Did I drink enough??
 

We're so blessed to have lots of humidity in the Carolinas and we had tons of it today. I think the temps hit 85+ today as well. With it being one of our first warmer/humid riding days I made it a point of drinking every 10 mins-or at least I thought I did.

I took the Prince out and did 112 miles with a lot of the ride in the afternoon temps and a nice headwind the last 40 miles or so. I refueled on fluids several times and used some of the water to dump on my head, back, etc.

When I got home I weighed myself and I was 5 lbs lighter. That's not good....not good at all. No wonder my legs were cramping so badly when I pulled into the driveway I thought I was going to have to lay it over in the grass to get stopped. Guess I'm going to have to learn to tell time a little better.

drink before you are thirsty, rest before you need too, but you already know that.112 miles in those conditions, priceless!! I would have to say you did great, now rehydrate and get ready for the next ride.

And make sure you start the ride fully hydrated. I usually start my longer rides early in the morning. I learned that I am somewhat dehydrated when I get up in the morning and need to drink a couple of glasses of water before I head out on a ride. If you start fully hydrated, it is much easier to stay hydrated.

The assumption you made is that if you drink, it will be absorbed rapidly enough to be useful. That may not be the case. The higher the temperature and humidity the more rapidly you sweat and the rate of absorption does not necessarily increase. So you need to be drinking constantly and if it is really hot and humid give your body a chance to catch up.

Don't know if you had an additive in the bottle- but after 4 or 5 bottles- I start to get a taint in the mouth that makes me not want to drink again. So I carry something with a strong taste to take the taint away on the long rides. For me that is a "Marmite" sandwich and it does two jobs. First it takes all taste away (I hate the stuff) but it also gives me an overdose of essential salts.

Seems to work for me- but The ozzie's have a very good substitute in Vegemite. Don't know if you have it over there but it does work.

But I would put it down to the bike.You probably enjoyed the ride so much you were a bit distracted on the refuelling stakes.

:eek:Marmite:eek:

112 miles would take most of us, riding regular steeds, 6 hours or more. Riding the Prince probably took the same, however, huge grins and smiling will case the rider to dehydrate faster than those just toiling along.:D A ride that long on a new bike is a big deal, nice going!

Two things to also consider. Sweating causes one to lose electrolytes resulting in cramping. Were you refueling with a sports drink with adequate electrolytes, or taking a supplement to replace the lost minerals? The rule of thumb is to drink a bottle of fluids for every hour of riding and even more when it is hot. Another thing to cause the cramping is the the new bike's fit. Riding 112 miles will identify small changes in a bike fit from what your body is conditioned too. Changing geometry just a bit will cause some muscle groups to work differently causing some to be overworked or stressed in a different sequence from the norm. On a short ride you would not experience any issues, but on extended rides the change would be significant until your body makes the adaptations to the new fit.

The extra water loss was provoked by the hotness of the bike.

You guys over there will eat anything. Marmite - Marmot - close enough.

I rode in the same warm, humid Carolina weather, a little east of you. I was ready for a great ride with my club. It was terrible. I had no speed for the first 5 miles, then I was able to hit some speed with another rider for about 10 miles. Average at the 20 mile point was a respectable 17.2, but the last 12 were awful finishing at 15.7MPH. I didn't cramp, but my legs had no strength. I took an additive in my water, but I've done that before. I think part of it is getting used to the humidity. Lord knows, we're used to heat in the Carolinas but any area west of Interstate 95 has varying humidity and this year looks like a humid one.

it was hot in Atlanta, too. the second half of my 40 mile training ride was a lot longer than I remember going out. Last 5 miles were a strain. Not being a regular long distance rider I figured it was just due to the increased distance but hmmm..... now that I think of how hot and humid it was. I was drinking a bottle an hour or better. Some church group setup shop on Silver Comet trail and was giving out free ice cold bottled water and hot dogs. I passed on the dogs but gladly took the water. Cool water for a thirsty tongue. Nice. Still that last bit of miles was tough.

The Marmot probably tastes better.

From the AFAA Manual

"Water
Adequate hydration is important for everyone, but it is especially critical
for regular exercisers to replace body fluids as dehydration is more likely
during and after prolonged exercise and can have serious consequences. At
the least, dehydration may cause decreased performance, headaches, and
constant fatigue. More serious consequences can include muscle
cramping, syncope (fainting), heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Although hyponatremia (a serious condition of over-hydration that
can disrupt the body’s sodium levels) is a potential concern for competitive
endurance athletes, the ACSM states that dehydration is a far more
common problem for most athletes and the general public, especially
those unaccustomed to strenuous activity in hot environments.

Recommendations from The ACSM’s Position Stand on Exercise and
Fluid Replacement (1996) include the following.

• Drink approximately 500 ml (~17 oz.) of fluid about 2 hours before
exercise to promote adequate hydration and allow time for excretion
of excess ingested water.

• During exercise, start drinking early and at regular intervals in an
attempt to consume fluids at rate to equal water lost through
sweating.

• Fluids should be between 59–72° F and flavored to enhance palatability
and promote fluid replacement.

• Sports drinks with proper amounts of carbohydrates and electrolytes
are recommended for events longer than 1 hour (American
College of Sports Medicine, 1996).

Additionally, check the color and quantity of your urine (it should be
clear and copious). Weigh yourself before and after exercise. For every
pound of weight lost, drink 2 cups of fluid.

AFAA recommends drinking
1–2 cups of water 5–15 minutes before your workout, and a minimum of 3
ounces every 20 minutes of exercise. During hot and humid conditions
and during prolonged and/or intense exercise, even more water is
required—drink up to 8–10 ounces every 20 minutes. After exercise,
continue to drink when thirsty, plus more. For exercise bouts lasting longer
than 90 minutes, diluted juice and/or a sports drink will add beneficial
electrolytes and help maintain blood sugar balance. After prolonged exercise,
juice is preferable because of its higher levels of carbohydrates and
electrolytes."

Sometimes it happens like that, jppe. I was only 2-3 pounds light yesterday, but I did an organized ride with lots of rest stops. I find it's a lot easier than when I'm with fast friends and I try to conserve water because they don't want to stop.
I have come home 11 pounds light after a hot climbing ride, don't want that again.

marmite

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite

yuk, yuk, yuk

Good questions. I was drinking sports drinks and also water-I would supplement with Electrolyte tablets. I take a diuretic and I know that doesn't help my situation and usually do not take it a few days leading up to a big ride.

Bike fit is pretty close to what I've been riding but it certainly could influence some of how I felt.

I did 72 miles in the west coast Florida heat this past Saturday and definitely did not drink enough. I did 12 miles to the club ride, then 47 with the club and was about out of water. Ok until then, but instead of stopping somewhere to refill the bottles I kept pushing it to go a bit farther before stopping. Not a good idea and I paid for it by getting overheated. I stopped, drank a bottle with a Nuun electrolyte tablet, and finished the ride. But I paid for it all afternoon/evening as I tried to rehydrate.

I am riding the Citrus Tour MS150 this weekend in Central FL, and plan to drink, drink, drink (with the Nuun tablets). Better to need to stop for a 'natural' break than to dehydrate and try to ride 75 miles on the second day.

Mark

This thread is a disappointment in some ways. "Did I drink enough" had some real possibilities for good stories. But no, it's all hydration talk.

My problem is that I can only take about 3 pints in an evenings drinking- and even that small amount will affect me the next day. I have tried allsorts of training to improve myself but 3 pints of a good Bordeaux and I am crocked.

Really. I was thinking "if you can still type, you haven't drunk enough" but then I realized it was about water.