Brick-a-dabba-doo!
I had a great session this afternoon - a full 25k bike and then 5k run. Setting off from Walker, at just after noon, the weather was just perfect. Sunny without much heat, so that I knew I wouldn’t get too hot. I was wearing some long cycling trousers over my ever so attractive tri suit . . . very comfortable for this kind of weather.
I was also wearing the Karrimor Hydro 15 pack that my parents got me for my birthday. Over two litres of liquid AND enough luggage capacity for my laptop, notepad, and a few assorted cables.
I took the long route home to make sure that I got the bike miles in. After four miles, it started to get overcast, and by the time I reached the coast at Seaton Sluice, it was distinctly chilly - a real live sea mist.
For the run, I put on some shorts over the top of the tri suit - I don’t like running in long trousers . . . and the tri suit’s really not that attractive. (Either that, or I’m just too darned smokin’ hot in it - no need to put toooo much temptation out there. Ha ha ha). The route was out along the promenade, and back on the beach, avoiding the usual assorted dogs who just love to chase runners.
Thoughts on the brick session:
Great bike ride - even though I was on my sturdy commuting bike, I got the average speed up to above 16 mph. This was probably helped by having my luggage on my back rather than on the side of the bike’s rack - I usually carry a large Ortlieb Office Bag - loads of space for stuff, but probably acts as a very efficient air brake!- Excellent run - only 5k, but the 6:55 per mile pace was fast AND felt good.
- Hydration during exercise - I’m still not taking in enough fluids. About an hour after stopping, I started to get that tired and vaguely sore in the neck & head feeling that’s a sure indication for me that I’d got dehydrated. Again.
- Hydration pack - great rucksack, but I’m now worried about cleaning the fluids bag. At the moment it’s full of steralising fluid for a baby’s bottle. If anyone’s got any better tips, please let me know.
From what I have read, cleaning the bladder in the hydration pack with sterlising solution is the THE best way to go. I have had a tale recounted to me of a friend who did not clean his hydration kit properly whilst camping in France with his family. He picked up a really bad bug (which he put down to not sterilising the bladder) and ended up in hospital. He got a the kind of runs that you don’t measure in minutes per mile!
Well… Camelbak (http://www.camelbak.com/) the largest manufacturer of these hydration packs in the US sells a special cleaning system. That includes a brush, drying rack, and sterilizing tablets.
That being said, I’ve heard that if you only put WATER in them (or water+Nuun), or in other words, you stay away from putting sugar in them, then you are much much less likely to run into sterilization problems.