J
Jerry Sievers
Guest
Hi there. I've been riding about 5 years now on a Catrike Speed trike
since losing the left leg. In pretty good shape, I'm able to cover 75
miles at an overall avg pace of 16MPH or so.
In better shape this year than ever, I was able to clock my personal
best S. Florida MS150 ride time on the way down there on day 1. I was
running out of gas on the first day and the stump leg that goes in the
prosthesis cramped as usual during the last 25 miles (which I have
accepted as par for the course).
Ate great carbo food Friday night and was careful to load up again
Saturday morning. As I said, Sat went pretty well...
but Eureka!
Those cramps that I've been living with toward the end of all long
rides I think were the early stages of either or both of dehydration
or low blood sugar and I just never new it.
A bit of partying Saturday evening and a light dinner of seafood
sandwich and the usual sides. Few beers and a little water (not
nearly enough). Your body can fail to give the proper signals of
hunger and thirst sometimes when excitement is high.
Anyway Sunday morning rolls around way too soon and there's no time to
grab any breakfast. We get the bikes out of the pen and hit it, doing
the first 20 miles at 19MPH which I struggled with more than usual.
Drank Gatorade and munched a few bars at the first big rest; so far so
good.
At about 40 miles out I start feeling the cramps again and slowing
down bit by bit. Generous teammates lowered the pace to keep me with
them. Pain got more severe, knee (the one that I still have) started
to hurt, and the foot was aching too.. I am hurting big time and the
pace is winding down to a crawl of just around 12MPH when we luckily
reached another rest.
By this time, I was panting like a shaggy dog in the desert sun and
seeing spots.
Pulled under a tent in the rest stop and teammates brought me a full
bag of ice which I laid on my chest. They also brought ice cold
gatorade which I tried to drink but couldn't get down. I asked if
there was any at room temperature. Everyone else waited on me and I
never got off the trike.
A great big Gatorade bottle arrived soon (1/2 gallon I think) and over
the next 30 minutes I drank nearly all of it. Rest stop worker told
my teammate that noone's ever asked for it *not* chilled before.
Meanwhile as the hyperventilation began to subside, I started to shake
all over but still felt very hot. This was a serious bonk indeed.
Kept the ice bag on me and moved it around a bit trying to get some
relief for the knee too.
Some riders offered me a few packages of that "Runner's Goo" and I
sucked down about 4 of them also. Before long, feeling full to the
gills but coming around nicely. I had a hunch I could get going again
soon.
Once the shakes stopped, I was too full to drink any more liquid or
eat more whatsoever and breathing and general comfort return to
normal, we headed out and took it up gradually from a 10MPH pace to
see if I was going to really do OK.
Aside from feeling the full belly of Goo and Gatorade bouncing around
in there and an occasional nasty burp, I got rolling and we reached
the usual cruising speeds again.
The final 30 miles in 92 degree heat went well and the incident was
over.
To consider how much additional fluid I continued to drink then and
after the ride before finally peeing the first time was truly
shocking. Honest estimate is on the order of 2 gallons or so, but I
have no idea really.
Someone at one of the rest stops mentioned that there were quite a few
down riders this year due to the heat. Sheesh! Be careful out there.
I hope never to need be reminded of this lesson again.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jerry Sievers 305 854-3001 (home) WWW ECommerce Consultant
305 321-1144 (mobile http://www.JerrySievers.com/
since losing the left leg. In pretty good shape, I'm able to cover 75
miles at an overall avg pace of 16MPH or so.
In better shape this year than ever, I was able to clock my personal
best S. Florida MS150 ride time on the way down there on day 1. I was
running out of gas on the first day and the stump leg that goes in the
prosthesis cramped as usual during the last 25 miles (which I have
accepted as par for the course).
Ate great carbo food Friday night and was careful to load up again
Saturday morning. As I said, Sat went pretty well...
but Eureka!
Those cramps that I've been living with toward the end of all long
rides I think were the early stages of either or both of dehydration
or low blood sugar and I just never new it.
A bit of partying Saturday evening and a light dinner of seafood
sandwich and the usual sides. Few beers and a little water (not
nearly enough). Your body can fail to give the proper signals of
hunger and thirst sometimes when excitement is high.
Anyway Sunday morning rolls around way too soon and there's no time to
grab any breakfast. We get the bikes out of the pen and hit it, doing
the first 20 miles at 19MPH which I struggled with more than usual.
Drank Gatorade and munched a few bars at the first big rest; so far so
good.
At about 40 miles out I start feeling the cramps again and slowing
down bit by bit. Generous teammates lowered the pace to keep me with
them. Pain got more severe, knee (the one that I still have) started
to hurt, and the foot was aching too.. I am hurting big time and the
pace is winding down to a crawl of just around 12MPH when we luckily
reached another rest.
By this time, I was panting like a shaggy dog in the desert sun and
seeing spots.
Pulled under a tent in the rest stop and teammates brought me a full
bag of ice which I laid on my chest. They also brought ice cold
gatorade which I tried to drink but couldn't get down. I asked if
there was any at room temperature. Everyone else waited on me and I
never got off the trike.
A great big Gatorade bottle arrived soon (1/2 gallon I think) and over
the next 30 minutes I drank nearly all of it. Rest stop worker told
my teammate that noone's ever asked for it *not* chilled before.
Meanwhile as the hyperventilation began to subside, I started to shake
all over but still felt very hot. This was a serious bonk indeed.
Kept the ice bag on me and moved it around a bit trying to get some
relief for the knee too.
Some riders offered me a few packages of that "Runner's Goo" and I
sucked down about 4 of them also. Before long, feeling full to the
gills but coming around nicely. I had a hunch I could get going again
soon.
Once the shakes stopped, I was too full to drink any more liquid or
eat more whatsoever and breathing and general comfort return to
normal, we headed out and took it up gradually from a 10MPH pace to
see if I was going to really do OK.
Aside from feeling the full belly of Goo and Gatorade bouncing around
in there and an occasional nasty burp, I got rolling and we reached
the usual cruising speeds again.
The final 30 miles in 92 degree heat went well and the incident was
over.
To consider how much additional fluid I continued to drink then and
after the ride before finally peeing the first time was truly
shocking. Honest estimate is on the order of 2 gallons or so, but I
have no idea really.
Someone at one of the rest stops mentioned that there were quite a few
down riders this year due to the heat. Sheesh! Be careful out there.
I hope never to need be reminded of this lesson again.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jerry Sievers 305 854-3001 (home) WWW ECommerce Consultant
305 321-1144 (mobile http://www.JerrySievers.com/