The Underground Railroad Bike Tour

Dazed and confused...in Alabama

Posted by mike in Ky , Thursday, July 8, 2010 7:54 PM

Well, today it finally happened...I got overdosed on the sun, heat and humidity of Alabama. Yep...I hit the wall about 20 miles from Iuka Mississippi. I was totally disoriented and it hit me so fast that I had little time to react. The riding from Haleyville Alabama had been uneventful and we were biking pretty fast most of the day. We stopped for a great home made Mexican lunch about 42 miles into a 72 mile day. After lunch I had a very narrow shoulder to ride on and the traffic was unnerving me really bad. A semi truck got really close and I veered off the shoulder and immediately flatted my front tire. I realized I had no tube and had to wait on two of my teammates to bail me out of the mess I was in. As I was the reigning king of flat tires on the 2008 RideWell Bike tour the flat was changed expeditiously and I was soon on my way. I knew that I was in trouble very shortly because two things happened...One...I stopped sweating. Anytime you stop sweating in Alabama 90 degree + heat that is a bad deal...I had been drinking lots of liquid but I was also losing lots of liquid. Actually, I think I woke up a bit dry from yesterday which was much of the same as far as heat & humidity go. So, perhaps I just didn't catch up today...Secondly...I became very disoriented and that happened quick. I stopped on the side of the road because I couldn't remember how to shift my bike. Two of my team mates rode up and I acted like I was looking at my map. That was funny as there was no need to consult the map for many miles. Apparently I convinced them I was OK and we rode off. I took off riding like a bat out of you-know-where and was frantically searching for the support vehicle. I was told that it was at a funeral home...how appropriate as I was about to die...right here...on a bike. I found the support vehicle and honestly...I don't remember how I got off my bike. I found myself lying in the shade of a huge cedar tree...glassy eyed and still talking crazy. My wife was asking the simplest questions and I could not respond appropriately. I kept telling her how fantastic the Spanish moss was in this cedar tree...which of course there was none. I saw out of the corner of my eye, my bike being loaded into the trailer. I pleaded with her and another leader to let me finish out the last 15 miles. My wife gave me the look and I knew the final word was no...you are done for the day. Everything after that was a blur...it all ran together. I remember I ate some food and went to bed and slept very hard. I drank a bunch of liquid before bed and felt much better the next morning. Even as I write this, I am still amazed how quick that hit me. So, take a lesson from me and really hydrate on these miserable hot and humid days...or dog days...as they call them. I have finally recovered and am functioning fine and can remember how to shift my bike...thankful for that as I still have about 1400 more miles to go...and it's just getting' hotter n hotter every day...