Fifty Plus (50+) - Ever gotten sick while riding?

Today was a beautiful day to ride in NC. Temps on the low 80's, low humidity and a little breeze.

I had planned to do a long ride today as most of the rides I've done the last few weeks have been in the 30-40 mile range. I have several centuries coming up over the next 6 weeks and just wanted to do something today with some mileage and not worry about speed. The plan was to end up over at the in-laws house and the route I'd chosen would be just a hair under 100 miles. My wife would meet me over there and bring me back home after supper.

I didn't feel great to begin with.......I think that had more to do with the Mexican food last night for supper. You'd think I'd know better by now. At about 65 miles I just started feeling pretty puny.......I started to lose energy like you do when you get the flu or a bug. I pressed on but found myself spending a lot of time grinding away in the 39 into a headwind.

I thought about pulling over and having someone come get me but I kept going. At about 85 miles I stopped at a store and got a coke and ate a pack of peanut butter crackers. The coke picked me up a little and I struggled in the last 10 miles. I was getting chills, fever, etc so I must have picked up a bug somewhere.

Funny, but I mentioned to someone just the other day that since I started riding 5 years ago I had not come close to getting sick. I could definitely tell something wasn't right as I was getting deeper into today's ride.

At least my Mother-in-law had baked up a wonder apple pie that we enjoyed for desert. For a little while I forgot how bad I was feeling.

Ever gotten sick while riding and how did you deal with it?

Aside from bonking, I had to run off into a vineyard for several minutes once. One thought that came to me while waiting in there was sympathy for women in the woods. I had maybe 30 miles to "go" to get back home that day. I kept looking for orchards, ditches, etc. just in case. It took 2 more emergency stops, once at a park and another at a construction site portapotty. Talk about the small ring....no matter what gear I tried it was too much effort, too little speed, and home too far away. I saw my driveway and it was like Mother's arms opening.

Sick. INcludes injuries. Severed my rotor cuff. Hope such actions only occur every 100,000 miles. Only had to walk two miles to get to a telephone.

No - but started out sick and only got better.
cycling is alternative medicine

Hey, jppe, do you have any allergies to something that may be just coming out? I sometimes get like what you described if I'm exerting myself and injesting a lot of the wrong kind of pollen. My energy level goes way down and I run a low fever and ache a lot. I don't usually get that way bike riding, but it has happened to me a few times when spending a couple of hours mowing grass. A lawn mower can really kick up a huge amount of pollen!

A few times doing intervals I've come dangerously close to puking, but I don't think that is what you have in mind.

Yes, when I first had symptoms of my atrial fibrillation.

I did 25 miles, and had no energy the entire ride. When I finally got to the trail "Y" 1/2 mile from my home I didn't think I was going to make it home. My irregular heart beat was going about 160 resting, and I apparently had a BP of about 80/60.

Not a fun experience.

Yes, when I first had symptoms of my atrial fibrillation.

I did 25 miles, and had no energy the entire ride. When I finally got to the trail "Y" 1/2 mile from my home I didn't think I was going to make it home. My irregular heart beat was going about 160 resting, and I apparently had a BP of about 80/60.

Not a fun experience.

Don't get sick very often and I put that down to my fitness. Get the odd muscle or back ache that does cause a problem but never on a ride. If the legs are tired or a muscle aching then it will be a short ride or a slower one.

However I get the occasional migraine. I know a few hours before it comes on so can prepare for one but I was riding in London a few years ago and I felt the migraine come on. Nothing I could do but it escalated quicker than I realised and Had to abort the planned ride- find a tree in a quiet park and lie down for a couple of hours.

Hyponatremia (Low Salt) did me in
on a hot day once. But I got off my
diruretic medicine and it has never
happened again, and I even ride 30
or more miles on days it is 114 degrees.

Yes, once, but after I had my perforated appendix removed I felt much better!

I got a bad case of bronchitis in the first few days of riding around England. I think it was a local bug and all the coal smoke in the air. I was fine from Gatwick to Brighton, but by the time I made it to Hastings I was in terrible shape.

I think it's just withdrawals from green chile! Hope you get well quickly.

Had Giardia when I was 3000 miles into a cross country tour, started taking the same meds my friends were taking and it hurt my stomach so I stopped taking it. After that the Giardia went crazy and I quit the ride in Kentucky. I had that sickness for a month.

Had Giardia when I was 3000 miles into a cross country tour, started taking the same meds my friends were taking and it hurt my stomach so I stopped taking it. After that the Giardia went crazy and I quit the ride in Kentucky. I had that sickness for a month.

Ouch. Must have been a real letdown. I rode with strepthroat for a few days. I should have stayed home in bed, and a few days later I could barely stand up. Needed antibiotics, and got better after 3-4 days.