Written by Each week continues to see a ramping up of the hours and miles spent on my feet, on the bike, or in the pool. This last week was a heavy one with a significant long ride last Saturday followed by a few longish rides this week – but a slightly shorter long ride this Saturday at only 3:22. I was traveling on Sunday/Monday of the week which shifted up my training a smidge.
Overall, things are holding up nicely with my body. I’m feeling strong, but am noticing the need to sleep. My body needs rest as can be imagined. I am also finding my metabolism is still relatively high. Of note, what I’m seeing most is the need for heavy hydration. I’m drinking a lot of water and including a number of hydration sticks or powders throughout the day. Drinking copious amounts of water through the day is resulting in my need to be up throughout the night as I am absolutely unable to make it throughout the night without going to the bathroom.
Of note, I had a 3:46 ride this weekend which carried me just shy of 58 miles on and off the island. I took only two bottles of water with my Raw Nutrition added, and that somehow lasted for me. I need to drink more water. I now have a third water bottle that I can add to my front water bottle holder. I also took 1/2 an Ezekiel English muffin with almond butter, as well as one of my home-made protein bars. I ate about one third of the bar every hour and it was an excellent way to stay nourished throughout. No issues with GI or stomach cramping. The bars are good and I’ll keep them frozen until use and pull one out the night before a ride to ensure they stay fresh. I felt really good on my 10 mile run the next morning which leads me to think the hydration and nutrition were on point.
From a psychological standpoint, the continued trend of ‘green’ on my training calendars meaning that I am hitting all my workouts is a good feeling. It’s especially good on the days when I would rather do anything but get on the bike, in the pool, or on the treadmill, or go to the gym one more time. It helps me to keep going.
