Coronavirus lockdown and exercising outdoors

[DJR]

I also dislike the idea that those who get seriously ill brought it on themselves by having lived unhealthy lifestyles. There are many diabetics, asthmatics, people with cancers, high blood pressure, the list is too long to mention all, who lived very healthy, who have done the right thing and if they get it, may still be in deep trouble. Even overweight people should be cut a bit of slack, many of them did nothing much worse than to inherit the genes for it, while others were lucky enough to end up with the skinny ones. Then of course there are those who end up facing the very sharpest end of the pandemic by doing nothing more than to have lived long and hopefully healthy lives. It is a lot more nuanced than: The vast majority of us 'll be OK and those few who die deserve it!

 

(And just to clarify, this is not aimed at anyone in particular, I just hear it from too many places and thought I should say something about it. )

[TyronLab]

I'm kinda stuck in the moral dilemma at the moment regarding the whole curfew thing. I see a lot (the majority) of my strava pals out riding at 05:00, sometimes in large groups, which to me is a selfish move on their behalf (the large group part).

 

But...

 

I'm seriously keen for a proper (100km+) dirt ride this weekend. Pre-all-of-this I was usually out on the bike by 04:15 and could do a century and be back just as my fam was getting up and ready for the day, essentially not missing any time with them. Added benefit was that the roads (when I use them) were very quiet.

 

Now, I've been following the rules pretty closely as I'm just trying not to be a shitty person and give my newborn-with-a-lung-problem a fighting chance at at least getting a bit stronger before we all get it (pretty likely at this stage). The 06:00 starting time for exercise is the part I'm struggling with. That means:

 

• I'm basically spending half the day riding then, missing a lot of time with my family.
• I have to contend with a LOT more traffic, and the danger that brings.
• I have to contend with a LOT more people out exercising and coughing and sneezing with little regard for social distancing.

 

If I head out at 04:30 tomorrow morning I'm technically breaking the rules, but there are obvious benefits to this. I've considered doing 04:15 to 06:00 on the IDT and then going out for a ride, maar dis darm maar nie dieselfde nie...

Edited July 3, 2020 by TyronLab

[Duane_Bosch]

Riding when the trails are busy I use my buff when close to others ... my hart rate stays elevated by about 20bpm for 3 to 4 hours after the ride. My "chest" feels uncomfortable for the same period.

Forget buffs and masks.

 

I'd be EXTREMELY worried if my HR stayed elevated by 20 beats 3 hours after exercise and my chest felt uncomfortable.

 

You REALLY should see a doctor about that. 

Edited July 3, 2020 by Duane_Bosch

[Jbr]

no one is gonna give you **** for riding at 4, I wish I could wake up that early, the last few road rides I have done I had so many close calls.... All the idiots who have been trapped at home during lockdown are going all out at the moment, there are the people who do stupid things and don't even notice, or those who notice and wave at you to say sorry, and there are the ones who almost kill you and then shout at you to **** off because why not...

 

Good thing I own mountainbikes, it's a lot less stressfull world up the moutains

 

Regarding masks, nobody is wearing them so I don't either (remember, you're wearing them for others, not yourself). I only put mine up when I see someone ahead that is wearing his (either cyclist or pedestrian) so only for a few seconds at a time. I also notice that wearing it for long times was really bad for my recovery, I was having sore legs all the time...

Once a again, it's a lot less stressfull in the mountains, I hardly see anyone when I go MTBing

Edited July 3, 2020 by Jbr

[The Ouzo]

I never really had to much of an issue breathing with my old buff, but I just bought a new one and the material seems to be ever so slightly less breathable, I can now start to feel what others are complaining about re: breathing through the buff.

Its still not suffocating, but it is harder to breath through it.

[DieselnDust]

I never really had to much of an issue breathing with my old buff, but I just bought a new one and the material seems to be ever so slightly less breathable, I can now start to feel what others are complaining about re: breathing through the buff.

Its still not suffocating, but it is harder to breath through it.

 

 

does it have a design printed on it? If yes the sublimation ink will block the material and its not particularly healthy stuff either

[Pieter-za]

Forget buffs and masks.

 

I'd be EXTREMELY worried if my HR stayed elevated by 20 beats 3 hours after exercise and my chest felt uncomfortable.

 

You REALLY should see a doctor about that. 

I agree with this Chris.  I am experimenting with various buffs / masks etc and can't say my ave heart rate is 'materially' impacted by even a 4 layer mask.  (Two layers with filters in between)

I have many runs over same distance and pace to compare against.

[Andrew Steer]

I never really had to much of an issue breathing with my old buff, but I just bought a new one and the material seems to be ever so slightly less breathable, I can now start to feel what others are complaining about re: breathing through the buff.

Its still not suffocating, but it is harder to breath through it.

An 'old' buff will be thinner than a new one... softer etc too from use and washing over time. Like that old t-shirt your wife hates, but you sleep in as it's the most comfortable thing you own.

 

That said, I guess they could well have changed the fiber balance or materials over the years... hard to know

 

 

[Andrew Steer]

I agree with this Chris.  I am experimenting with various buffs / masks etc and can't say my ave heart rate is 'materially' impacted by even a 4 layer mask.  (Two layers with filters in between)

I have many runs over same distance and pace to compare against.

Yeah, I found 10bpm up generally if I keep my speed the same... and you should be back down to normal HR within ten minutes or so at most. Obviously age, fitness etc all way into this, but hours later... something sounds off. Get it checked out, rather safe than sorry 

[DJR]

I attributed my higher heart rate to being lazy and unfit, thanks sooooooo much for pointing out my Buff is to blame. I feel a LOT better now!

[ChrisF]

Forget buffs and masks.

 

I'd be EXTREMELY worried if my HR stayed elevated by 20 beats 3 hours after exercise and my chest felt uncomfortable.

 

You REALLY should see a doctor about that. 

 

Jip, I was very worried when I noticed the prolonged elevated hart rate ! 

 

 

BUT, during the rides my hart rate was no higher than normal, for the given level of effort .... 

 

 

First "check" was to do an IDT ride.  Normal hart rate during the exercise, and normal "return curve".

 

 

Next ride out I tried to use the buff  slightly less, but as the trails were busy it was still used a lot.  Normal BPM while riding, dropping back to 80 bpm quickly .... but still taking hours to reset properly, and the uncomfortable chest.  No pain or shortness of breath, just a "weird" feeling ....

 

 

Tuesday I did a 44km ride with about 800m of climbing (okay, the ebike does take the sting out of the climbs)  As the trails were very quiet I finally got to test the theory, riding 98% of the time with the buff down ...  NO issues with my chest.  And my hart rate reset to mid 70's quickly.

 

 

I will continue to monitor it....  Tuesday's hart reset curve was okay.  Let's see what the next ride shows.

 

 

 

PS - thanks for the input from the others as well.  I do take note that the buffs dont cause prolonged elevated hart rate for others. 

 

 

PPS - any chance this might be linked to simply being exhausted from insane work load during June ?  Thankfully the worst of this past, and I am starting to catch up on sleep ....

 

 

EDIT - just completed a 41km ride, 636m elevation.  25km before I saw the first person on the trails     Was beginning to wonder if I missed some memo of a trail closure .....     Up-side being that I only used the buff a few times on the Protea Corridor.   Also, this was a MUCH more relaxed ride.  Hart rate recovered very quickly to the 60's. 

 

Edited July 3, 2020 by ChrisF

[ChrisF]

I attributed my higher heart rate to being lazy and unfit, thanks sooooooo much for pointing out my Buff is to blame. I feel a LOT better now!

 

I tried to help you .... but seems the experts are calling our bluff ....   

[DieselnDust]

elevated heart rate after vigorous exercise isn't unusual. depends on how hard you've gone and if you've overreached on the ride/run/swim/kinkiness. What is not normal is the chest pains afterward,..... that's not normal.

[The Ouzo]

An 'old' buff will be thinner than a new one... softer etc too from use and washing over time. Like that old t-shirt your wife hates, but you sleep in as it's the most comfortable thing you own.

 

That said, I guess they could well have changed the fiber balance or materials over the years... hard to know

 

 

I say old as in age not in the amount of times used.

 

But, it is a different material.

I got it through work, and I actually got them to get the supplier to change materials after the first sample arrived. The first sample was a fleecy type material, great for keeping you warm, rubbish for breathing.

[flymango]

So. The compulsory wearing of a mask in a public place shall not apply to a person who undertakes vigorous exercise provided a 3 meter distance is kept between any other person, subject to the Minister of Health declaring what defines vigorous. Wow!

 

*Edit: Probably requires its own thread!

Edited July 13, 2020 by flymango

[Vetplant]

So. The compulsory wearing of a mask in a public place shall not apply to a person who undertakes vigorous exercise provided a 3 meter distance is kept between any other person, subject to the Minister of Health declaring what defines vigorous. Wow!

 

*Edit: Probably requires its own thread!

Ja, but it got a bit hot so everyone was told to go and ride their bikes...

 

I got the Gazette on WhatsApp in PDF format, for those interested in the actual text, see below screengrabs.

 

I for one am glad they clarified the mask use issue when exercising, reducing the need for people to make their own interpretations which inevitably causes disagreements between people with differing interpretations.

 

And the parks that are opened for exercise is also a good move in my mind.