Wake Up Call
Yesterday was a wake up call for me. After returning from a vacation at Cape Cod, I went on my last long bike ride before the Duke HIM. Temps up there were a cool 65-70 degrees for the last couple of days, and buttered lobster was everywhere. Wanting to ride the course, I drove to the race site and started off at around noon. I wasn't prepared...for quite a few things.The first hour saw 20 miles go by without a hitch. Not bad, I thought. The second hour saw only 13 miles. The road was full of 18-wheelers and construction trucks and I was constantly pelted by their flying debris. I was almost run of the road by a construction crew truck escorting cars past a resurfacing project and had to ditch on the shoulder. After a few minutes rest and an equipment check, I was back in business and rode hard for a while longer.
By this time the temperature was 97 degrees, probably hotter on the road. Salt crystals were forming on my skin, dehydration was setting in, and my legs started cramping really hard. I didn't anticipate the heat, and hadn't even looked at the weather forecast. Luckily, my head was clear, but it wouldn't stay that way with more hard riding, so I slowed down. I ran completely out of water and had to stop three times to fill up. One stop was a random house at the side of the road. After a short chat with the extremely nice owner, the well water went down nice and cool.
I limped back to the car, and barely rode over 10 mph for the last 15 because of the cramps and my overall sorry condition. I cursed myself for being so stupid. I've been in heat before and have seen the damage it can do. I've called in med-evac helicopters for heat stroke victims, and known people who have come close to death. It takes a long time to replenish water and electrolytes, and I put myself dangerously close to a serious state.
Lessons learned:
1) I will not train for a long time in hot conditions.
2) I will do long rides on the weekends.
3) I will always carry more water than I think I need.
4) I will take salt tablets during long rides; or find some other way to get more sodium.
5) I will be more prepared for the upcoming race and other events in general.
6) I have a hard head and need to make mistakes in order to truly appreciate the consequences.
posted by Battman @ 8:07 AM
2 Comments:
Tried to post this earlier, but blogger was eating my comments...
anyway, had to laugh at this post. Been there. That 83-mile ride on the pb&j, orange and gatorade? yeah, not by design, just poor planning!
FYI... I'll try to post the nutrition plan I used for White Lake versus what I plan for Duke before the week is out.
I'm glad you remembered your MC training and realized that you were suffering from hydration problems before it was too late. Also, thanks for posting your lessons learned we can all benefit from them.
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