Quote Originally Posted by emily_in_nc View Post
You don't say if you had anything to eat on the ride or anything to drink other than water. (You did have water, I hope!) Obviously as you increase your time in the saddle, you have to fuel with more than just water. Since you are a new rider, a former smoker (congrats!), were riding in hills, and didn't really plan your ride out, it must have taken at least two hours, if not three. Rides of that length really do call for some nutrition during the ride, or at the very least, a sports beverage during the ride, not just water. Water is normally fine for rides lasting an hour or less, but above that, you have to replace the glycogen that is being burned as you ride.

A hilly 25-miler when you've only been riding 4-6 miles at a time is a huge increase and would be hard for anyone, so don't sweat it! We all started with short rides once too. Be patient with yourself, and welcome to the wonderful world of cycling!
Thanks for the encouragement. No, I didn't have anything to eat but I did [bring water] and stop and get some Gatorade at a CVS after about 15 miles to give me a little sugar. And yes, looking back, I guess all the factors combined just wasn't smart..I am a bit impulsive and tend to just 'go for it' without actually thinking things through the best. After riding on my new bike now for a few weeks I think that had something to do with it as well. I wouldn't have thought 'getting used' to a bike to be that big of a deal, but my commute times each day seem to be improving and I truly believe this has as much to do with me and my bike 'melding' as improved fitness :-) I had a triple on my past bike and now I have a compact, so I think I have had to learn how this bike shifts as the feeling is different- but great once I got better adjusted. Once again I appreciate all the help and encouragement from such a great group of ladies!