It was hard the last 7 miles, I struggled. But I ride at MINGO CREEK COUNTY PARK because it's paved & there are hills. The first 20 miles were good -- right on pace for 10 miles in 60 minutes... I discovered that peanut butter crackers did better than granola bars. Coconut water was GOOD. I don't like the taste, but my recovery was quick.
After my ride you couldn’t have bribed me to climb stairs. I'm not even sure I could do it backwards. I don't hurt, I'm fatigued. Shower ASPERCREME & Tylenol. Triple date night.
I wore sunscreen. Sport, 70 spf. I don't think it worked, I may have to re-apply at some point during the race. I didn’t feel like it worked well enough.
The last three miles, I've got to get better fueling when I’m riding. I'm going to try coconut water instead of the sport drink. I need more after 20 miles. Maybe it's time to invest in sport gels.
I’m burning a lot of calories/energy & not replacing it. It really showed in my last 10 mile times because I was riding the same course. My body is rebelling because I need more calories.
Maybe there's a buffet on one of the RACE LOOPS??
And you know what? I know I mess around and joke: I’m just going for a 30 mile bike ride, but this is SERIOUS athletic stuff. Maybe it's time to really treat my body that way?
My problem is, I EXHIBITED THE SAME SYMPTOMS about mile 25 with LOW BLOOD SUGAR. It's from extreme exercise. It's not really a WALL. It's a medical problem I've got to deal with if I'm going to make the second half of my ride without being taken to the hospital.
I feel it when I begin to get COLD and clammy. Then I become panicked and disoriented.
Don't get me wrong, I put myself out there today in those conditions ON PURPOSE. Because that's most likely what I'm going to have to deal with. I need to combat these medical issues NOW.
Even if I start at 6:30am and take refueling/resting stops every hour, I'm still going to be riding at NOON.
Here's the fun part of today: the down hill? I had it up to 29.8 mph and the Park speed limit is 15 mph!!!!
It's not so much the monotonous-ness of a "loop", but the terrain is lethal. I won't encounter those type of hills in Indiana OR Illinois. I tense because I know the hills are coming and there's no WAY to avoid them. I just slog through it the best I can -- I know it's helping make me stronger. But hills should be for SHORT mileage. Runners do them on Off Running Days.
I even blew the chain after mile 12 shifting on a hill. I had to fix it and I was surprised how quickly it went back on.
I realize all this IS making me stronger. But as the mileage gets higher, I also want to avoid injury. I was really pushing it yesterday on those hills & knew it would be easy to blow a muscle as easy as the chain.
Do I feel ready in 19 days to do 50 miles? No.
But I’m not afraid.
In the meantime, I’m hoping to get out there next week for ONE MORE LONG 35 mile ride before I taper…
