After a good 40-miler yesterday, I decided to join some friends today for another 45 miles, this time in Saratoga County. It's a modified version of an old MHCC half-century (50 miles) ride, beginning and ending at Lakeside Farms in Ballston.
I arrived early, eager to down a good breakfast before we set off - bacon, eggs, toast and orange juice. Plenty of salt and potassium there to head off the possibility of cramps later. I had also spiked my Gatorade with both a little salt and a little potassium-based salt substitute, mostly as an experiment. I'd be drinking this regularly all day, and would see how it worked out. The taste of those two items was almost unnoticeable, so it seemed like a reasonable plan.
The weather today was at least drier than yesterday, and a bit cooler, only getting to the mid-80s. But the June sun was hot whenever we stopped, interrupting our self-created breezes. We tried to head for shade whenever pausing in the ride, and once stopped at a convenience store about halfway around the clockwise loop. It was a nice ride with lots of variety, including the east side of Saratoga Lake, where the traffic wasn't bad for a weekend.
We finished with 44.85 miles, and no hint of cramping despite 1,600 feet of climbing. Lakeside Farms was a bit crowded when we finished, so I passed on lunch or ice cream and just headed home instead, where lunch and a quick nap awaited.
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