20 miles!

[qcuthbert]

I completed my first 20 miles today. I did it in 2 hrs which was weird because I was at 10 miles in 40 min. I really enjoyed it. What are some suggestions to make for my ride and some after my ride? Oh I decided to do a half century ride in the fall!

[qcuthbert]

[Catrin]

Congratulations and enjoy the ride! It isn't so weird that your second 20 was slower, terrain can change, and you may have been tiring before you realized it. Your first 20 miles ride is a great milestone!

[ny biker]

Great!! We had a bit of a breeze today not to mention crazy humidity. That sort of thing can slow you down.

Make sure you're drinking enough in this hot weather. As your rides get longer you'll also want some snacks, including something salty when it's hot out.

[Owlie]

Good job!

Snacks and plenty of water/some kind of sports drink. Gatorade/Powerade will work in a pinch, but I find them too sweet and lacking in other electrolytes beyond sodium. After the ride, salty snacks and protein. (I love beef jerky for this purpose, and I get the spicy stuff to "trick" myself into drinking a bit more water.)

[lauraelmore1033]

Go You! You look radiant.

[qcuthbert]

Ok. Yeah it was so humid still is this time of night. I caught a headache about 1hr or so into it. It was awesome. I will make sure to get snacks or some electrolytes.

[qcuthbert]

Riding makes me happy. I feel like it's my way of freeing my body and getting back to be mobile without so much pain. I am grateful I found it.

[lauraelmore1033]

Riding makes me happy. I feel like it's my way of freeing my body and getting back to be mobile without so much pain. I am grateful I found it.

I could have written those words myself! Actually, I think you touched on how a lot of us feel about cycling.

[smittykitty]

Kinda like being a kid again! Welcome, but be careful, cycling can be very addictive.

[ny biker]

Snacks are for energy, and the electrolytes are to keep your body chemistry safe. You need both. Electrolyte imbalance iis dangerous.

Hyponatremia link.

When they mention cutting back on water, they mean in relation to the amount of sodium in your blood. Don't restrict water!

Conveniently, Nancy Clark has a recent blog post that's relevant. http://blog.nancyclarkrd.com/2015/06...-summer-sweat/

[salsabike]

Conveniently, Nancy Clark has a recent blog post that's relevant. http://blog.nancyclarkrd.com/2015/06...-summer-sweat/

Very sensible, what Nancy Clark has to say about sodium. Thanks for posting that link. I know there will be some exceptions--racing, ultra endurance events, climate, individual differences, etc.--but still, her advice on this makes good sense to me.

[Pax]

Riding makes me happy. I feel like it's my way of freeing my body and getting back to be mobile without so much pain. I am grateful I found it.

I totally feel you on this, mobility is something many take for granted, but not those of us who've lost it. Congrats on the ride!

[Crankin]

Heat, humidity, wind, how much sleep you've had, and nutrition all play a huge part in speed when you are riding. The fact that you had a headache is a sign that something (dehydration and/or heat exhaustion) was going on. The sources listed are great reading about this stuff. Everyone is different, and it takes some experimentation to find out what kind of hydration and fuel works for you under different conditions. But, it makes a world of difference when you are well fed and hydrated.

[qcuthbert]

Reading that article I'm pretty sure it was a dehydration headache. Gatorade taste like salt so I will have to experiment with some other options. I really do appreciate the feedback