Illinois MS 150, or how I learned to stop worrying and love long-chain maltodextrin

I can now wax poetic on the beauty of the humble soybean plant and the fragrance of the pig slurry! Farm roads are wonderfully quiet but we would have been grateful for some shade or forested areas.

It was dang hot - 98 on Saturday and 96 on Sunday and many people (1600 participated) swooned in the heat and had to sag to the finish. Several cases of hypoetremia (?) where they didn't take in enough electrolytes with their drinking. I was using Honey Stingers (gel) because I thought that "natural" would be better than all those artificial gels. At one of the reststops they had Hammer gel and I thought, what the heck, I'll give it a try 'cause I'm flagging. WHOA! What a boost! So I'm converted to better living through chemistry, I guess! ;)

My ride partner, Connie, felt really bad during the hottest part of Saturday and we could only go about five miles before she got extremely flushed and had to stop under some shade, dousing herself with water. Our average speed was "turtle" but we made it to the end - as it slowly cooled off she started feeling better. Later that night, she figured out it was lack of salt - she's an extremely salty sweat-er and she was using a new sports powder that didn't have as much salt in it. When she switched to Powerade, she felt much better and we rode MUCH faster on Sunday without any trouble. I'd like to know the chemistry behind the body's cooling mechanism and how sodium is important - it was like she couldn't sweat when she got so overheated. Maybe close to heatstroke? I don't know.

Lots of fun people to chat with on the road - lots of purty, purty boys (I'm only appreciating them as works of art - really!) lots of bikes to lust after (don't tell my bike!). One guy was riding an Orbea, the Euskadel orange and blue version that was so cool. Lots of really cute jerseys. I rode with long sleeves for sun protection and they actually weren't that much hotter - it felt good to not have the sun beating down on my forearms all day long.

We had one flat to fix and it was a rear tire on Connie's bike. My bike had a loose headset (I felt a shimmy right from the start of the ride) but the wrench boys at one of the reststops fixed me up. It's amazing what will shake loose on those farm roads.

Yes, I'll do it again! Why was I so worried I wouldn't make it? The MS folks took such good care of us!

Congrats! How was that Brooks saddle - were your sit bones happy?

way to go nuthatch, good job staying hydrated. any chance we can find out how much you raised in pledges and I'll post that to the board.

woooohooooooooooo nuttie - way to go!! I KNEW you could do it!! 150 miles eh??....dangnabit - that means I've got to get out there and do that now! (no competition here! ;) )
and you get the She-Ra Tiara!!! wheeeeeeeeeeeeee

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Originally Posted by aka_kim

Congrats! How was that Brooks saddle - were your sit bones happy?

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Well, I rode my Marin with the Selle Italia saddle so my sit bones were pretty happy, but I've got to say they were toughened by ole Brooksie in preparation for the ride!! My tender parts were, however, chafed from so many hours - I tend to angle my saddle nose up a bit for everyday and this probably was the trouble because I ended up in the drops alot because it just felt more efficient for the long days.

I think I might be turning the corner on the Brooks. I came within a hair of sending it back to Wallingford last week, then I stopped by Performance and was talking to one of the fellows there about it. He said he thought Brooks saddles were torture devices but a couple of the older guys who worked there rode Brooks and loved them. He came out and pushed on the saddle and said "OMG! This thing is like iron! The other guys' saddles are soft and supple!" That made me feel like there was hope for the future, so I'll keep riding it. I also saw a well worn Brooks on somebody's bike during this MS150. It looked like a very old shoe designed to be worn on your butt! Ugly but probably so comfy!

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any chance we can find out how much you raised in pledges and I'll post that to the board.

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Not too much, unfortunately! I'm one of those wimply fundraisers. I got $425 this time but I going to try to double it next year! Thanks for all your encouragement, fellers!!

Hey There Neighbor!!!

I logged on to look for your report on your MS ride ... have been thinking about you all week-end and sending lots of good thoughts your way :)

I will definately keep the Hammergel in mind for my MS ride in August.

DH and I rode in the Menominee (MI) River Century this past week-end ... this was my longest single day ride (75 miles) and I can tell you that by the last 15 miles when my legs were feeling like blocks of wood and I could feel every single stitch in my saddle (I swear I had Selle San Marco in reverse on my derriere :) ) I had serious doubts that I could get up the next morning and ride another 75 miles.

I'm so excited to hear that you finished the MS ride ... good for you! Awesome and Congratulations.

I hope you had a double double in celebration ... as in almond joy ice cream.

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Originally Posted by Biking Chick

I hope you had a double double in celebration ... as in almond joy ice cream.

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Dang! I forgot the ice cream!!! How could I have passed right by Oberweiss Dairy and not stopped for ice cream! Blast it!!

Interesting to read your post re hydration. I've always seemed not only to perspire more than most people, but my perspiration seems very salty (no, I don't compare mine to others).

I recently switched from plain water or alternating with replacement drinks to drinking "ultima replenisher," a sports drink with no simple sugars, during all my cardio off or on the bike (note, no commercial interest). I feel better both during and after. I used to feel waterlogged and headachy after a hard workout--I think it was from too much water without enough electrolytes.

Ultima replenisher isn't easy to find, but it's worth it. It comes in both tubs and packets. PS, I don't care for the wild berry flavor, but perhaps that's just me.

Congrats on do the 150 in hot humid weather. I believe you get extra credit for that! ;)

Interesting you mention Ultima - I started using it a few weeks ago when Nashbar had a two for one sale of it. It works great for rehydration but I was puzzled that one of the ingredients was iron - 17% of the RDA. Most people don't need extra iron in their diets and I wonder what was the logic in adding it. Does it facilitate the absorbtion of something else? I know it's hard on the stomach for some people and gives the drink a bit of a "vitamin" taste.

I hadn't noticed that (the print is awfully small, isn't it?). I've read some vague mentions re losing iron via perspiration, but I don't know that's the basis for it.

They do change their formula from time to time. When I first started using it, it was sweetened with stevia--which had a bit of an aftertaste.

I've read in several online biking guides recently that long-distance athletes tend to be low on iron which may explain why they added it. and depending on how many mg you're getting - it may not upset the stomache that much.

So where can I find this "ultima"?......it sounds like something I might want to look into.

I've seen it in running stores but Nashbar.com has it as well.

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Originally Posted by nuthatch

Dang! I forgot the ice cream!!! How could I have passed right by Oberweiss Dairy and not stopped for ice cream! Blast it!!

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There are no statues of limitations on WHEN one may collect on their quota of apres bike ice cream ;)

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Originally Posted by Biking Chick

There are no statues of limitations on WHEN one may collect on their quota of apres bike ice cream ;)

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Allrighty then! I've got Oberweiss here in Chicago and Graeter's when I visit down in Kentucky for the 4th!

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Originally Posted by Biking Chick

There are no statues of limitations on WHEN one may collect on their quota of apres bike ice cream ;)

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Hey, Wisconsin Girl! When Petunia and I went to Salt Lake City for the Little Red Riding Hood we went to Nielsen's Frozen Custard. Petunia is from Wisconsin and an ice cream fiend. She kept telling me about frozen custard so I finally got to sample. Yummmmm-meee!!

Kalifornia is defiinitely lacking in frozen custard selection, now the cheese. . . :p