Have a great weekend!
Use this post to discuss your hot-weather riding this weekend.
Not sure yet what you’ll be doing? Check out the featured events on our Weekend Guide, or for more bike fun see the always well-populated Shift calendar.
I’ve already begun my weekend, taking a chunk of time off in the middle of the day to haul some found boards by bike — hopefully within the next week they’ll become a bookshelf.
The rest of the weekend I plan to spend riding around town with house guests. We’re planning to attend Ellee Thalheimer’s book signing on Saturday (see our write-up here). Then — who knows — maybe rolling across the river to Powell’s, or down to the Bins, or out to the Sandy River.
What are your plans?
My plans for this weekend is to be able to do the 108 mile, Bald Peak Tour de Cure ride for diabetes without collapsing or be in too much pain along the way. The rest of the weekend is recovering with a good microbrew and ibuprofen.
I’ve revived a thread on the forums concerning Heat Stroke, and Heat Ehaustion… How you can recognize and treat it.
http://bikeportland.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2388
And if that fails (and you crash), you might want to learn how to tread road rash…
http://bikeportland.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1599
Be Safe Out There!
Good info on heat issues. There were more than a few folks at Tour de Cure, including one of my teammates, who were taken off the ride for heat exhaustion.
I got heat cramps on Tour de Cure and DNF. I managed to make it 3 miles from the finish before both legs literally locked-cramped up and I could not move and fell by the side of the road.
I never heard of heat cramps before and the EMTs did not know how to treat me.
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/heat_cramps/article_em.htm
I hydrated a lot and thought I took in enough sports drinks but some are better than others and according to the article that too much water will dilute the electrolytes I need in my system.
I did a stupid thing.
Well, actually, it started out as a good thing, but my decision making processes went bad.
On Friday, I gave blood– a double red blood cell donation. Very cool process, they can use the donated blood almost immediately. And I got my plasma back with some saline, too.
On Saturday, I thought it would be a good idea to go for a short ride. I felt okay, after all. Long story short, it was a stupid idea to go for an 18-mile ride in the middle of the day when I was down two pints of blood cells. We had to stop several times so I could catch my breath and rest up for the rest of the ride.
On Sunday, I felt good again, so we went on another ride. Shorter, only 12 miles, and mostly to hit a couple of bike stores for shopping purposes.
Then on Sunday evening, I spent about an hour or so riding up and down my parents’ driveway (about a 10th of a mile on way) on an old and ill-fitting mountain bike with my nieces and nephew (6, 5, and 3) . It was a riot, I’m so glad those kids are getting into bikes!! We’ll be taking the training wheels off my oldest niece’s bike (she’s the 6-yo) soon.
Oh, and I did drink enough water and electrolyte-drinks. I just underestimated the effects of the blood donation. Since I usually don’t have any problems with riding the day after a regular donation…. 🙂 Live and learn!