Long Ride - Felt Yucky

[tctrek]

I know that I cannot eat heavy items like Clif Bars during a ride. They just lay in my stomach and I don't think we can convert those carbs to something useable by our muscles easily. I use Clif Shot Blocks, which are lightweight and I seem to get energy from them faster. There are other carb replacements that are more digestible than the bars you have been using. On longer rides, I drink a Cytomax mixture with my water. Again, it's the idea of getting the carbs in a more digestible form so that your body can use them faster.

[OakLeaf]

If you were getting chills at your first stop, you were ALREADY experiencing the beginnings of heat exhaustion. You're lucky you didn't have more serious consequences.

Never ignore chills. Stop, get in a cool bath if one's available, or soak your clothes and cover yourself with damp paper towels if you can't take a bath. Drink ice water. Call someone to come pick you up. If you absolutely must continue riding (must, as in, everyone you know with a car is in the hospital and there's no public transit near you), then wait at least an hour for your core temperature to come down, keep replacing fluids and electrolytes, wait until a cooler part of the day if that's possible, and then return SLOWLY.

You didn't say what kind of conditions you are acclimated to, but if your weather has been anything like ours, you're probably not acclimated to the heat at all. It takes some time, at least a couple of weeks of consistent exercise in the heat. This time of year in most places - and it seems especially acute this year - the temperature is so variable that it's hard to get acclimated to anything.

It also doesn't sound like you were replacing enough electrolytes, if all you had was one diet Gatorade. You didn't say how much water was in your Camelbak. Everyone's different and it takes trial and error, but it's something to be aware of.

Finally - the most minor point, but it may have contributed to your cramps - diet drinks don't sit well with a lot of people, particularly during exercise.

[malkin]

Everyone is different, but one liter per hour no matter what, even if you don't feel like it (ESPECIALLY if you don't feel like it!). More if it's hot, humid, or you're thirsty.

My goal: never feel yucky!

[Zen]

Cramping quads and cramping gut? SERIOUS electrolyte depletion. Look into Nunn tablets and Endurolyte caps

You can die from that.

[malkin]

You can die from that.

Uh, that's another goal of mine.

[Loraura]

Cramping quads and cramping gut? SERIOUS electrolyte depletion. Look into Nunn tablets and Endurolyte caps

You can die from that.

Co-sign on the Nuun. Nuun has completely eliminated calf cramps for me. I routinely ride in 100+ degree temps in the summer.

I haven't read all of the replies yet, so I apologize if this has been asked/answered already, but was this ride a significant increase in duration, distance, or effort from your riding recently? Was heat the only factor different from your normal riding?

[ekcjwc]

DH and I had done some shorter distances and a 20 and a 26 miler recently. So the 43 miler was the most I have done so far this year. I have been riding for about a year. I did the MS 150 last year and rode both days. I have never really had this feeling before. Last year during a 60 mile ride nonsupported, I do think I bonked but that was a little different from this. Did not have any trouble on the MS ride either day.