Today's ride took me south into Rhode Island where I decided to tackle my favorite climb, Tower Hill Road in Cumberland, RI. It is my favorite because it is challenging, has a few steep grades at the beginning, then rolls through portions of the Diamond Hill State Park on a pretty isolated road. One time I even saw wild turkeys crossing my path. Of course I wouldn't even consider doing this climb if it didn't come with a reward: the descent on West Wrentham Road.
Track Stand
The most recent issue of Bicycling Magazine has a brief instructional article on how to do a track stand. I read it and tried out some of the tips on this ride. It's not hard to do once armed with these tips. I never unclipped for the entire duration of the ride. I wish they had an online version of this article so I could link to it.
Update: Bike Skills: How To Trackstand
Heat Exhaustion
It was a midday ride with temperatures in the 90's. I was loaded up with Gatorade and even downed a pint of it prior to heading out. Two bottles plus one in the tummy. I felt fine for the entire ride until I got home. I pulled to a stop and noticed myself sweating profusely. I went inside, drank some more Gatorade, and took a quick "cool-ish" shower. I wasn't feeling all that well. I was tired and feeling bloated. So I took a two hour nap.
My wife then looked up Heat Exhaustion on the web:
Recognizing Heat Exhaustion
Warning signs of heat exhaustion include:
- heavy sweating - Yup
- paleness - My wife said I was very pale
- muscle cramps - Nope
- tiredness - Yup
- weakness - Yup
- dizziness - Nope
- headache - Yup (not at the time, but afterwards I felt like I had a hangover)
- nausea or vomiting - Nope, but I did feel bloated
- fainting - Nope.
Now I've ridden in hot weather before, hotter than today was. I made a point to stay hydrated. Other than the climbs I wasn't really pushing myself too hard. StilI suffered from heat exhaustion. Just goes to show it can sneak up on anyone without your knowledge.
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