Recalibrating after the First

My experience has taught me several lessons. I need to recalibrate how I approach the task.

1. Allergens: Here in the OKC Metro there aren’t that many allergens that affect me. Sleeping in my own home also provides some protection. Out in the country in places like the Chandler area, where there are large number of low lying swampy areas growing allergens, things were quite different. By the time I arrived at the campsite, I could smell something whacking my sinuses. It was pretty bad. After the shower, it was reduced, but then plagued me all night long. Turns out that my beard and hair were allergen collectors. You can look it up online, but it’s a known medical issue. Yes, the beard and hair must go if I continue this mission. As I write this, I am now back to my default look from past years.

2. The load: That trailer was the smartest move I could make. No regrets. However, I should have brought the hammock, not the tent with the air mattress. I would have been far more comfortable in a hammock, going from previous experience. I did sleep well enough, better than I expected, but there was no place to sit and the tent is a real hassle getting in and out. In the future, I’ll work harder at ascertaining whether a hammock can work.

3. Saddle: Leather saddles are great, but I’m having an issue with this particular one. For the time being, I’ll switch to the Zizzo Comfort Saddle and see if things improve.

4. Food: There are several complications with this issue. The biggest one is that my appetite doesn’t match the calories I burned. My digestion feels like it goes to sleep on long rides, and I more-or-less have to make myself eat. My food choices for this trip were just an extension of what I’ve always done, but I need to study different options. Trail food and daily eating habits are not the same stuff.

5. Too hard: I went out hard like I always do, heading out at 0700, and arrived at the campsite about 1300 hours local time. On the ride back today, I didn’t have my usual strength. It took a lot longer and I ended up stopping quite frequently out of breath. I need to pay more attention to the load and what it demands of me heading out. I should break more often and simply sit for a while. And it may turn out that 40 miles may be my sane limit for one day’s ride. I’ll keep an eye on that as I resume local training rides.

Everything else will be covered in my review of the ride and campsite. That and photos should show up tomorrow; I’m taking the day off riding (for obvious reasons) and I’ll initiate a Substack blog which will be linked here.