And so it begins….

Yesterday was my first long bike ride and kickoff to my training since completing Ironman St. George on May 1^st. A group of us decided to do a 55 mile route starting in dripping springs and doing a loop through Johnson City. I wasn’t mentally prepared for how difficult it was going to be. I figured I could easily get back into the swing of things. I underestimated the heat factor. To prepare for this ride, I had eaten two healthy granola bars and two tangerines the morning of, and a healthy gluten free pasta dinner the night before. I had a huge milestone happen in that I let Shawn (coach with Pure Austin Coaching and organizer of this ride) talk me into eating zucchini and squash. For those of you who don’t know, I do not eat vegetables at all. I don’t like them, and have serious mental issues with eating them. I’ve been trying to be a little healthier with my nutrition lately, and have decided to try and eliminate gluten from my diet. A few years ago, I had gone to a doctor who runs a blood test to determine food allergies. I did the test and it came back that I was basically allergic to everything that I eat. The thought of eliminating gluten and dairy from my diet seemed impossible and I quickly wrote off the test as “quackery”. Honestly, I don’t see how I can be allergic to these foods and continue to feel healthy every day, but who knows, perhaps that is why I’m slow, have athletic asthma, have had problems with depression in the past etc... I would like to try to see if I can eliminate at least gluten from my diet to see if I notice any remarkable differences, however, there is no way I’m going to eliminate dairy from my life. I like cheese way too much. Anyway, I digress…. The important thing is that I tried two vegetables that I haven’t eaten in the past and …..drum roll….. they tasted kind of bland. I didn’t gag, I didn’t immediately want to throw up, and I didn’t rush for a glass of water to drown them down. I did and still do have to get used to the texture and just getting over the whole mental barrier that hey, I can eat this, and I’ll be okay. A long road I’m sure, but at least I made an inch of progress!

Anyhow, Shawn was a wonderful host in putting together this training day. He went over the bike course with us and had put together a run course for those who wanted to get a long brick workout in. I opted to just do the 55 mile bike ride, being my first major workout since St. George. We probably didn’t get started until around 8 am and off we went. I had not ridden this particular route before and didn’t know really what to expect. I packed three bottles of liquid nutrition, a granola type bar, and my aero bottle full of water. I knew there was one gas station at mile 25, and knew I could refill my water there. I figured I would need three hours of nutrition and skimped on the one bottle of normal water. The first 25 miles weren’t that bad. It was a hilly course and somewhat challenging. I got to the 25 mile mark stopped at the gas station and refilled my aero water bottle. I had not yet finished my first bottle of nutrition, so I didn’t refill that one. I was also not doing a good job of drinking my full bottle of nutrition per hour. I’ve got to get better at this. I decided to try something new, which is to supplement my liquid nutrition with real food, so I ate my granola bar. I was riding very slow and taking it easy. Things started to get tough in the last 25 miles. It started to get really hot, and there was no shade at all. I think the temperature was around 93 degrees. The humidity was around 30%, but it felt more humid than that. I did have to pull out my inhaler at one point. I was really starting to bonk and very low on water, when thank god, Shawn drove up to the rescue. He refilled my water bottles and then went off to rescue some other riders who made a wrong turn. I almost made that wrong turn too, and thank god I didn’t because those last 10 miles almost killed me. All up hill and had to get out of my saddle a couple of times to make it up the switchback at Hamilton pool. The heat took its toll on everyone in that we were all starting to bonk at the end of the ride, and those who opted to run afterwards ended up cutting their run short, or not running at all. A wise decision as it was just too hot. I overheat more than the average person, so I know my symptoms really well. Once I start to get goosebumps that is my sign to stop working out. Luckily, I didn’t get any; however, my energy level was really starting to fade. Lesson learned, now, that for 55 mile rides, I need to take more than just one bottle of plain water. I guess I’ll just have to start bringing the nutrition powder with me to mix for a third bottle instead of packing three bottles of nutrition. Definitely need at least two full bottles of plain water in this heat. I need to get better at forcing myself to drink the nutrition hourly. I’ve been having problems with bloating, so I think I’m going to try to alternate the liquid nutrition with real food. Anyhow, it was a good ride, and I learned that I need to be a little more careful with the heat factor. I was so exhausted that I had to come home and take a nap before going out later that night. I missed a going away party that I was supposed to go to, but I just had to have that nap…This heat just zaps it out of me. It’s gonna be a long hot summer…and I can already see it now, that I’m not going to have the energy to do anything else on the weekends besides my ironman training. Bye-Bye social life….