Weird HR reaction to climbing

[rdl03]

It's happened to me twice now, where my HR skyrockets (up to 92% of HR Max) on climbs that simply aren't that hard (7%). The first time was when I just started doing some climbing (some months ago) and today, after essentially a month off the bike, between vacation and being sick the first couple days after getting home.
What it reminds of me, more than anything, was when I was doing triathlons. I had essentially "panic attacks" when I started swimming with a wetsuit, and it took a fair amount of mental work (and learning to get some water in the wetsuit to break the suction across the chest) to overcome.
Has anyone experienced anything similar? I don't have any reason to think it's an actual heart issue.
Almost wonder 1. if my HR strap is too tight, and that's what my mind is reacting to, or 2. if there's something somehow different enough about the recumbent position that it's fooling my body into thinking that it's not getting enough air.

 

[Frito Bandito]

Not sure what the issue is, but have you tried any kind of meditating? Prior to ever getting into cycling it helped me a bit. Not only in being able to handle highly stressful situations with better focus, but also in sleeping.

 

[ratz]

It's happened to me twice now, where my HR skyrockets (up to 92% of HR Max) on climbs that simply aren't that hard (7%). The first time was when I just started doing some climbing (some months ago) and today, after essentially a month off the bike, between vacation and being sick the first couple days after getting home.
What it reminds of me, more than anything, was when I was doing triathlons. I had essentially "panic attacks" when I started swimming with a wetsuit, and it took a fair amount of mental work (and learning to get some water in the wetsuit to break the suction across the chest) to overcome.
Has anyone experienced anything similar? I don't have any reason to think it's an actual heart issue.
Almost wonder 1. if my HR strap is too tight, and that's what my mind is reacting to, or 2. if there's something somehow different enough about the recumbent position that it's fooling my body into thinking that it's not getting enough air.

Sounds like a loss of aerobic fitness; From a safety stance; throw the bike on a trainer, do a 90-minute ride at 72% FTP, and take a look a cardiac drift. (I assume since you have done triathlons, you have the gear and tools to do that) If you can't stay in HR Zone 2 at 72% of what you consider your conditioning level, then you just had an unfortunate drop due to bad timing and need a 2-week rebuild.

If it continues, get to the doctor and have them do the basics for bacterial infections, etc; There might be something in the lungs or well beyond our meager non-medical knowledge here.

 

[rdl03]

Not sure what the issue is, but have you tried any kind of meditating? Prior to ever getting into cycling it helped me a bit. Not only in being able to handle highly stressful situations with better focus, but also in sleeping.

I've been meditating for decades. So either I'm not doing it very well, or that's not the issue.

 

[rdl03]

Sounds like a loss of aerobic fitness; From a safety stance; throw the bike on a trainer, do a 90-minute ride at 72% FTP, and take a look a cardiac drift. (I assume since you have done triathlons, you have the gear and tools to do that) If you can't stay in HR Zone 2 at 72% of what you consider your conditioning level, then you just had an unfortunate drop due to bad timing and need a 2-week rebuild.

If it continues, get to the doctor and have them do the basics for bacterial infections, etc; There might be something in the lungs or well beyond our meager non-medical knowledge here.

That seems like a useful suggestion. After having a recumbent on my trainer for a couple months, I decided to punt and do my indoor training on a DF, but it seems that basic cardiac fitness "should port".
In support of your theory, intervals.icu shows a nearly 50% drop in fitness over the last month (of course it knows nothing about all the walking I did in Barcelona and Florence). I need to see if I can find the first episode, and see if something similar was true then as well.
Thanks!

 

[CruzRider]

Happens to me on new climbs.
I over exert, stop breathing and grip the bars too tight.
Depends on the weather too. Iff I have not had enough hydration, it is worse.
Does not happen on TrainerRoad, because it is a controlled environment?

Thankfully. I live in the flats. Big climbs are hard to come by.

 

[RAR2]

I read an article once that said you can lose 50% of your fitness in 12 days. If that is true I would say to start their . I always have a high HR after some days off the bike.