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Why I Have Not Been Riding and Posting as Much – Migraines.

I just want to share something. We all have struggles. I applaud all of you who have come back from health problems like heart attacks and diabetes. There are other riders out there who may be less fortunate.

I am a chronic migraine sufferer. What does that mean? For bicycling it means a lot. When temps go over 80F along with humidity over 80% you shouldn’t ride. Most rides in summer, water won’t cut it. You make sure you drink plenty of electrolytes, take magnesium, vitamin b, and probably a NSAID pill before you ride, as well as carry an emergency pill in your saddle bag, but one not powerful enough to knock you out, just get you home. This is when you can ride.

Other days you just can’t ride. You plan to go on a ride and there is a change in the weather, or the pollen goes crazy, or worse yet you are in line at a supermarket and someone behind you has worn perfume or body spray that triggers a migraine. I missed a metric century ride this year when I came back from Colorado to sea level. The change in altitude put me in bed with a migraine for three days. Needless to say no riding.

I was on a recent ride where I went out too soon after the headache pain was gone. But the headache pain is not the only thing, you suffer from the hangover from the medication, or other effects of the migraine such as nausea, blurred vision and fatigue. This is what impacted me on the ride as well as the heat and humidity. What came first, I don’t know, but 29 miles into about a 36 mile ride I bonked big time and my friends had to get a car to rescue me.

As for medication and remedies. Don’t tell a migraine sufferer they should try this or that. Believe me we have heard it all. We also take preventatives. Last summer I was on such a high dose of one medication that I gained about 65 lbs, slept 12 hours at night and took a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon. It was my lowest mileage year since I started riding again 9 years ago. I am on a different medication this year. I am slowly loosing weight and I have surpassed last year’s mileage.

Anyway, I just thought I would share this. I still love to ride, when I can.

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