Originally Posted by
antimonysarah
Well, I've officially now DNFed at each main ACP distance with this past weekend's ride. Lovely day, lovely course, and 75 miles into a 400k I just was massively sleepy, did not want to ride a bike (didn't even want to coast downhill). I'd ruled out bonking (stopped multiple times for food and could feel the sugar rush), my legs were OK, and the bike was mostly OK (I was dragging a brake for a bit which didn't help but I found it and fixed it). I did feel less good at about the same time the weather went from overcast to mostly sunny/warmer, but it wasn't really that hot, and I was fine hydration/electrolytes wise. I kept pushing on for a while, but once I realized that I was going to blow either the next intermediate control or make it by a few minutes and not be able to sit down for a rest break there, which I'd been counting on, I gave it up.
Then I felt really exhausted and congested on Sunday and Monday, as did my spouse, so I'm retroactively blaming this one on my first post-quarantine/lockdown cold.
In happier news, I and another organizer checked out some needed changes to the course for our next 400k that we're offering and it should, as always, be a fun ride. I will be organizing, not riding, so anyone coming up to Boston for the Boston-Portland-Boston 400k, I'll see you there.
Sounds similar to something I been struggling with but have not figured it out.
In the late Spring of 2019, I was having tea and some zucchini bread at a local coffee shop when in walks a cyclist looking like she had just done a double century but this was no ordinary rider. She has more National Championships to her name than I could imagine, plus she had one of her many Stars and Stripes jerseys on. Back in the 90's, she used to sometimes ride with our Wheelman group's long rides, so, I went up to her and I could not believe he remembered me. We spent a few hours chatting. Anyway, she had just done a 10 mile TT in her worst time ever. She did not have the energy to ride the 8-10 miles back home. We got into talking about our shared experience of literally wanting to fall asleep on the bike and having no power. She emphatically said that is is the pollen and pollution in the air in the Spring, that she sees it every year but this year (2019) was the worst for her and that as she gets older, the effect is more dramatic. I went to many different Doctors and they really did not figure it out, but I do find I ride poorly when certain pollen is up with humidity in the air. It is the worst. I had to sleep 5 times on PBP and have had to literally stop on the side of the road and sleep during training rides. I'd say you did the right thing pulling the plug, hope it is a one off for you, Sarah.