Dehydration ... not fun

[Jiffer]

Well, it looks like the weather is going to be similar when I do my event this weekend of 60 miles with 6,000 feet of climbing. High of 69, which is at least a degree or two cooler, but I'll just assume it's going to be as warm or warmer as it was last Sunday. So, I'll have an opportunity to work on my hydration skills.

I did about 25 miles yesterday and worked on drinking every ten minutes whether it seemed like I needed to or not. I think that's a good rule. Sometimes you might only take a small sip if you really don't think you need more (like it's 40 degrees outside!) ... or take a lot more if it's warmer, but I like the idea of being conscious of it every ten minutes one way or the other. Seemed to work well yesterday. I'm pretty sure I drank more than I normally would have for that ride. Whether I needed it or not, it was good practice.

One thing that messes with my drinking on climbing rides is ... well ... the climbing. If it's a constant climb for several miles, like it was on Sunday, it's harder to take a drink. You're working hard to get up the climb and might be breathing hard. You have to stop breathing for a second or two to drink. You just want to get it over with and don't want to slow down to take a drink. But I gotta get over this ... obviously!

[SheFly]

Try pre-hydrating. Drink a lot leading up to your event. It won't prevent dehydration or negate the fact that you still need to drink on your ride, but it will help. I do this for long races/events, and it has always helped me to avoid being quite as bad off as I may have been otherwise.

And yes - winter dehydration is equally as bad, and I've suffered that more times than I care to count. Seems more natural to drink when it's hot out, I guess.

SheFly