Pushed it too far??

[speccy1]

I did the Dartmoor Classic on Sunday, full 107 mile route with 12,000ft of climbing. The weather was hot, started at 19 degrees when I kicked off at 7am, and climbed up to 28 degrees over the morning. This is where the problems started.........

All was well for the first 70 miles, I put away 11 bottles of fluids in that time (about 5.5 litres). I stopped at the feed/water station on the way back to get some more to drink and had a bit of a "ding dong" with some woman over where to leave the bike. So, I politely said "keep your drinks I`ll dehydrate then" and left, not best pleased!

I managed to do another 20 miles in the heat, with nothing to drink, and then the cramps started, in my legs, arms, feet, everywhere, and I was so thirsty I thought I was going to collapse. I did make the last bit by walking any remaining hills and just taking it very easily, and managed to finish in a reasonable time (still got a silver medal).

On getting home from there, I drank, and drank, and drank, but did, and still do feel pretty drained. I have no interest in food, when I should have been eating to recover, I`m falling asleep at every chance, and just feel lifeless.

Has anybody else experienced this? The distance isn`t a problem as I do 100 mile training rides all the time, so the heat and dehydration must have given me some good and lasting side effects, which I hope won`t last too much longer

 

[fossyant]

That's a shed load of fluid. Not been feeling thirsty before and after and peeing loads ?

 

[vickster]

Go see a doctor

 

[speccy1]

No not at all, I must have sweated most of it out as all of my kit was covered in salt by the end. Didn`t have a pee until the day after

That side of things is back to normal now, just not wanting to eat, and totally knackered. I was fine on that front too before the day

 

[albion]

I lose power towards the end but granny gears see me home.

That 150 mile Sunday ride I just did, it turns out the Northumberland roads buckled my front wheel enough to create brake block drag. It wasn't much but enough to make me bonk.So maybe you got salt nutrition wrong, an extra tipping point.
I also know for a fact that I have to gauge wind on my long rides. Its a fine line cycling towards limits.

Weirdly I had little interest in food all of Sunday too. I ate, but hardly willingly, though I had no real heat factor.

 

[JasonHolder]

Its rather interesting how fluid balance works.

But yes I would factor in over doing it a touch there spec!

 

[ColinJ]

I had a similar experience on a hot and hilly 70-miler. I drank about 3.5 litres but came back weighing 3 kgs less, which implies a net fluid loss of about 3 litres. I.e. I must have sweated out about 6.5 litres on the one ride, having not peed the whole time!

I drank 2 or 3 litres when I got home but didn't pee until the next day. Oh, and I was salt-encrusted too!

 

[John Shingler]

a "ding dong" with some woman over where to leave the bike

explain the ding dong?

 

[Ganymede]

Cutting off your own nose to spite your face, there, speccy, however *rsey the lady was...

Sounds like heatstroke - I had it once and felt the same. I got it mildly and was not exerting myself so much but lost my appetite and was drained of energy.

 

[PK99]

I had a similar experience on a hot and hilly 70-miler. I drank about 3.5 litres but came back weighing 3 kgs less, which implies a net fluid loss of about 3 litres. I.e. I must have sweated out about 6.5 litres on the one ride, having not peed the whole time!

I drank 2 or 3 litres when I got home but didn't pee until the next day. Oh, and I was salt-encrusted too!

I drink copious quantities on hot rides and it seems no matter how much I drink I sweat it out not pee it out.

 

[zizou]

Although you might have done a few 100 miles in the past did you maybe push a bit harder for this one? Particularly early on going up climbs harder than you would on a normal century. Conditioning is as big a contributory factor in getting cramps as getting enough fluid.

Were you taking electrolytes of some sort or was it just water?

 

[Ian A]

This might not be related to your situation at all but the 5.5 litres of fluid in 70 miles and still feeling thirsty reminds me of hyponatremia, or over hydration stories. This is more the case if you keep peeing despite being thirsty as your body has plenty of water but needs Sodium. Worth a read regardless. Either way I'd agree with seeking medical help if it persists.

 

[albion]

Not at 28C and an incredible 10,000 ft of climbing.

 

[speccy1]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Yes I agree with the cutting my nose off to spite my face, could kick myself now and it cost me a gold medal by 17 mins! As for pace, and the speed of my training rides, they are at a "progressive speed" and Sunday`s ride was 6 1/2 hours at full gas, so maybe something in that. Also I (we) weren`t drinking plain water, we were given ready mixed electrolyte/carb powders.

Feeling much better today which is good, am eating for Britain and the energy levels are coming back, hoping to get back out tomorrow.

Anyhow, after this week and its antics, it`s a lesson learnt not to neglect fluids in the heat, and I paid £33 to put myself through that

 

[nickyboy]

This might not be related to your situation at all but the 5.5 litres of fluid in 70 miles and still feeling thirsty reminds me of hyponatremia, or over hydration stories. This is more the case if you keep peeing despite being thirsty as your body has plenty of water but needs Sodium. Worth a read regardless. Either way I'd agree with seeking medical help if it persists.

70 miles of hard climbing must be at least 5 hours. On a hot climbing day I expect to drink a litre per hour so OP's 5.5 litres sounds about right for me. The last 37 miles was probably 2 hours and to do that in the heat with no fluid was the problem By all means OP could go to see his GP but I suspect he was just badly dehydrated. We all operate on differing fluid requirements, his sound a lot like mine