Heat heat go away!

[Catrin]

I haven't been complaining about the heat, and for you in the SW what we have probably doesn't seem very hot. Yesterday I tried to ride in 98 degree temps that was somewhat humid...

Two other times this summer I've ridden in >95 temps and every time I've had the same results - nausea and, last night, a headache I ate more than an hour before heading out, had water and shot blocks for electrolytes with me. The LAST time I was able to wait out the nausea and was fine after the first 45 minutes. Last night was the worse of all, the nausea just kept getting worse, with the headache, until I just gave in and slowly rode home.

Once home I had another huge glass of water, did my normal post-ride stretches, and lay on the carpet for about 5 minutes. The nausea and headache left as soon as my body cooled off.

Should this be expected for riding in 98-99 degree temps? Am I just a wimp? It is frustrating, because it is supposed to be just as hot today, and the area where my favorite mountain bike trail are located is supposed to reach 100 degrees tomorrow

[WindingRoad]

Catrin there was a lady last night at the Nebo ride that got a bad case of heat stroke after/during the ride. So no, its not just you. She was one of the racers too. It was miserable though, I downed a bottle of water before leaving, dumped one entire bottle over my head, ate 4 cliff blocks then carried 2 full bottles on the bike. One of which had MORE electrolytes in it. I downed both of those during the ride too.

I hope you are feeling better today. Better take it easy over the next couple of days.

[Catrin]

Catrin there was a lady last night at the Nebo ride that got a bad case of heat stroke after/during the ride. So no, its not just you. She was one of the racers too. It was miserable though, I downed a bottle of water before leaving, dumped one entire bottle over my head, ate 4 cliff blocks then carried 2 full bottles on the bike. One of which had MORE electrolytes in it. I downed both of those during the ride too.

I hope you are feeling better today. Better take it easy over the next couple of days.

Thank you, it is good to know though am sorry to hear about her. I suspect my normal pre-ride dinner might be a little heavy for high temps - but a chicken sandwich is perfect most of the time. I HAVE to fuel pre-ride, it keeps my blood sugar stable and if it isn't too light I don't feel a need to eat everything in reach afterwards...

I felt fine once I cooled off a bit, and feel fine today. No riding today, there isn't time and two days in a row in this heat would just be too much. I think I WILL go for a very early ride tomorrow, head out right after daylight...

Looks like Monday will be sweet though, for any kind of riding, BCSP here I come

[OakLeaf]

The trouble is it hasn't been consistently hot. Whatever heat acclimation we got back in June and early July, we mostly lost during the cool August. So us mideasterners are kind of back to square one with heat acclimation.

A friend of mine wound up puking his guts out in the ambulance at a trail marathon in WV last weekend where it wasn't even that hot, just very humid.

Be careful.


... and thanks for the kick in the @ss to get out there and get my run done before it gets any hotter.

[jessmarimba]

Ugh, I feel ya. I feel like summer has been so short, but I'm ready for fall.

Our heat is hardly comparable to, say, Texas, but we've set something like 5 record highs in the last 8 days. If the upstairs of my house didn't get hotter than outside, I don't think I'd mind so much.

I was getting worried yesterday because I'd done a pretty grueling run. Drank water the whole time, went to a restaurant afterwards and had maybe 5 more glasses of water. I was getting ready for bed and I still didn't really have to pee.

Thankfully I woke up early this morning b/c I thought my bladder was going to explode

[MichelleOH]

Catrin, you're not that far from me, and today is supposed to be our 31st day of temps over 90 degrees this summer. Ugh...that's an entire month. I can't wait for Monday! Sounds like it will be fantastic and I will give my new ride a better workout!

Stay cool.

[Hi Ho Silver]

[razzing mode on] Aw, y'all are wimps! We've had 76 days this summer with 3-digit temperatures. [razzing mode off]

One thing I've found is that to adequately hydrate, I need to start drinking water the night before, and the same goes for carb loading. I don't eat or drink anything the hour before I ride because it upsets my stomach and gut. (I think the queasiness is due to my body being so dedicated to cooling itself when I ride that the contents of my stomach don't get digested properly, if at all.)


Jean

[tytbody]

Your not weak. it's flaming hot girl. It's only 67 here. I guess that's perfect weather. But 'm not looking forward to cooler temps. I'm sitting on the back porch realizing it is at our doorsteps and 8 weeks will fly by because I'm getting a new bike.

Temps in the triple digits. I don't think you're suppose to be riding....

[jlnc]

Catrin it sounds like you were diligent about drinking on the ride. We had some really hot/humid days here in NC this summer, and i found that i had have one bottle of ICE COLD water with me, so I could squirt a little bit on the back of my neck throughout the ride, to help cool my body down just a bit. I usually carry 2 bottles (1 water, 1 diluted sports drink) on my rides, and drink most of them, so the only hard thing is making sure I don't use all of the water on my neck.

[Catrin]

I tend to not drink much more than coffee at the office, and I suspect that was part of the problem. I didn't pre-hydrate enough...

We've broken lots of heat records this summer, as many have around the country. Apparently yesterday was the hottest in something like 50+ years...no wonder I had trouble

[indysteel]

I tend to not drink much more than coffee at the office, and I suspect that was part of the problem. I didn't pre-hydrate enough...

Caffeinated?

If so, it's no wonder you have trouble sleeping. I would strive to change that habit......

[Crankin]

I agree my favorite riding temperatures are between 55 and 70. But, I love fall the most, and I like winter, too, because I can do different sports. Fall and winter are what they are supposed to be, but, many times, spring isn't. So in March, when I am going out on my first rides, I don't like it, even though it is no colder than it was in November!
But, I think Oak is right. When you slowly acclimate yourself to the heat, it is easier. I did that last summer, since it was so hot. I ride on days I never would have before, now, but I get out early, and often if it's in the nineties, my rides are slower and in a particularly shady location. You just have to be careful and learn what you need for hydration. And I second the water bottle for dousing yourself. I always have one bottle of plain water.

[Catrin]

Caffeinated?

If so, it's no wonder you have trouble sleeping. I would strive to change that habit......

I don't drink coffee after 10-11am at the latest. My problem is remembering to drink ANYTHING in the afternoon...

+1 on having clear water to douse ourselves with, for some reason this year I have forgotten to do that - last year I did it all of the time. I won't forget tomorrow, for sure! I am going out close to dawn to beat the heat but it will likely still be needed.

[Aggie_Ama]

I am not going to point out "my heat is worse than yours" because if you aren't used to it no matter if it s 105 or 90 it is going to be noticeable. I have struggled all summer here are somethings that have helped keep my response minimal. I did have one ride I ended up with just shy of heat exhaustion, I threw up until I was dry heaving. If it weren't for a friend with gatorade, electrolytes and ice I would have likely been heading to the ER.

• Hydrate - before, during, after. I try to drink about 80 oz of water and 20 oz Gatorade a day. Limit my favorite vice (soda) to one per day. As weird as it seems I keep tabs on the color of my urine to make sure I am staying in a good hydrated level.
• Don't push too hard. I try to keep my perceived effort in zone 7 (max). This is far from anaerobic and I could talk in complete sentences, my mouth will be open but it is sustainable, I will intentionally ride lower pace than I could in cooler temps. It sucks if you feel particularly good but you can really pay if you start too hard.
• Take long breaks if you get too hot. I used to just sit until my heart rate came down so maybe a minute or two, now if I start to feel the little bit of nausea or headache I will take a long break. Lay down or sit, take your helmet off. If you stand or sit and still feel a little nausea or light headed stay longer. Sometimes I may need to rest 10 minutes.
• If possible I carry an extra bottle that has been frozen, I just use one of those little 12 oz plastic spring water bottles. As it melts you can pour it on your head or neck to regulate your temperature. I can easily fit one in my Camelbak mountain biking and on the road I can put it in my jersey pocket. This leaves me the option to carry Gatorade (or your favorite electrolyte) and water for drinking.

[Miranda]

I don't drink coffee after 10-11am at the latest. My problem is remembering to drink ANYTHING in the afternoon...
+1 on having clear water to douse ourselves with, for some reason this year I have forgotten to do that - last year I did it all of the time. I won't forget tomorrow, for sure! I am going out close to dawn to beat the heat but it will likely still be needed.

What about a timer?

Most any cell phone, or maybe even something in your pc, or similiar, might work for a timed reminder to drink. I know that might sound a bit OTT but I read something similiar in one of my distance riding training books... to have something to set a timer on your bike to drink/eat during your ride. I even do this when I'm teaching spin class. I know I need to at least make it to the bottom of a large water bottle, so I pace the drinking about with the ride.

You could try and fill up your containers in advance at lunch hour, and make a point to finish them before you leave work. I can't stand to drink anything but water riding (makes me puke otherwise) so I use Clif Shot Blocks. Margaritta flavor is triple the sodium content. You just chew them up like gummy bears, and time yourself eating so many in certain distance/time.

I get deathly sick from the humidity. It kills my asthma. When there is an air quality control alert for weather I figure it's not worth it health wise for me to ride. Sometimes I will focus on quality vs quantity. Near dusk I'll ride my xc bike briskly as possible like a time trial, or some on-off intervals. But time wise a short ride in the heat. Your heart is working so much harder with the weather as is, from a PE standpoint it's enough.

I love Fall so much. I can not wait for this sticky mess outside to be done!