 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
When climbing, I get to a point where I feel like I've got more to give, but I just can't get enough oxygen into my body.
I'm not just 'out of breath' - it feels like more than this. I get a sort of [i]weak[/i] feeling in my throat, and I end up wheezing. No matter how intently I concentrate on my breathing, the wheezing will not stop until my breathing slows below a certain point.
The reason I say weak is - and this might sound a little odd - because if I try to force a cough to clear my throat during this time, I can't. You know how a cough goes [i]"ahem"[/i] - I can't get past the [i]"ah"[/i] point. I can only manage [i]"ahhhhh"[/i], like there's nothing to 'push' against.
It's this area in the throat that feels like the limiting factor. It feels like my airway is going a bit... baggy or something.
I'm fairly strong of leg and I've been riding bloody years, and I hold my own when riding with mates, but I'm no serious fitness enthusiast.
I'm not sure if this is an issue I've developed recently or whether I've just been pushing a bit harder over the past few months and have just noticed it.
Does anybody get anything similar? Any ideas what it is?
Maybe check your lungs on a peak flow meter thing..
Allergies, asthma, infection?
Go see you GP ..
Yes I have that during running races when i'm really caning it. It just comes down to conditioning and fitness.
Thanks for the replies.
What does asthma feel like?
tree pollen . had the same symptions for last three weeks.
Dunno,but it looks like it's a lot worse than the symptoms you're descibing.
get a ecg done
my heart problem started wth a odd feeling in my throat/chest area, and breathlessness/weezyness.
I'm an ex smoker so chest is the first thing to suffer on climbs,what size bars are you running,I've just gone from 650 mm to 777mm and the difference is really noticeable,my lungs feel so much better when I'm climbing and I don't feel myself gasping for breath so much anymore,you said you have been pushing it more in the last few months and I think we all reach a brick wall in our fitness from time to time and it can be frustrating and breaking the barrier can be hard.
Ton - can you describe that "odd feeling"?
mate, it was like i had trapped wind, but in my throat/chest area, and it would not clear.
and when i tried to speed up while riding, i couldnt and just got breathless.
my doctor did a ecg at the surgary.
I've got asthma related to current pollen, and it's not been this bad (I've had to use ventolin this year) for maybe 7 or 8 years.
Friend had reached a similar limit running last year - doc diagnosed asthma. Now much better and feeling she can actually run again with some meds.
JTD. I used to get a similar thing especially climbing at the start of a ride. Just unable to convert breathing into energy.
I now know my problem was lack of blood flow to the heart. It's been said many times on here,your doctor is qualified to make a diagnosis, most of us aren't.
I put it down to lack of fitness and just kept going, then I had a heart attack.
Thanks for the feedback guys. Shall go have a chat with the GP. I started a [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/inactivity-induced-heart-palpitations ]heart palpitations thread[/url] 3 months ago too after a brief period off the bike, although this seems to gave settled down now I'm back at it.
Although it seems likely I'm about to die, to satisfy my curiosity is anyone out there able to briefly describe what asthma feels like when it's 'playing up'?