Today I did my \”long\” ride in segments, you might say. I planned to do about 40 miles; but split it into segments.

The first segment was a trip to the supermarket on the hybrid. I needed produce; and the salvage store, let it be admitted, isn\’t good for fresh fruits and vegetables. I didn\’t find hummus there yesterday, either.

This trip gave me 5.74 miles; but it also put me way behind time for my jaunt on the road bike. I didn\’t get going until about 7:20 am; and it gets hot early!

So I rode out about 18.5 miles; and then headed back home. Clouds were building up in the North and East; and now and then they covered the sun for a bit. That provided welcome relief from the relentless heat.

Today I seemed unusually tired. I wasn\’t sure what was going on. Dehydration, perhaps? Wanting to coast is a sign of possible dehydration; but I had been drinking water and Zym all along. Did I need to eat more? I took a bite about every 15 minutes; and that\’s what I usually do. Maybe salt would have helped; but I forgot to bring along olives today.

Especially on the way back home, I frequently felt out of breath. I had a bit of a headwind; but it wasn\’t any 20 mph. After I got home, I discovered what was probably a major factor: I forgot to take my low blood pressure medication this morning!

Longer Rides

For longer rides than today\’s, segments are even more important. Few of us can knock out 50 miles and more without breaks; and I, for one, don\’t really need to. Yes, I\’m striving to improve my endurance; but that requires time and patience.

Take that century I\’m thinking of doing. A wise plan would be to break up the distance into segments 12-15 miles long; and not try to push the pace too hard. I wish I could do a 100-miler and average 15 mph or so; but at this point it doesn\’t look like happening.

In fact, while trying to survive the slog back home today, I often thought: And I want to do a century?! As I\’ve said so many times, this heat is no help; and several times I had to make unplanned stops to catch my breath. My blood pressure was probably down; and that didn\’t help either.

I think I need to play it by ear between now and the second half of September. If I can get a day of light (or no!) wind; and when it\’s not going to be 90 degrees by 9:00 am; I can go for it. Just remember: segments!