July 24th, 2019. The fourth day into my first RAGBRAI.
In flipflops. On a borrowed bike. And it was hot.
Gay and I stopped at mile 78… the last stop before finishing the day. I knew that eating and drinking was imperative. I just wasn’t hungry. I was keeping up with water/electrolytes but the thought of anything solid made my stomach churn. I went from stand to stand looking for something, anything that sounded good when I stopped in front of the smoothie place. The berry smoothie or banana strawberry? It took me about 5 minutes to decide. That’s when the bells went off and red lights flashed in my head. I went down a road I’ve not traveled before…I am overheating with 6 miles to go.
Danger. Danger! DANGER!
No matter how well conditioned, healthy, or young…no one is immune. The body is intended to operate within a relatively narrow temperature range. Stay within and it generally all works. Increase the temperature and you probably won’t feel very good…like when you have a high fever. Football practice, hiking…we read about victims of heat stroke. It’s a real thing.
And then there’s this thing called ‘heat index’. A forever Californian, when it’s 90 degrees…well, it feels like 90. But not in Iowa…not in places with humidity. I would read “The temperature is 90 but it feels like 105”. And it does! It seemed so strange. I’m used to a ‘dry heat’. Imagine a sauna-you can tolerate a higher temperature when the sauna is dry. Add water/moisture/steam and the same temp is intolerable. Kinda like stewing in your own juices.
My focus changed from riding my bike with friends to survival. I had to drop my core temp. I filled my belly with icy fluid and soaked my clothes with water so the evaporation, what little there was, would cool.
Ride on the shady side of the path.
Keep my output low…don’t push.
Frequent stops/breaks. And the moment I got to the end town, I headed straight to the pool, bike kit and all, and immersed myself in the cool water of the local YMCA. An hour later, I was returning to a normal state but wow, did that ever take the life out of me!
My best lessons are learned during the toughest moments in my life.
Now I manage heat a little differently while on the bike, learning even more during our TransAm tour in 2023.
It’s not the one thing you do, but all the things that make a difference.
Reflect the sun. Wear light colored clothing and arm sleeves. Sometimes, a loose-fitting jersey allows additional air flow.
Ride on the shady side or maybe better yet, get up earlier and ride before the sun is high in the sky.
Drink. This is another very personal ‘recipe’ that differs amongst cyclists. Some drink electrolyte mixes while others drink water and take electrolyte tablets. But drink! And be aware of fluids that cause dehydration like alcohol. Know what and how your body responds as your successes as well as your failures are YOURS TO OWN.
Being on a gravel bike with a frame bag, I’ve discovered I can create my own ‘refrigerator’. It is easier for me to drink using a straw/tubing like on Camelbacks. I place a 3-liter hydration bag into my frame bag. It’s filled with ice and some water…depending on the temps and length of ride. This gives me cold water throughout the ride. It also creates a space to put my phone (which doesn’t do well in the heat) and food that would normally spoil at 100 degrees. I have a second water bladder if needed. I can fill that one, place it into a string bag and throw it on my back. Yes. The trickles down my back and make me wiggle but I’m cool! The third step is a collapsable ice chest in my ‘trunk’ bag. We’ve learned to buy a bag of ice from the last gas station/stop towards the end of that day’s ride. We have ice pretty much until the next morning and then, the whole process of filling the water bags with ice/water begins again. (oh, the ‘we’…Drew and I…my ride partner). It works for me. And talk about popular?! Ride into a camp of a1,000 hot cyclists with ice…now who’s your best friend? LOL!
And of all the things I remember from that day in the corn…day four of my first RAGBRAI was the gentle kindness of my friend Gay Van Roekel Richards. She pulled me those last 6 miles. I stayed on her wheel, mesmerized by the tread on her tire, knowing I had to hold on and keep going. And in her silence and understanding of my suffering, she delivered me to the finish line …with the grace and beauty of an angel.
There are life experiences which will forever unite your hearts. That day created a bond between us that will survive all time. I call Gay my ‘Cycle Sister’ and I ride with her, in my heart, every mile of every day while on the bike.
Thank you Gay. I love you Cycle Sister.
April 15, 2025
