Originally Posted by
rsbob
My turn. Four years ago, I got the bright idea to do a 40 mile mtb ride with temps in the mid nineties. Being confident that half of the ride - of the out and back - was shaded, I would be fine. Was not thinking too clearly about the other half of the ride in direct sunlight. Fortunately at the half way point there were restaurants and an outdoor shower. I had drank both my tall water bottles by the time the half way point arrived. So had a very large fruit juice and refilled the bottles with water. Fully clothed in biking kit, I stood under the shower on cold as I could stand it for the return trip, which just happened to be uphill. Think I dried out in less than 10 minutes.
I made it 3/4s of the way, with both water bottles empty (yup two bottles in 15 miles) but I live where the temps in the 60s are preferred. I know I could have made it home, but only on fumes and after almost passing out a week earlier on a road ride, decided to abandon. There was a town off the rail trail I was using with a Starbucks, so headed there, made the call of shame/stupidity and enjoyed a vente overly sweet mango something. Mrs RSbob showed up in 20 minutes with a bike rack, a wry smiles and the AC on full blast.
Ah, I feel your pain.
Last weekend, I had a mini-Waterloo myself. It was a good 10F cooler, and this time, we started at sea level, so that the worst of the climbing was in the cool morning air.
All the same, the more I climbed, the tireder my legs got, and by the time we got to Triunfo Pass (roughly 4000 feet of climbing), I was pretty beat. No ... not "Lay down on the roadside staring at the trees and contemplating the meaning of life" tired. Not "Flag down a passerby to come and get me" tired. But I was substantially more tired than I ordinarily would be after a climb like that. My legs also felt tired and dead ... something that is not typical for me, even on much longer rides with much more climbing.
The next day it was clear that the head cold or sinus infection I had earlier in the week had NOT cleared, as all the coughing and snot blowing returned (no, not the 'Rona ... at least I tested negative).
So maybe that was it? I rode, if at all, mostly short flat rides all this week, and as of today feel much better.
Or was it that I am just going too hard? I noticed that I got a lot of Strava PRs on Saturday. This is not a climb I do all THAT often, but at least 10 times or so in my history, so there is that. Maybe my friend is just that much faster than she used to be.
Or is it OFD (Old Fart Disease)?
I have a wellness physical coming up in a couple of weeks. I'm going to press for a more complete physical this time and really get on the cardiologist for a full work up. Every time I see one, I get the feeling that whatever my problems may be, the pale compared to the other cases they are dealing with. But I plan to be a squeaky wheel this time.