Cycling and Suspected Heat Exhaustion

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Over the last week I have cycled, and climbed over 3000m. Yesterday I climbed 1664 meters over an 89 kilometre ride. It was divided into the first climb, from the Léman towards La Cure, then a flat bit, ridden fast, before getting to the climb to Marchairuz and that is when I ran out of power.

I wasn’t hungry, or thirsty. My legs were fatigued, after climbing up the Jura on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Thursday was a very hard ride, after which I felt fine, until the sprint back to Nyon. That’s when I was knackered.

I rested on Friday, ahead of Saturday. On Saturday I decided to try to be light. I took small water bottles, avoided taking the passport, but I had a light bike lock.

I feared the Climb to Marchairuz because that’s when I expected to struggle with tired muscles and it came to fruition. It’s not that the climb is long. It’s that the ride to the climb was fast, and the climb was okay. It’s when we stopped at the Col, just to fill water bottles that I felt really fatigued.

I still rode hard down to St George but it’s from St George that I was limping home like a roomba that has run out of battery power. If I had not sprinted and raced down the Col De Marchairuz, and if I had been riding alone then I would have stopped in shade during the climb up to Marchairuz. When we hike we often stop, to let people catch up. When cycling it is more challenging.

I could use the excuses of age, lighter bikes and more but in essence it boils down to pushing hard, instead of resting in the places where I could. That’s why I ran out of energy and what brought on what I suspect was heat exhaustion.

When I got back to Nyon I should have drenched my head and neck immediately with cool water. I should have rushed to cool myself down. I believe that because of the warm air from the tarmac around, and the lack of airflow my body tried to cool but no longer could.

My body really needed external cooling. I did pour water on my head at a traffic light but that wasn’t enough. I should have drenched myself at the last fountain before the flat bit and climb. I should have rested when I could.

And Finally

I believe that there were three challenges on this ride.

A Long Ride

The first challenge is that this is a long ride. 89 kilometres is a long ride for many. A long ride with a fast group is even more challenging. Remember that this is my second ride with such a fast group, and for the third time in a week.

A Fast Ride

As I mentioned above it’s a fast ride and breaks are rarely taken. This means that the body heats, and heats, and you don’t rest in shade very often, especially if you are one of the slower people. I am, for now, and in this group.

A Lot of Climbing

The real challenge yesterday was that we did 1600m of climbing in two parts. Usually if I ride up the Jura I ride straight back down and I recover. I’m happy with a 30km ride on such days. This time we climbed the Jura but instead of turning for home and resting we added an extra climb after a fast ride.

Fatigue

This week I climbed the Jura three times, twice with groups that ride hard and fast. I was surprised that I could keep up on Thursday but that’s because I was fresh. Yesterday I was fatigued and that is why I struggled. My body did not have enough time to recover enough after Thursday’s ride. If it had, I would have struggled with the climbs, but without the added challenge of muscle fatigue.

That’s what I believe contributed to my "heat exhaustion. I suspect heat exhaustion because I felt a slight headache when sitting at a table but when I kept putting my head under a tap of running water, and wetting the back of my neck I quickly felt better. That’s why I feel that with two simple changes I would have been fine.

Conclusion

I had the choice between two rides. The first ride was a relaxed course along roads that are familiar to me with a stop by the lakeside for a swim. Ironically this lake side is 3-5 km from home so I could have ridden to Geneva to meet the group, and then cycled back with them, gone for a quick swim and then had a quick ride home.

I chose the harder ride because it was along roads I had not ridden yet. I wanted to explore something new, and I wanted to challenge myself. With the Relaxed rides I push my endurance, and with the Nyon rides I push my abilities and become a stronger cyclist. I am happy to have had such a strong week of cycling. 3000m of climbing in a single week.

We will see what I am tempted by next week.