The graph shows the nice steady build of my heart rate during the 4-hour ride. I don’t consider a pulse rate of 129 to be in the “red zone,” btw, but my watch does. Here are the 5-mile lap times, fyi, showing some minor disruptions due to traffic: 23:05 22:33 20:50 20:30 20:09 20:02 19:42 19:55 19:46 20:10 19:45 19:38
I find cycling and swimming are unaffected by my severe PAD, while running is really difficult. You can see from the ride above, 60 miles slow build, I had a solid workout. No claudication. No foot numbness. Excellent cardio and general whole body exercise.
I know, that’s slow for a cyclist, but it’s not too bad for an 81-year old triathlete with vascular disease. Come on, give me a break!
Walking programs are standard fare for PAD, but I think they should add cross-training that is not impaired by lower limb vascular disease. If you add things that work, even an elliptical trainer (I get no claudication there, either), you can improve your chances of an active life.
If anyone has questions, just let me know. I can be reached at olddogintraining@gmail.com, or you can ask questions on my abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) Facebook page, at this link.
Use whatever works for you, once the physicians have done all they can. They sure saved my life a few times, and it’s much appreciated.
-kev aka FitOldDog at Inspirational Self Help Books