Hydrate!

[txgoonie]

I arrived at work having never broken Zone 1 but still sweatastic, so I thought I’d extend this public service announcement. ‘Tis the time of year to get your hydrate on!

It’s smart to always have a filled bottle on the bike, plus you should be drinking throughout the day. It’s a bad idea to start the trek home already dehydrated. You know what they say: if you wait till you’re thirsty, it’s already too late. I personally have become obsessed with my Sodastream and bring a bottle with me every day (no flavoring, either plain or with lime juice). I get at least a liter in while I’m at work, usually more. Stay away from sugary drinks and try to keep your caffeine intake in check. Set a pop-up reminder on your calendar at work if you’re usually bad about drinking while at your desk (guilty). Yay summer biking in DC!

Topic

[txgoonie]

@hozn 53534 wrote:

I investigated the SodaStream option, but it didn’t seem any cheaper than $1 2L bottles from Shoppers.

Even if the costs were exactly the same (over time it does actually pay for itself, although slower than your DIY) I’d still use it to avoid putting plastic bottles into the waste stream. The amount of packaging we use for beverages makes me nuts. One a related note, we have totally acceptable municipal water, so I refuse to buy bottled.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@txgoonie 53572 wrote:

One a related note, we have totally acceptable municipal water, so I refuse to buy bottled.

+1 I know folks who live on very tight budgets and still make the weekly trek to Costco for loads of bottled water. Does.not.compute.

[fuzzy]

I can’t drink DC tap water, its like drinking chlorine. I refuse to buy bottled water by the case for regular consumption.

The better alternative is a britta water filter pitcher, or any other pitcher filter.

[DaveK]

@fuzzy 53582 wrote:

I can’t drink DC tap water, its like drinking chlorine. I refuse to buy bottled water by the case for regular consumption.

The better alternative is a britta water filter pitcher, or any other pitcher filter.

+1

I have a Brita pitcher in the fridge. I just can’t stand the taste of DC tap water.

[hozn]

@Tim Kelley 53536 wrote:

That’s cool. Can we get some pictures of your setup?

Here is the basic setup in our pantry drawer and an example of connecting the bottle.

I built it per the suggestions with an inline valve, but this was really unnecessary as the regulator has a valve. The inline valve would be useful in a setup where the bottle is further away, I guess.

The tubing is all available at home depot. Regulator, bottle top cap & connector I ordered. And tank I bought online — was much cheaper.

[consularrider]

During today’s century ride I drank five 24 oz bottles of water while on the bike, two 12 oz glasses of ice tea stopped at my house at mile 38, a bottle of ice tea at Mom’s Apple Pie in Leesburg, then a large diet coke at Roy Rogers in Leesburg after climbing up to Clarkes Gap and coasting back down, and finished with a vanilla malt at Lazy Sundae in Falls Church at mile 105. After reaching home, input another 24 oz of fluid. It was hot and sticky out there!

[KLizotte]

@consularrider 53608 wrote:

During today’s century ride I drank five 24 oz bottles of water while on the bike, two 12 oz glasses of ice tea stopped at my house at mile 38, a bottle of ice tea at Mom’s Apple Pie in Leesburg, then a large diet coke at Roy Rogers in Leesburg after climbing up to Clarkes Gap and coasting back down, and finished with a vanilla malt at Lazy Sundae in Falls Church at mile 105. After reaching home, input another 24 oz of fluid. It was hot and sticky out there!

You were clearly a *camel* in another life. I almost died on the street this afternoon WALKING five blocks. I am so not ready for summer.

[Justin Antos]

This is great advice which I flunked in today’s heat. By dinner at the end of the ride, I was NOT feeling good and didn’t want food until about a half hour had passed and I’d guzzled a ton of ginger ale. I should’ve added Gatorade to the mix during the ride; water alone wasn’t cutting it.

For the last few miles, I was thinking, “Man, I don’t feel good, I think I need more water. I should really go read that thread on the Forum about hydrating, they’re on to something”

[KLizotte]

When I was in my early 20s and living in MA, I went outside to do a little weeding in the garden during a hot, overcast day. It wasn’t very humid and was in the 90s. I wasn’t sweating profusely and felt fine; I even sat outside and read for a bit.

That night I ended up with a 104.5 fever because I was so dehydrated. Yes, one develops a fever when severely dehydrated (nature really got that one wrong IMHO). I was delirious the whole night and sweated a lot due to the abundance of blankets I was using. For the next week I was frequently nauseous (especially when in a moving vehicle) and would not go anywhere without a two liter bottle of water by my side that I drank constantly. I was always thirsty. Defying all laws of physics I did not pee for four days. I found out later from a surgeon that I should have been in the hospital on an IV drip but my father was in the hospital that week for emergency heart surgery so no one was paying any attention to me. I am now really careful about hydration as a result.

The lesson from my story is that severe dehydration can happen quickly and without you even realizing it; you don’t have to be sweating much. If you develop a fever or feel nauseous/dizzy go to an ER immediately. I got lucky.

[DaveK]

Today:

At least eight bottles while on the bike
Five glasses of water at lunch
One large bottle while sitting at a 7-11
An additional bottle sitting at the 7-11 poured over my head

It was warm out there today.

[ShawnoftheDread]

Three large bottles of water today, and I had to go the whole way home. I don’t know how y’all drink that much water.

[Rod Smith]

Filled two large bottles three times and when I fill them, I drink half a bottle then fill it again.

[PotomacCyclist]

A better way to hydrate at work?

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[Author]

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