Deliberation sounds like a jury; but we cyclists engage in it all the time.

When we\’re planning a ride, what do we do? We check the weather forecast; and decide how to dress for the ride. Is is warm enough for a short-sleeved jersey; or will we need to have our arms covered? If the weather is on the cool side, will riding keep us warm enough that we won\’t need a jacket? Will it rain?

And what about wind? How strong is the wind; and when in our ride will it be against us? Prevailing winds where I live are easterly; and thanks to my location on the bike path I use, that means I almost always have a headwind on the way home.

That certainly was the case yesterday; and I made a conscious effort not to push hard on the way out, when I had the tailwind. I knew I needed to save my energy for the ride against the headwind; and when I\’ve got 18+ miles to go, that\’s important.

When I have that headwind, there\’s the deliberation of whether to push hard; or to ease up my efforts. Pushing into a headwind is a good way to develop better strength; but I don\’t want to \”blow up\” when I still have a long way to go.

The Jury Is Out

Another area of deliberation is fueling. When I\’ll be riding more than about 90 minutes, I need to take along on-bike food; but what to take? How much do I need to take with me?

How much is sometimes easier to decide than what. I need roughly one energy bar per hour; but do I want FitCrunch bars? Or am I more in the mood for MetRx? On a long ride, I usually eat at least one GU-Gel, too.

Now that my A1c levels have soared again, I wonder whether I need to hunt for energy bars that are more moderate in carbs. I know that cycling burns both fat and carbs; and that the greater the intensity, the more the body uses carbs as fuel. But even a low intensity, the body does\’t burn only fat; and besides, \”fat burns in a carbohydrate flame.\” In other words, we cyclists need carbs while riding!

I think I need some more deliberation there: the jury is still out.