, so there is some benefit provided you don't end up
overtraining.

06-28-2004, 03:05 PM

In article <slrnce11ov.m11.me@serpentor.cobrala>,
Preston Crawford <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>Putting "max" in quotes, because I know that the maximum heart rate as
>figured by the various formulas is hard to go by. However, I'm curious
>nonetheless. Today I was riding and accidentally touched 175 once and 181
>once. I felt a little crappy when I touched 181. Now, as I've mentioned
>here before, I have a history of anxiety and panic attacks. I'm workig on
>recovering from that, but when I touched 181 I got a little anxious. Now
>what I'm wondering is...
>
>A) How often do other cyclists do what I did and accidentally (or
>purposely) come close to what would be considered their max? I think mine,
>by the traditional measure would be considered 197. I did a stress test
>once where I got to 190. So that's what I base mine on.

What do you mean by "crappy"? It seems unlikely that you were
doing anything dangerous if you are a reasonably healthy person.
My own observed max over the last year was 193, and I regularly
ride up into the 180s without ill effect but probably don't hit that
max number very often. If endurance riding is the goal then
doing a lot of work at the max is not really necessary anyway.

So you reaching 181 doesn't sound crazy to me although it might
make your lungs hurt.

>B) If you hit it do you generally consider that "dangerous" or just not
>something that's advisable to do very often?

When you start seeing spots and feel like you're going to pass out,
or have trouble getting enough air, that would be the limit for a
healthy person. Of course a person with an aneurism would be a
different case.

If you don't know how healthy you are, get your doctor to prescribe
a stress EKG, preferably on a bike.

06-28-2004, 03:05 PM

In article <slrnce11ov.m11.me@serpentor.cobrala>,
Preston Crawford <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>Putting "max" in quotes, because I know that the maximum heart rate as
>figured by the various formulas is hard to go by. However, I'm curious
>nonetheless. Today I was riding and accidentally touched 175 once and 181
>once. I felt a little crappy when I touched 181. Now, as I've mentioned
>here before, I have a history of anxiety and panic attacks. I'm workig on
>recovering from that, but when I touched 181 I got a little anxious. Now
>what I'm wondering is...
>
>A) How often do other cyclists do what I did and accidentally (or
>purposely) come close to what would be considered their max? I think mine,
>by the traditional measure would be considered 197. I did a stress test
>once where I got to 190. So that's what I base mine on.

What do you mean by "crappy"? It seems unlikely that you were
doing anything dangerous if you are a reasonably healthy person.
My own observed max over the last year was 193, and I regularly
ride up into the 180s without ill effect but probably don't hit that
max number very often. If endurance riding is the goal then
doing a lot of work at the max is not really necessary anyway.

So you reaching 181 doesn't sound crazy to me although it might
make your lungs hurt.

>B) If you hit it do you generally consider that "dangerous" or just not
>something that's advisable to do very often?

When you start seeing spots and feel like you're going to pass out,
or have trouble getting enough air, that would be the limit for a
healthy person. Of course a person with an aneurism would be a
different case.

If you don't know how healthy you are, get your doctor to prescribe
a stress EKG, preferably on a bike.

06-28-2004, 03:05 PM

In article <slrnce11ov.m11.me@serpentor.cobrala>,
Preston Crawford <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>Putting "max" in quotes, because I know that the maximum heart rate as
>figured by the various formulas is hard to go by. However, I'm curious
>nonetheless. Today I was riding and accidentally touched 175 once and 181
>once. I felt a little crappy when I touched 181. Now, as I've mentioned
>here before, I have a history of anxiety and panic attacks. I'm workig on
>recovering from that, but when I touched 181 I got a little anxious. Now
>what I'm wondering is...
>
>A) How often do other cyclists do what I did and accidentally (or
>purposely) come close to what would be considered their max? I think mine,
>by the traditional measure would be considered 197. I did a stress test
>once where I got to 190. So that's what I base mine on.

What do you mean by "crappy"? It seems unlikely that you were
doing anything dangerous if you are a reasonably healthy person.
My own observed max over the last year was 193, and I regularly
ride up into the 180s without ill effect but probably don't hit that
max number very often. If endurance riding is the goal then
doing a lot of work at the max is not really necessary anyway.

So you reaching 181 doesn't sound crazy to me although it might
make your lungs hurt.

>B) If you hit it do you generally consider that "dangerous" or just not
>something that's advisable to do very often?

When you start seeing spots and feel like you're going to pass out,
or have trouble getting enough air, that would be the limit for a
healthy person. Of course a person with an aneurism would be a
different case.

If you don't know how healthy you are, get your doctor to prescribe
a stress EKG, preferably on a bike.

06-28-2004, 03:05 PM

In article <slrnce11ov.m11.me@serpentor.cobrala>,
Preston Crawford <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>Putting "max" in quotes, because I know that the maximum heart rate as
>figured by the various formulas is hard to go by. However, I'm curious
>nonetheless. Today I was riding and accidentally touched 175 once and 181
>once. I felt a little crappy when I touched 181. Now, as I've mentioned
>here before, I have a history of anxiety and panic attacks. I'm workig on
>recovering from that, but when I touched 181 I got a little anxious. Now
>what I'm wondering is...
>
>A) How often do other cyclists do what I did and accidentally (or
>purposely) come close to what would be considered their max? I think mine,
>by the traditional measure would be considered 197. I did a stress test
>once where I got to 190. So that's what I base mine on.

What do you mean by "crappy"? It seems unlikely that you were
doing anything dangerous if you are a reasonably healthy person.
My own observed max over the last year was 193, and I regularly
ride up into the 180s without ill effect but probably don't hit that
max number very often. If endurance riding is the goal then
doing a lot of work at the max is not really necessary anyway.

So you reaching 181 doesn't sound crazy to me although it might
make your lungs hurt.

>B) If you hit it do you generally consider that "dangerous" or just not
>something that's advisable to do very often?

When you start seeing spots and feel like you're going to pass out,
or have trouble getting enough air, that would be the limit for a
healthy person. Of course a person with an aneurism would be a
different case.

If you don't know how healthy you are, get your doctor to prescribe
a stress EKG, preferably on a bike.