So, I did a 20 miler this morning on the way to work. That’s a good bit longer than my average morning ride. I wasn’t setting out to do 20+ miles; it just happened. I had originally planned to do around 16-17 miles with a few more hills, but I got a leg cramp around Ellicott City, and decided to nix the extra hills in favor of a flatter, albeit longer, route for the remainder of the ride. I also made sure to pound some extra water during the ride, as cramps are often the result of dehydration.
It’s warming up quite a bit around here. Morning ride temperatures will be dealt a setback next week, though, as this weekend brings the dreaded switch to Daylight Saving Time. Starting on Monday, my rides will be an hour earlier (astronomically speaking), and it will be darker and chillier, at least for the first few weeks.
I am trying something new on my rides home this spring. Occasionally, I will “bonk out” on my rides home. It typically happens toward the end of my ride, just as I’m about to climb the final hill. I’m usually able to get up the hill, but it’s not fun. It happened to me this past Tuesday, and I happened to have a Power Bar with me, so I stopped part way up the hill and ate the bar. That worked extremely well, and I was able to get the rest of the way home without struggling. In lieu of the Power Bar, I’m going to try drinking Gatorade during my ride home instead of water. My theory is that the Gatorade will keep my blood sugar up during the ride and stave off the “bonk.” I’ve always resisted putting anything but water in my bottles, as the sugar can promote mold, and I’ll need to make sure I thoroughly rinse the bottle after every ride. But if it reliably keeps me from “bonking,” it might be worth it. Alternatively, since it doesn’t happen every day, I could just make sure I always carry an energy bar, and stop to eat it if I feel like I’m going to hit the wall. But I figured I’d at least give the Gatorade a shot. Stay tuned.