July 8: Today I need to correct some information I’d given you on Wednesday concerning my cycling rehab parameters, so that will kind of be the theme of this blog. Well, today was my 3rd and final Phase II Cardiac rehab workout at the Clinic. Now as I’d told you before I was kind of fast tracked into the Phase II, bypassing Phase I, and to be skipping Phase III. Doc Blackburn was kind of hoping I’d do several supervised workouts such that they could review my EKG information to make sure all was going well. He actually gave me the choice as to whether I wanted to participate in the process at all, but I got the impression he was counting on me to do several sessions. And I definitely thought it to be a pretty worthwhile endeavor despite having to drive some 70 miles to Clev and back for each workout. 

So anyway, he wanted the three sessions this today’s was my last. I’ll have to admit I was a bit skeptical about this only from the perspective that I thought I’d be doing cupcake rides on their stationary bike. Well, I was proved wrong on that one the first workout. That alone made me pretty happy to actually be pushed into a HR zone that made me feel like I was working. So the second workout went really well as my exercise physiologist Shannon upped my wattage the workout so I was in the upper end of my prescribed HR zone. We also discussed what my parameters would be once I went off on my own post workout number three. 

Today I readied myself with my four EKG leads and proceeded to WU on the stationary. Well, I was pleasantly surprised when Shannon upped my wattage again, this time by 10 watts instead of 5. So she eventually had me working at the very upper end of my HR zone, 132. There were many minutes where I was in the 133-135 area, which she was good with. Got in my 3 minute WU, my 33 minute main set, and then a 5 minute WD. It went great, and I learned from my Wed workout when I just sweated a pool of sweat on the machine and floor, so I’d brought a big sweat towel to put across the aero bars and to use to mop up my sweaty mess at the end of the workout. 

Once done they like us to tidy up around the workout device, wash up and change back to street clothing, and then just sit quietly for 10 min to let the BP and HR go down post workout. Then another measurement is done. She got my BP and that was awesome after the workout, 117 over 71, and my HR was still a bit elevated in the 80’s. But they were great results nonetheless. Ok, so now comes the retraction to what I’d written about my parameters now that I’m on my own. Shannon asked if I’d any additional questions about how I was to proceed on my own in between now and my next echo/stress test on 7/28 when I’m to meet again with my cardiologist and head exercise physiologist. 

Well, I just kind of wanted to “float” some ideas by her regarding my parameters for riding my bike outdoors. I mean hell, I could have just played dumb and not asked anything, then just do what the hell I wanted…BUT the sensible side of me prevailed. From a safe and logical perspective I just had to have clear guidelines as to what they expected me to do when self-supervised - which I KNEW I’d being adjusting anyway. I guess the difference between the playing dumb tact and the having clear guidelines tact is that on the former, I could actually do way too much, and on the latter I could do a little too much. Pete’s logic???? Yea, I know it sounds asinine. 

So on the progression side…I’d written on Wed the progression from one workout to the next is 5 additional minutes at the prescribed HR zone. Well, it’s not five, it’s ONE minute increase per workout! So again, my wheels are turning as she’s telling me it’s one minute not five, and then I asked her if I could do like 30 min of sub-zone WU followed by my main set, followed by another 30 min of WD. Well, she kind of laughed and told me that’s not what Doc Blackburn prescribed. And the one minute of addition of hard work to each succeeding workout…well, I reasoned if I worked out every day that was 7 minutes per week increase in my main set. Again, I got nuked by Shannon when she told me that was only until I got up to a 45 minute main set. Then it stays at 45 minutes until after I take my next echo/stress test on 7/28. Then, she told me they could readjust my workout parameters.

Shit, she was clipping my wings at every twist and turn here! And I could tell she was having a good time thwarting my efforts to increase my riding time. It was good natured, and I eventually remarked to her how she’d outfoxed me at every opportunity in me trying to get my ride time up. She also informed me that I still have 1 more week to ge before I can start a resistance program for my upper body. I’d thought I was good to go this coming Tuesday. Nope - one week from this Tuesday. 

So I left knowing how I’m fully cognizant of the amount and intensity of the cheating I’ll be doing on my riding over the next couple of weeks! BUT I am going to use the information Shannon had given me to make adjustments rather than ride like a fool too hard and too long. I did inform my sister of my intent to cheat a bit, and what I’m going to do is exactly what I’d ran by Shannon, that’s doing a 30 minute or so WU before the main set, and then another 30 or so minute WD after the main set. I just find it impossible to get all kitted up and go out on the bike for 43 minutes total. Kim wants me to email Doc Blackburn for a kind of “permission” to do what I’ve put forth here, but I’m a bit hesitant on that one. I’ll mull it over for a day or two this weekend. 

I do NOT want to screw up anything heart-wise, and I do get that the heart is still recovering from surgery, so I cannot just go whole hog on my cycling. But as I’ve always said, to me there’s a physical as well as spiritual side to my cycling. I need more time on the bike to fulfill that spiritual side, to relax, to feel good, to enjoy life. And that’s where the extra time comes in. I can definitely deal and live with the stipulation on my main set, high intensity time. I just have to have a bit of time on each side of that to satisfy my spiritual side. So…that’s where I’m at right now.