Looking for some feedback on something I'm experiencing. A little background—I started swimming last November "off the couch" as they say. Started triathlon training in February and have been steadily building. I've done three sprint races so far. MOP'er in my age group (45-49).

So what I've got going on is this—I had a minor bike crash a couple weeks ago. Bruised ribs and a mildly separated shoulder. It's painful at times, but I've been able to maintain run and bike training (no swim). It is improving with PT, but I'm still taking a muscle relaxer at night to help me sleep. Since the accident, I'm finding my heart rate to be noticeably higher relative to RPE than it had been. I've been taking it easy, keeping my pace and breathing very relaxed, but my HR is noticeably higher than usual for those efforts. I'm guessing this is to be somewhat expected due to the meds, or being in a little pain, or both. I'm not overly concerned at this point. I have an appointment with my GP next week so obviously I'll ask there, just wanted to see if anyone has experienced something similar.