Originally Posted by
bikenh
Not necessarily. You have to remember one thing, it all comes down to weight. You shouldn't lose all that much body weight during a long ride unless it is coming from losing water weight. Unless you replace all the water weight you have lost then you are still dehydrated to a certain extent, the extent of the weight you haven't regained. When you are riding through CA/AZ/CO/KS dealing with each of there own idosyncranisy's(sp?) you are still going to be sweating and losing water out your system. You not only have to replace that water but also the water that you previously lost...
Just so you know, I've raced in RAAM four times and officiated twice. First off, staying hydrated is the easy part, the reason that racers loose weight is not water loss but the fact that the racers are continuously running a calorie deficit. Your body can only absorb around 250-350 calories/hr (less than 9,000/day) and you are easily burning way over 15,000calories a day. I remember seeing 18,000 calories/day from one rider (that rider lost 11lbs). Even staying on top of your nutrition you are still loosing weight from body mass that has nothing to do with hydration. If a rider becomes dehydrated on RAAM their crew sucks and should be fired (even in the heat of the desert).
The reason they suggest you train in CA is that it is the hottest part of RAAM is usually the CA/AZ desert but we usually cover most of it in the first night. Slower riders will often get caught out in the heat though. Most riders who get Shermers neck during RAAM get it well after they've ridden 1000 miles and usually closer to 2000, well past the desert heat. They suggest riding in Co to acclimate to the altitude.