On February 14th 2015 I participated in my third Tour de Palm Springs. The weekend was just filled with emotions on so many level that all I can think about was "HAMMER MY RIDE".
I wanted to feel good about finishing it in a timely matter, ride through my suffer, and not give a damn about anyone else because of what was running in my mind.
In the morning I was already grumpy because I blamed it on the fact that I couldn't find a cup of coffee to drink and that I didn't have breakfast in a timely fashion, and on top of that we didn't leave on the time that I had planned.
So let me rewind a bit, the previous day I was driving all ready and the same week, I just started a new position, and of course other things were in my mind as far as relationships with people go and they were going to be part of the ride
(did I want to see them or did I not want to see them). So I was calmly anxious doing what I do best, trying not to show my emotions and not messing it up for others and to keep my cool.
But inside everything was manifesting.
So to move forward, I BONKED.
My body didnt want to continue, I was a wreck. I slowed my pace down big time and I felt like throwing my bike in the desert and hoping that my tantrum would correct this crappy feeling I was having.
Thank goodness I had a cliff bar with me and it helped settle a little bit of the struggle I was having. I was still frustrated & not in the mood but enough to keep peddling forward.
Made it to the lunch stop had a PB&J and continued with my ride, I started to slow again and my body was hurting. I told the people I was riding with to go ahead and that's when it hit me. About after 5 miles I had to pull over and stop. I had chills running in my body but what struck me was that it was really hot outside and the fact that I had chills freaked me out.
That's when I realized I was dehydrated & that I didn't get enough food in my system.
All i can think of was diet coke and snickers. My friend McCray rode with me to the groceries where I bought those evil goodness, since that's what I was craving. It actually fueled me to the last rest stop. That's when I was chugging water and eating more, I felt sooo much better and had enough to "hammer" the last 10miles of the ride.
A few lessons learned from this:
• hydrate the night before
• hydrate in the morning
• hydrate hydrate hydrate!
• eat a good meal the night before
• get a lot of rest before a big ride
• get the fuel you need in the morning in a calmly manner. (ie: not rushed)
• hydrate during the ride
• take advantage of the food provided by the SAG stops. (That was something I didn't do since I was not in the proper head space I should of been do to above mentioned "pre game" care)
• don't let your emotions eat you up and remember to just live in the moment
• make the best of your day.
Overall things worked out. I did get closure on things I wanted closure on. Despite my hard bonk, I did enjoy my ride and rode a total of 113miles that day. Things happened and you need to keep moving forward.
I was thankful to be in Palm Springs as a little getaway.
Keep peddling my friends!
