20 miles!

[qcuthbert]

I completed my first 20 miles today. I did it in 2 hrs which was weird because I was at 10 miles in 40 min. I really enjoyed it. What are some suggestions to make for my ride and some after my ride? Oh I decided to do a half century ride in the fall!

[qcuthbert]

17649

[Catrin]

Congratulations and enjoy the ride! It isn't so weird that your second 20 was slower, terrain can change, and you may have been tiring before you realized it. Your first 20 miles ride is a great milestone!

[ny biker]

Great!! We had a bit of a breeze today not to mention crazy humidity. That sort of thing can slow you down.

Make sure you're drinking enough in this hot weather. As your rides get longer you'll also want some snacks, including something salty when it's hot out.

[Owlie]

Good job!

Snacks and plenty of water/some kind of sports drink. Gatorade/Powerade will work in a pinch, but I find them too sweet and lacking in other electrolytes beyond sodium. After the ride, salty snacks and protein. (I love beef jerky for this purpose, and I get the spicy stuff to "trick" myself into drinking a bit more water.)

[lauraelmore1033]

Go You! You look radiant.

[qcuthbert]

Ok. Yeah it was so humid still is this time of night. I caught a headache about 1hr or so into it. It was awesome. I will make sure to get snacks or some electrolytes.

[qcuthbert]

Riding makes me happy. I feel like it's my way of freeing my body and getting back to be mobile without so much pain. I am grateful I found it.

[lauraelmore1033]

Riding makes me happy. I feel like it's my way of freeing my body and getting back to be mobile without so much pain. I am grateful I found it.

I could have written those words myself! Actually, I think you touched on how a lot of us feel about cycling.

[smittykitty]

Kinda like being a kid again! Welcome, but be careful, cycling can be very addictive.

[ny biker]

Snacks are for energy, and the electrolytes are to keep your body chemistry safe. You need both. Electrolyte imbalance iis dangerous.

Hyponatremia (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/basics/definition/con-20031445) link.

When they mention cutting back on water, they mean in relation to the amount of sodium in your blood. Don't restrict water!

Conveniently, Nancy Clark has a recent blog post that's relevant. http://blog.nancyclarkrd.com/2015/06/03/salt-sodium-and-summer-sweat/

[salsabike]

Conveniently, Nancy Clark has a recent blog post that's relevant. http://blog.nancyclarkrd.com/2015/06/03/salt-sodium-and-summer-sweat/

Very sensible, what Nancy Clark has to say about sodium. Thanks for posting that link. I know there will be some exceptions--racing, ultra endurance events, climate, individual differences, etc.--but still, her advice on this makes good sense to me.

[Pax]

Riding makes me happy. I feel like it's my way of freeing my body and getting back to be mobile without so much pain. I am grateful I found it.

I totally feel you on this, mobility is something many take for granted, but not those of us who've lost it. Congrats on the ride!

[Crankin]

Heat, humidity, wind, how much sleep you've had, and nutrition all play a huge part in speed when you are riding. The fact that you had a headache is a sign that something (dehydration and/or heat exhaustion) was going on. The sources listed are great reading about this stuff. Everyone is different, and it takes some experimentation to find out what kind of hydration and fuel works for you under different conditions. But, it makes a world of difference when you are well fed and hydrated.

[qcuthbert]

Reading that article I'm pretty sure it was a dehydration headache. Gatorade taste like salt so I will have to experiment with some other options. I really do appreciate the feedback

[Sky King]

Could have been a wind factor too. Whenever I am just cruising along enjoying myself I try to remember to do a wind check (look for flags or simply turn around and ride a couple hundred yards) let's me be realistic so I don't run out of steam if I am doing an out and back

[netskyblue]

Wow congrats! 20 miles is my goal for this season (my first season riding). So far, my max has been about 13 1/2. What's your next goal?

[OakLeaf]

It really depends on your diet whether you need to supplement salt or not, especially for rides under two hours. If you're eating salty snacks and/or salting your regular food, you may not need extra sodium supplements in your drinks. You can do the old trick of weighing yourself nude before and after a ride - that will give you an idea of how much water you've lost via sweat - and then figure that you've lost 500 to 1000 mg sodium in each liter of sweat. That varies from person to person, and for any individual, it varies depending on how well acclimated we are to the heat - conserving sodium in sweat, while sweating more heavily, is one of the ways we acclimate.

If Gatorade tastes salty to you, it could be your body telling you your sodium level is okay. Heat stress by itself can cause a headache even without dehydration. When the weather's this hot, you can freeze your bottles ahead of time and have cold water for at least the first 45 minutes or so of a ride, which really helps cool your body. Try just plain water and see whether that helps.

Congrats on your milestone!

[qcuthbert]

I am not sure but I will say just increase it by 5 miles every week...I really just enjoy exploring my city by the way of my bike. It's pretty fun. The summer is turning out to be beautiful so why not!

[Sharon N.]

I have nothing amazing to add, just congrats on your first 20m! I actually did my first over 20 ride yesterday and can so relate to how it feels. :)

[kernowcyclist]

Wow, 20 miles is GOOD! And you're so right, riding makes us happy. It frees us and relaxes us and gives us time for *us*.

My longest round trip so far is about 15, but there are some fierce hills en route, so I sort of count that as the equivalent to 20 ridden on the flat ;-)! Like you I'm just learning the value of proper hydration. It's only now I've started to make use of my water carrier and this week for the first time i added some tablet to my bottle to replace electrolites (I have no idea what they are but they're good, so DH tells me) and boy I needed that water as I gasp my way up those hills. I must remember to drink plenty at home to keep hydration up. We just got a fridge freezer with a chilled water dispenser in the door, which I've found a great incentive to drink more water.

[qcuthbert]

My next goal is to do 25 miles. Life got in the way of me riding consistently like I was. I rode 10 miles this morning and boy my buttocks is tight..I love riding!

[ny biker]

My next goal is to do 25 miles. Life got in the way of me riding consistently like I was. I rode 10 miles this morning and boy my buttocks is tight..I love riding!

If you're interested, there's a 23-mile Oxon Hill club ride on Saturday morning at a C pace (10-12 mph avg) starting in Indian Head. PM me if you'd like details.

Life has gotten in the way of me riding consistently, too, and all this rain hasn't helped. I did manage to get out for a while after work on Tuesday.

[azfiddle]

Way to go- just keep riding and adding a little more. Terrain, heat, energy- all kinds of things can affect your speed. Keep it up - and all that advice about hydration, electrolytes and nutrition are good.

[qcuthbert]

If you're interested, there's a 23-mile Oxon Hill club ride on Saturday morning at a C pace (10-12 mph avg) starting in Indian Head. PM me if you'd like details.

Life has gotten in the way of me riding consistently, too, and all this rain hasn't helped. I did manage to get out for a while after work on Tuesday.
Yes ma'am. I would like the details on this club

[Lelani Carver]

Great job! Take that advice about hydration and electrolytes seriously. On to your next milestone!