charles vail

Hydration before the ride and in the a.m. plus throughout the day, just don't overdo it if you are in air conditioning all day. Eat a little something with potassium and sodium (bananas and something with salt) during the extreme heat. Depending on your size/weight/age you may not be eating enough. A bowl of cereal is probably 200 calories and usually loaded with sugar unless it is the healthy kind. You blood sugar probably spikes in the a.m. but I'll bet your cereal calories are used up by the time you get to work. A normal, home made sandwich is probably no more than 350 -450 calories unless you load it with extra meat, cheese and mayo. If you are say, 200 pounds, you probably need 2000 calories per day to maintain your weight and your commute is using somewhere around 500 calories @ 12 mph more or less. This is just an estimate but you can research the actual figures for your weight and energy output on the commute. You need to spread your calories evenly throughout the day among 5 or 6 smaller meals. You must get enough complete protein, either animal or vegetable and you must get sufficient vitamins through vegetables and fruit. Don't over do the carbohydrates either, especially the grain based ones even if they are complex carbohydrates. Eat vegetables instead, of many varieties and fruits to some extent, since both are loaded with water also. Stay away from foods that contain high sugar and simple carbohydrates like white rice, potatoes, white bread,candy, cookies etc. these will spike your blood sugar and are not necessary for a 12 mile, daily commute, unless you want to gain weight.

på beløb

+1, sounds like a hydration problem.

If possible, check your weight before and after a ride, if it is several lbs/kg lighter, then you're not drinking enough during the ride, heavier and it's too much.

surveyor

Just wanted to throw out one more thing - don't become a slave to the weather. All around me I see people saying that they aren't going to run/bike/(insert physical activity here) because "it is too hot." Well, if you live in a hot environment, it is much more beneficial to become used to the temperatures that are the norm where you live. Get used to it, or you will be at its mercy.

I am not saying you should be running wind sprints in the heat of the day, out in the middle of an open field, wearing plastics, until you drop. But making an effort to get used to the weather invariably results in one feeling better and able to accomplish more during the day. Simply by commuting during the heat of the day, you are helping yourself by becoming more adapted to local weather conditions. Your body will adjust, and will thank you with more energy during the time that you spend outside doing tasks other than cycling.

peabodypride

Wow, surveyor. Great advice. Sometimes I will get rattled at by mum for going out on a long-distance ride when it hits a high of 95+. The simple matter is one must simply adapt. For me I think of 12n to 1pm as the "crucial hour"--when the temperature peaks at my area. That hour I will usually spend eating lunch, resting under a tree, etc.

Plus, you get to look very manly after riding all day through high heat.

harleyfrog

+1 on hydration and +1 on "getting your cycling legs". My first commute was a lot like that (heck, my commute this morning was like that, but only because I up the mileage by about 50%. ) As far as food, I eat steel cut oats and orange juice in the morning at least one hour before I ride (that way it's got time to actually get into my system), drink plenty of water en route, have a granola bar and/or a banana or some fruit with more water once I reach my destination. (Oh, and I travel 10.5 miles normally, but today I rode 16 miles because I left from the house rather than driving part way. YMMV )

I also keep a couple granola bars handy for an afternoon snack. May add some fig newtons to that mix, too. For a 6 mile commute, food shouldn't be a problem, but if that's what it turns out to be, you're probably better off with something like fig newtons rather than a Powerbar-like snack; the sugars get into you blood stream faster than complex carbs will, and newtons have both, so win-win (at least short term).

Also, are keeping a high cadence? You should aim for somewhere between 80-100 RPM, that will keep your legs fresh.

Good luck and keep it up.

lmxloco

+1 In past years I said I wasn't going out in temps, or heat indexes above 95. This year I've decided to throw that out the window and cycle regardless. I keep myself much better hydrated in the higher heat, but I can definitely tell a difference in my tolerance of it.

In previous years when the temps rose above 90 or so I could just stand outside and sweat. Now, the heat doesn't bother me nearly as bad. I still try and avoid riding hard in the heat as much as possible (going home later in the day rather than at 4), but getting used to the heat is definitely a plus in the long run.

Angus37

Agreed! Temperatures easliy get into the 110s here during the summer but things still need to be done. When it is that hot outside, temperatures in the 90s and 100s actually feel pretty good. I really don't mind the hot ride home provided my headwind isn't too bad (which it usually is).

545h4

I've been stashing the following in my desk and about 1 hour before I leave I eat what is in the parentheses:

- jar of peanut butter (1 tbs)
- box of prepacked Bear Naked granola (1 small bag)
- tub of almonds and walnuts (1 handful)
- couple of boxes of Fiber One snack bars (1 bar)

These things hold up well as stored foods, and I have noticed a difference in my energy levels when I get home. When I used to have a trainer at the gym, he made me keep a jar of peanut butter in the car and have a tablespoon before my workouts. I would recommend natural peanut butter over Jif, Skippy, etc as they have quite a bit of refined sugar in them and that won't sustain you...

I also make a point of drinking at least 2 liters of water while I am at work. I'd rather have to stop somewhere to go to the bathroom on the way home than be super dehydrated!!!

Take care of yourself!!!

jterribili

+1 - absolutely agree - ride, you fools, ride! i laugh at the weather gods...hahahaha

year round, any weather!

HardyWeinberg

Definitely drink a lot of water. I probably eat 1000-1200 calories' worth from breakfast through when I hit the road at the end of the workday.

Freakin'Chickin

I'm quite busy in the "exercise thing": training for cross-country races/general running each day that I don't have university rugby practice, along with picking up ice canoeing practice once a week in autumn... and the usual kayak/hike-run/mtn bike long rides in weekends. Oh, and commute every day, in every weather, a 15 mi round trip. So I usually have a big food intake, but I'm trying to vary in size and quantity. I don't like having big meals, so I eat often during my day, usually breakfast with full-grain cereals, toasts and juice at 7, then leave to work by bike, grab a fruit + water when I enter my office around 8, then having an am snack of fruit and carbs (homemade muffin/banana bread/cake, granola bars, cereals), sometimes milk or yogurt in between 10-10h30.

Lunch is usually very diverse, but most of the time with carbs, lean proteins, veggies. Then an afternoon snack around 4, basically same stuff as the morning, except if it's a big rugby training around 6 or 7. If so, pb on top of a bagel with fruit, granola with yogurt, little portion of pastas. It all depends on the intensity/duration of my evening training. Longer activity = more food before. I like to cut my supper in two when I train lots in the evening. For the normal run/cycle/rowing (an hour max) after the commute, I prefer to have a good snack first and then supper.

Oh, and +1, DONT skip on hydration. Water is perfect all day long... no sugary sodas, half juice/half water sometimes to change, or during the afternoon commute. If you are a coffee drinker, take good care fo staying well hydrated during your day. Keep your snacks varied, and bake some! (...when I have time, not often enough though.... )

Cheers!

starla

I agree wholeheartedly with this post. Temps here are now over 100º for the highs. I've been riding since the end of March and although the heat does not exactly feel good, I am pretty accustomed to it.