Heat and hills...ever had this happen??

[Celeste]

Ok, I was on my second week of hill training this week. We went out to Chappell Hill, TX with my TNT group for our weekly training ride.

This is a very hilly area and a lot of riders go here to train for the hills. Planned route was to be 65 miles....I only got to 50 miles. Those hills were really kicking my butt!!

Coach said I was doing well, I just had to convince myself that I could do it. Well, I did most of it! I started to lack concentration. I kept pushing and pushing and getting up hill after hill....no flats! 20 miles in was our first break...another 20 miles and second break.

After that I started to fade...I was having to stop after each hill and catch my breath...psych myself up for the next couple of hills or one hill even. On those stops (which were very short moments)....I found myself being very hot, and getting chills with goose bumbs on my arms.

I just could not talk myself into doing more hills! Is this what is known as bonking? Or did I catch it in time?

After feeling this way about mile 50 I sagged in to the end. Felt kind of lame...I have never felt this way on the bike before. Anyone experience this or something like it?

[mimitabby]

doesn't sound like bonking, sounds like you were going into heat exhaustion!

were you drinking enough?

[crazycanuck]

Hey Celeste,

Could I ask how much you had to drink while on your ride? What about eating? I've been informed we need to ingest min 50g of carbs an hour-perhaps others may have other info..Ensure you're hydrated before the ride as well.

We just finished our summer down here & did quite a few hilly rides in the heat. The only thing i can say is hydrate & bear with the hills.

I struggle in the heat as well so don't panic.

C

[Grog]

Food? Drink? On difficult rides I tend to "forget" to eat and drink.

[Running Mommy]

Chills + goosebumps = trouble!
Sounds like a heat illness to me. I wouldn't be surprised if you feel sluggish for the next few days. Almost like you are coming down with something. If you do, then BINGO! It was the heat, not your lack of motivation.
It's heating up here in the southwest, so it's time to really watch our hydration. Not just DURING the training, but before and after as well. Also make sure you are taking in enough sodium.
Be careful out there!
Denise

[Celeste]

Goodness! I guess I am glad I stopped now after hearing your comments.

Yes, I was drinking and eating. I thought it was enough. We had just finished a rest stop with a light lunch at mile 40. I ate half ham sandwich, salty pringles (chips) and a yummy little debbie brownie. I drank one full sport bottle (part water part Gatorade) first 20 miles and a full bottle the second 20. With the heat, maybe it was not enough.

However, I will say, on Friday, I was so thirsty! I just could not drink enough water! I drank a lot and I was still thirsty. So maybe that carried over to Saturday's ride.

Also, I usually have a waist belt Camel Back that holds 48 ounces and I forgot it at home this week. Also forgotten was my sport watch that I have set to go off every 45 minutes to remind me to eat a bite or two of my Cliff bar I have stuffed in my pocket.

With those two things left at home...I can see now that it is possible for me not to have eaten regularly and keep sipping on water enough to keep me going. I guess I was a little fuzzy headed at 4am

[Grog]

I think the rule of thumb is to drink about 1 bottle (600ml) an hour in fair weather... in HOT weather, I'd up this quite a bit, maybe 1 1/2? So one bottle per 20 miles sounds like very little to me, especially if it was really hot.

A bite or two every 45 minutes is also not very much, even if you actually do it... Eating every 20 minutes might be more in tune with your energy needs, on rides longer than an hour...

[MaineMaid]

Tnanks for posting this Celeste; I'm still so very new at cycling. I went for my first 40-miler about a week ago and the ride was hilly. After the first 3 or 4 hills I had to stop just like you did, just to "catch up" and then I experienced the goosebumps and chills. I knew to stop and rest and not push it any further.
After the ride, I realized I must have been dehydrated and since I'm such a newbie I didn't/don't have the experience to judge this correctly...yet.
Anyway, the next ride I used a camelbak,(borrowed from a friend), and did much better. I also, ahem, set my own pace instead of trying to keep up with everyone else. That seems to be one of my downfalls, however it's a very steep learning curve for me and now I'm quite content to be at the back, grinding up the hills, sloowwwllly ....steadily....slooooollly.... st...ea...dily.

Jan

[Kimmyt]

That happened to me last year. i don't do well in heat (and a humid heat that we get out here, at that) and went on a 45 minute ride with one bottle of gatorade. Majorly bonked, almost passed out, on one of the last hills. After that I installed a behind-the-seat double bottle cage and now carry 3 bottles on really hot rides.

I also try and load up on electrolyte drinks (Cytomax or Gatorade or some such) from lunchtime till when I ride so that I'm super hydrated and that seems to help.

K.

[Geonz]

Chills when it's hot: NOT.

That's not the same as pushing through being tired; it's sensibly stopping when the physiology has gone out of balance.

[spokewench]

That's heat exhaustion. Your body cannot get rid of the heat quick enough, thus the chill bumps. You were right to stop if you had that option. Drinking plenty of water is good and you will get better at hills (hard efforts and heat), but you always have to be very careful about this.

Not, that I'm that great at listening to my own advice. but, I remember a mountain bike race in California where it was close to 98 or so degrees and most of the climbing (long extended) was in the open - no trees. Almost everyone was quitting because of heat related issues. I was really bummed cause I was in second place (the best I had ever done to that point in my race career). I was climbing up the hill and had chill bumps on my arms and legs and kept telling myself, just go into survival mode, drink lots, and go slow, just keep going. I did that and when I hit the top of the last big hill, I was still in second place. THEN, I broke my chain! Oh, I thought I would just die! I dnf'd - just had to coast back and walk, etc. It was quite a dissappointment after I had survived that grueling race!

[Celeste]

Thanks for the input ladies! I really appreciate it. Glad I am not the only one these things happen to. We have another big training ride tomorrow and I must say I am a bit nervous.

I have been hydrating really well for the past few days. But tomorrow is to be warm and quite possibly over 86 degrees. Yikes!

Today, I invested in a couple of 24oz Polar insulated bottles that I can load up with ice and water/gatorade mixture. And I will NOT forget my waist Camel Back...that will be another 48oz...So, with 96 ounces of fluid on my person and bike...Hopefully I will make it to the finish...

I gotta finish this week!! Our big ride is June 3rd. I have just been telling myself all day..."You did 50 miles in Chappell Hill last week!" over and over again to remind me that I did not do all that badly.
Psyching myself up...

[maillotpois]

I've coached the Tahoe ride for TNT since about 2001 (this year we're coaching Death Ride instead). Tahoe won't be as hot as it sounds like your training has been - but since it's at altitude you will really have to monitor hydration at that ride.

Here's a thread that recently discussed training for altitude: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...light=altitude

Last weekend, I did DMD and it was mid 90's and just brutally hot on the Hamilton climb - one thing that worked well for me is putting ice in the sports bra. You have to really bring your core body temp down when you are starting to overheat. Keeping your water cool is also going to help so it's good you got those bottles!

Also, think about taking your helmet off and getting your head and hair super wet. (Put your helmet back on of course!) This can really help.

And let your coach know how concerned you are about finishing the ride and ask them to monitor how much you're eating and drinking and see if they think you're getting enough.

Good luck.

Go team!

[Celeste]

Thanks a million Sarah!! I need all the coaching points I can get!

Getting my head wet is a great idea...I only did that *after* the ride last week. I will be sure to keep that in mind for tomorrow *during* the ride. It feels so good to put cold water on a hot head!

I don't think I would have thought of ice in the bra...but another good idea!

I will be sure to talk to my coaches (who ever is riding in the back with me ) about my finishing, hydrating and eating. Yup! I am "Tail-End-Charlie"! But it comes with perks like having a coach with you almost all the time.

[wannaduacentury]

Goodness! I guess I am glad I stopped now after hearing your comments.

Yes, I was drinking and eating. I thought it was enough. We had just finished a rest stop with a light lunch at mile 40. I ate half ham sandwich, salty pringles (chips) and a yummy little debbie brownie. I drank one full sport bottle (part water part Gatorade) first 20 miles and a full bottle the second 20. With the heat, maybe it was not enough.

However, I will say, on Friday, I was so thirsty! I just could not drink enough water! I drank a lot and I was still thirsty. So maybe that carried over to Saturday's ride.

Also, I usually have a waist belt Camel Back that holds 48 ounces and I forgot it at home this week. Also forgotten was my sport watch that I have set to go off every 45 minutes to remind me to eat a bite or two of my Cliff bar I have stuffed in my pocket.

With those two things left at home...I can see now that it is possible for me not to have eaten regularly and keep sipping on water enough to keep me going. I guess I was a little fuzzy headed at 4am

Along with the hydration aspect in the heat, is it possible that you just weren't acclimated to it as well? I know I have to acclimate myself when it warms up and it gets humid too where I live. Just a thought. Jenn