Is audaxing injurious to health?

[innesh]

Well, is it?  Let me see - sleep deprivation, sore knees, sore feet, sore bottom parts, headaches, sore wrists, stomach upsets, obsession, getting battered by the Mrs 'cause your never at home on a Sunday .....

Just when I thought I had overcome most of the above - except the obsessive part    I have discovered another ailment to contend with. 

Urine infection.  Yeeeoow! 

If you've never had one, well, you don't want one!  I rode a very wet audax last Sunday, about as wet as it could have been.  Only about half the field started, the intelligent half believed the forecast.  The roads were filthy and some of the run-off was very agricultural - you could actually see the green colour of slurry.  Surprisingly, no one drunk much from their bottles and I had none, but I'm sure I wasn't alone in that.  The result of not drinking enough = urine infection.  I'll confess that this isn't he first time I've one (and I'm not woman, who are more prone cystisis etc), but it doesn't make it less painful, just less scary.

Drink up!     from a clean bottle

[valkyrie]

It was still a great day out though, wasn't it!

...and after all that coldness, aren't you enjoying "feeling the burn"

[Philip Whiteman]

Sounds nasty.  I assume that it is a case for the anti-biotics then?

[MercuryKev]

What did you get up to in that fishing hut?

[Chris S]

Don't forget the Kidney stones, from all that dehydration!

[simonp]

Yes, I think it is.  But while I can still turn a pedal I will continue to do so.

[The Mechanic]

Maybe mud guards would have made a difference.  I drank about 1 litre from two bottles during the ride with no ill effects.  I did notice that a large proportion of hte field did not have any mudguards.  (Plus a could with no brakes as well)

[Chris S]

Maybe mud guards would have made a difference.  I drank about 1 litre from two bottles during the ride with no ill effects.  I did notice that a large proportion of hte field did not have any mudguards.  (Plus a could with no brakes as well)

That was certainly a theory for the high number of vomitous episodes reported during PBP 2007; farmyard poo turned to soup by the rain, and then sprayed all over your water bottle by the front wheel. 

[Andydauddwr]

I find on the balance that Audax is better for my well-being than not, particularly psychologically.

I do still have numb finger tips from PBP '07 though, so I wouldn't say that it's totally harmless...

AC

[MSeries]

I broke my pelvis audaxing. Could have happened on any bike ride though. The brevet card didn't cause the crash. On balance though the weight management and well being due to cycling far outweigh the upset to my life that the crash caused.

[tonyh]

I find on the balance that Audax is better for my well-being than not, particularly psychologically.

Yes indeed.

Worrying about whether to set out when feeling less than entirely well, though, can feel destructive (a bit like the collapsed state a couple of days afterwards).

[Greenbank]

I haven't been this fit and healthy since I was about 18 (where booze, ciggies, motorbikes and University stopped me cycling so much).

I've had no days off sick in the last 3 years (but have worked from home occasionally to stop spreading my germs). Probably more than 3 years but that's as far back as the records go (no record before we were taken over).

[innesh]

Just to answer a few questions:

Anti-biotics, yes, I hope so.  Still waiting on the results of a urine test before they dish them out. 

Mudguards.  Had them on, proper full length ones, but don't think they would have made much difference.

Activity in the fishing hut - keeping unsavoury and unhygenic company - he was wearing chaps Rainlegs for goodness sake! 

My current discomfort will ease in time, much like all the others have done, and I'll be back in a week or two.  I'm absolutely certain that cycling is beneficial, but now that I've thought about it, (and although the subject line was slightly tongue in cheek) I'm really not so sure about audax.  When I'm fit I can knock out 200kms on consecutive weekends no problem, and feel good on it, but some days it can be a complete and utter grind and I'm sure gains me no benefit.  But of course, we all keep doing it, so maybe the mental benefits exceed the physical harm?  Only 8 days 'til my next 200. 

As they say in Scotland (sometimes),  Audaxers! Wha's like us? Damn few, an' they're a' deid!

[onb]

Get a drink bottle with a plastic flip cover.Something like this ,better than dehydration or ecoli



Super Cincio MTB - Road Bikes | Cycle Parts and Accessories | Bike Parts | Bike Frames | Road Frames

[bikenerd]

This is one of the reasons why MTBers use Camelbacks.  The novelty of drinking out of a shit encrusted drinks bottle wears off pretty quickly.  (The other reason is to keep weight off the bike to improve maneuverability).

Maybe try a small Camelback in winter?  Might need some adjusting to riding with 1 to 2 kg of weight on your back, though.

[urban_biker]

This is one of the reasons why MTBers use Camelbacks.  The novelty of drinking out of a shit encrusted drinks bottle wears off pretty quickly.  (The other reason is to keep weight off the bike to improve maneuverability).

Maybe try a small Camelback in winter?  Might need some adjusting to riding with 1 to 2 kg of weight on your back, though.

Do they do a Camelbelly? I'm used to riding with a few extra kg's in that position.

[mattc]

Get a drink bottle with a plastic flip cover.Something like this ,better than dehydration or ecoli

Super Cincio MTB - Road Bikes | Cycle Parts and Accessories | Bike Parts | Bike Frames | Road Frames

I try to ride with one like that on skoggy events (plus one 'proper' bottle). Bit more fiddly, but some benefits.

But mudguards probably give more benefit. Must get some on the MTB before December ...

[MikeFromLFE]

Don't forget the Kidney stones, from all that dehydration!

Been there done that (ouch)

[Philip Whiteman]

Another thing to remember is bottles lids are difficult to clean and occasionaly require sterilisation.  

[livestrong10_02]

Well, is it?  Let me see - sleep deprivation, sore knees, sore feet, sore bottom parts, headaches, sore wrists, stomach upsets, obsession, getting battered by the Mrs 'cause your never at home on a Sunday .....

Just when I thought I had overcome most of the above - except the obsessive part    I have discovered another ailment to contend with. 

Urine infection.  Yeeeoow! 

If you've never had one, well, you don't want one!  I rode a very wet audax last Sunday, about as wet as it could have been.  Only about half the field started, the intelligent half believed the forecast.  The roads were filthy and some of the run-off was very agricultural - you could actually see the green colour of slurry.  Surprisingly, no one drunk much from their bottles and I had none, but I'm sure I wasn't alone in that.  The result of not drinking enough = urine infection.  I'll confess that this isn't he first time I've one (and I'm not woman, who are more prone cystisis etc), but it doesn't make it less painful, just less scary.

Drink up!     from a clean bottle

could well be. been off the bike since 4th october mainly with a torn neck muscle and bad back caused by over cooking the hills this summer   at least i wont be on the bike till next spring so time to recover

[sg37409]

In the rain such as Forth Finale - I find I drink less. Seems a bit daft, but I think its me drinking the rain.  Riding with your mouth open is fine if your on the front.

Mechanic: It was me with total absence of brakes ! Shocking - my first experience of plastic levers on v-brakes. I stopped and adjusted them tight enough to be quite a drag when I was out on the bike next day.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Cranberry juice or cranberry extract capsules can help to shift a urine infection - the berries have something in them which prevents bacteria from sticking to the bladder walls so you flush them out more quickly.

[The Mechanic]

Glad you managed to get back in one piece SG and didn't end up in a hedge at the bottom of a hill.  I think there was another guy from Glasgow who was on his first audax (what an intro)  who also had no brakes.  Mind you, in htat kind of weather, everyone has problems with braking.  Great sense of achievement all the same.  Now do you think I could get a weekend pass for the Nippy Sweetie?

[DanialW]

as my school song advised, 'die of service, not of rust.'

It doesn't last for ever, so make the fullest use of your body you can.

[fin]

Possibly.

Crashes and falls aside, audaxing can stress your body to the point where injury and permanent physical damage are possible.  But is this any different to other (physical) sports ?

I suffered a bad back which ended in a microdiscectomy a number of years ago, and have never really reached the same levels of performance since.
It was strange however, that at its worst, and just prior to being off work for 6 months, the only relief from pain was when cycling.  (Probably due to my riding position and my spine being 'open'.)   I'm still not sure if cycling (audaxing) was wholly to blame though, but it may have been a contributing factor.

Other health problems endured in the name of audax include food poisoning during an O'er the Edge 400km; numbness in hands and feet and serious bonk (several times).  Fortunately all recoverable.