The summer of 2023 started off well for training and racing my bike
I was holding my own in the challenging group rides with guys half my age on Saturday mornings.
When I started to have some irregular heartbeats, sometimes on rides, I thought they were just spasms and ignored them.
Even when I was lying in bed, I thought the spasms were just kind of unusually interesting. Nothing was really wrong.
Then the spasms started when I was riding, and I started feeling out of breath.
I’d get light-headed and a little dizzy.
I was getting dropped in the group rides, until one week, I couldn’t keep up at all and had to stop because my heart rate would not drop.
From heart scare to comeback: My journey with ventricular tachycardia, recovery, and planning the Heart and Gravel Tour to raise funds for pediatric cardiac care.
Visit to the Doctors
I decided at this point to talk with my general practitioner doctor, who referred me right away to a heart specialist.
We did some tests, and that doctor referred me to a heart physiologist, who after at my tests, said to me: “You’re lucky you’re not dead.”
Hearing those words was a gut punch.
I was not yet 60 and a highly-trained athlete.
Why was I having heart issues?
Suddenly, the spasms I had dismissed felt like a ticking time bomb, and I realized I needed to take my heart health seriously.
Diagnosis: Ventricular Tachycardia
The tests ruled out any structural issue, and the diagnosis was ventricular tachycardia, a condition where small sections of the lining of the heart go rogue and beat out of control.
When I passed out once at home, I got to spend a couple of days in the hospital under observation.
The first ablation, a heart procedure where doctors run a tube through a groin vein into the heart and essentially burn the rogue section in September of 2023, was way more complicated than expected and took more than seven hours
I honestly wondered whether I would recover from it.
It took a long time for me to feel “normal” again.
So I Tried Gravel Racing Again
But I started training gingerly and did a couple of gravel races without incident, but, in one, my heart rate started to race and would not come down.
I was worried since we were in the middle of nowhere and I had a long way to go back to the finish. I slowed down and kept pedaling, and once my heart rate dropped, I took it easy to the finish.
The irregular heartbeats continued, so the doctors did a second ablation in October of 2024, and this one seems to have done the trick.
The ablations and recovery essentially kept me from training and racing for the last two years, and seriously made me wonder if I’d ever race again.
I’ve lost a lot of power and strength, so my training has been progressively more challenging.
Successful VO2max Test and Intervals Show Progress
I did a VO2max test at Marquette, both to test the heart and to understand the testing procedure.
My heart rate got to 174, and there were no irregular beats.
I’ve since done several HIIT interval sessions where my heart rate reached the 170s, and there have been no incidents.
So while I realize the tachycardia could return any day, I might be out of the woods.
I will admit I now watch my heart rate monitor a little more worriedly.
I’ve had a couple of random incidents during easy endurance rides where my heart rate increased to over 200, then went back down.
The doctors believe everything is okay and to carry on with training and racing.
The Heart and Gravel Comeback Tour
So now I’m planning a full season of gravel racing in 2025, culminating in gravel nationals in Minnesota in September.
For each race I do, I’m raising funds for Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee.
The Heart and Gravel Comeback Tour is a celebration of grit and perseverance, the kind of attitude that the kids at Children’s must have when faced with a heart issue diagnosis.
All the money I raise goes directly to the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Here’s the link to donate.
What are your obstacles and what are you doing to overcome them?
Share your stories with me at the races or in the comments.
Schedule for Heart and Gravel Comeback Tour
The tentative schedule is this:
March 1 Dirty South Roubaix, Alto Pass, IL 60 miles
March 22 Hell of the Wind, New Liberty, IL (Big River Gravel Series) 60 miles
April 5 Rough Road 100, Morris, IL 64 miles
April 12 Barry Roubaix, Hastings, MI 60 miles
May 3 1904, Illinois City, IL (Big River Gravel Series) 80 miles
May 10 Hungry Bear, Cable, WI 60 miles
June 7 KKD Gravel, Farmington, MN 80 miles
July 12 Burning Quad, Erie, IL (Big River Gravel Series) 80 miles
August 23 Coon Fork 40, Eau Claire, WI
September U.S. Gravel Nationals, LaCrescent, MN 88 miles
Three Things to Know About the Heart and Gravel Tour
- Listen to your body – What seemed like minor spasms turned out to be ventricular tachycardia, a serious heart condition.
- Resilience through recovery – Two heart procedures and months of uncertainty tested both physical and mental strength. The road back is tough, but steady progress, patience, and training made a comeback possible.
- Racing with purpose – The Heart & Gravel Comeback Tour isn’t just about personal achievement; it’s about raising awareness and funds for heart health, supporting kids who face similar challenges.
Need more?
Unlock the secrets to mastering gravel racing with my FREE 24-page Guide to Gravel Racing! Get yours here.
SIGN UP FOR A FREE Virtual Coffee so we can discuss your goals, ask questions, and talk about making your endurance training more effective, fun, and Simple.
Paul Warloski is a:
- USA Cycling Level 3 Advanced Certified Coach
- RRCA Running Coach
- Training Peaks Level 2 Coach
- RYT-200 Yoga Instructor
- Certified Personal Trainer
