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Biking and feeling BAAAD!!

Luvthemtorts Posts: 190 Joined: 2005/02/16	2005/07/20, 05:39 PM Yesterday while biking I had a really bad experience and wanted to see if someone could help me with what might have happened. I have been mountain biking for about 2 months now but always kept the duration to an hour or so. Yesterdays' trip was around 2 hours and 15 minutes. The first symptoms started around 1 1/2 hours into the ride and included a foggy feeling and general anxiety. Shortly thereafter I became disoriented, unable to calculate my mileage and time being displayed on the cycle computer, hallucinating steep inclines when the trail was actually relatively flat and everything feeling very dreamlike. I truly thought I was going to pass out way out in the boonies. The temp was 80 degrees but the trail was mostly under the cover of trees so it was actually a bit cooler than that. I had a nutritious meal about 1 hour before going out and took 2 liters of water. I am thinking this was possibly dehydration but a few other people I talked to mentioned some stuff about glycogen stores and such which I didn't understand. If anyone out there wants to take a guess at what might have caused this craziness I would love to hear it.
gangstershoes Posts: 641 Joined: 2005/05/27	2005/07/22, 03:16 PM With any long endurance event you need to hydrate yourself a day or 2 earlier. When you are properly hydrated for a couple days your urine will be exetremely light with very little yellow in it. Also try having a 50/50 mix of gatorade and water instead of just water during your event. The symptoms you were describing sounds like dehydration coupled with heat exhaustion. I've found that up until about 1 hour of cardio you don't have any real issues with preparation hydration, but once you cross into the 2 hour realm you really have to start planning things and making sure you are at your max before you start. good luck to you.
Luvthemtorts Posts: 190 Joined: 2005/02/16	2005/07/23, 12:55 AM Thanks for the input! I will try the mix of Gatorade and water on the next outing although honestly the episode scared me so badly that I will probably go back to no more than an hour at a time again. Several days later I still feel kind of "wiped out" and have been taking it easy on the workouts. As far as dehydration, I have a hard time understanding how that can be since I drink 2 gallons of water a day.
sivysivy Posts: 391 Joined: 2005/02/11	2005/07/23, 01:30 PM Have you been sick or anything?
Carivan Posts: 8,542 Joined: 2002/01/20	2005/07/23, 03:09 PM Couldn't agree more with gangstershoes. In these conditions you really have to hydrate and also make sure you get enough simple carbs high in glucose. Our brain also needs glucose to function. Gel packs are also good. -------------- Scales are for dead weight: We are not dead yet! Still trying to find out how to do the Hollywood Free Press. Ivan Montreal Canada
Luvthemtorts Posts: 190 Joined: 2005/02/16	2005/07/24, 01:18 AM Haven't been sick other than my usual disease process (which has stabilized since training). I don't understand the simple carbs thing. If the idea is to exercise and burn calories then by adding carbs aren't you defeating the purpose? Also, what is a gel pack?
princesslodgey Posts: 1,748 Joined: 2004/02/21	2005/07/25, 06:47 AM When you exercise you simultaneously use carbs and fat as energy sources. when you deplete your carb stores you feel like s***, and continuing to exercise is a nightmare. By topping up on carbs, it allows you to continue exercising whilt feeling like a human being, and although you'll be using carbs that you've just taken in, you'll also still be burning off fat stores at the same time. Does that make sense? I could happily talk about this at length if you want me too (it's a pet subject of mine) :big_smile: -------------- The path to righteousness is a cycle path
princesslodgey Posts: 1,748 Joined: 2004/02/21	2005/07/25, 06:48 AM Oh, and gel packs are just another source of carbs - in a gel form.
gangstershoes Posts: 641 Joined: 2005/05/27	2005/07/25, 12:32 PM long endurance event training is just that. All about endurance and not weightloss. You need the carbs, because your body can't turn fat back into energy fast enough to keep up while performing a long endurance event. A gel pack is carb concentrated gel for ease of comsumption while continuing to exercise.
princesslodgey Posts: 1,748 Joined: 2004/02/21	2005/07/25, 04:01 PM Although your body can't completely supply your energy needs with fat during a long endurance event, it will supply a reasonable amount, and the fitter you get, the more efficient you will become at burning fat as a fuel source rather than carbs. -------------- The path to righteousness is a cycle path
Luvthemtorts Posts: 190 Joined: 2005/02/16	2005/07/25, 08:11 PM Man, that is some scary business!! In hindsight I was sweating like a pig with my shirt and shorts being so saturated you could quite literally ring moisture out of them! I guess two liters of water wasn't the right answer LOL. Yesterday I went on a 1 hour ride on the intermediate cross country course and toted along 2 liters of the 50/50 Gatorade/water mix. While I obviously broke a heavy sweat and felt exhausted afterwards I still felt physically and mentally invigorated. I am still a bit scared to try a longer outing as I definately don't want to experience the same type of episode as I had last time.
Carivan Posts: 8,542 Joined: 2002/01/20	2005/07/25, 10:36 PM What I generally do when I go on rides, is fill my Camel Pack with water, pure lemon juice and a bit of sugar. Everyone is different but I usually consume about 8-12 litres of water and energy bars. Also depends on the heat that day. -------------- Scales are for dead weight: We are not dead yet! Still trying to find out how to do the Hollywood Free Press. Ivan Montreal Canada