Tips for longer rides

Like I said I did 20 miles on Saturday and it was HOT. Memo to myself and anyone else listen:

1. Drink LOTS of water (1 bottle per hour minimum). It's hard to do but if you don't you'll BONK hard.


2. Clif Shots are AWESOME. I was starting to run out of steam but I forced myself to eat one of these (they taste great, but you don't feel like eating in hot weather) and within a few minutes I was starting to feel better. Could be psychosomatic, but hey, if it works!


3. Use sunscreen. It keeps you cooler. That's not the best article, but I couldn't find a better one. I originally read about it in this book or this one. I forgot to wear it on Saturday and I imagine it would've helped (despite the fact that I didn't burn)


4. Pace yourself. Know what you can average pushing yourself as hard as you can across a short distance (less than 10 miles) and don't expect to get anywhere near that across a longer one. At least not until you're in much better shape.