34 days - Jake's Hill - HEAT + WIND = DEHYDRATION

Wow, today was a real milestone, a 41 mile ride, including lots of hills. It was hot and very, very windy. The concern here is to remember to drink lots of water.

We rode 41 miles in the rolling countryside around Round Rock, through Hutto and near Taylor. As this was mostly farm country, the wind had nothing to block it. We started at 9AM, so things weren't too bad, but as the day wore on and the sun heated the fields, the wind really started going. I heard 25MPH gusting to 30MPH was normal.

The rides through the countryside are set up by the Austin Cycling Association. Since they're meant for people with a variety of skills, they have several rides with a variety of distances, short to very long. I took one of the medium distances today. There were two longer rides, 55 miles and 71 miles. Those two were too long for me, not ready for that distance.

So I hooked up with a younger rider, Jason, who seemed to be going about the same pace as me. That was very helpful, as conversation helps pass the time more quickly, and of course, there is more safety in numbers. As we approached the town of Hutto down a major road, we noticed two girls ahead of us were stopped. One had a flat tire. So we helped her out, and stayed together as a group of four. One very good reason for this - as I watched her fix her tire, I realized I had forgotten my road repair kit. If I got a flat, I was out of luck without help from friends!

Well, since this is the first time I went that far, I really learned the value of bringing a lot of water with me, or stopping to get more. I filled up my bottle at a rest stop at a gas station, but went through that in no time.

So somewhere near the 32 mile mark I started really lose it. I felt shaky, like I couldn't go on. I had eaten at a short break about 1/2 an hour before, and I thought it didn't kick in fast enough. But the real reason was I didn't have any more water to drink. So the lesson there is not to eat when I feel the need, but just before that and bring more water! Guess I need to learn how to time eating, drinking and distance better.

The pacesetter was Susan, the girl who had the flat tire. She really cranked the pdeals, and I found it very hard to keep up. I kept getting very thirsty trying. Karen, her friend, was very helpful and gave me more water, as she had a "Camelback", a pouch with water you carry on your back, with a feeder tube you keep near your mouth. A lot easier (and safer) to use than reaching down for your water bottle and taking your eyes off the road. Gotta get me one of them thar thangs.

So right after the 32 mile mark rest and water, I managed to get my energy back, certainly due to the help from the other riders (thanks Jason and Karen) who donated some of their water. Terrific folks. Right near the end, my thighs just started to get some knots, so that ride was my limit for sure. But now, at least I know what barriers I need to break.

'Til next time boys...