Author Topic: Coping with the Dozies  (Read 12303 times)

Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #75 on: 07 June, 2019, 04:34:10 pm »
How have people found coming off caffeine ?   Is cold turkey the best way ?

I've dropped down to one double espresso, post commute in and then a can of diet coke lunchtime.

I'm wondering whether to withdraw one of these next week as a steady bleed out.

I went cold turkey once in preparation for an event: it wasn't fun. And I don't think it benefitted me very much either: I didn't feel caffeine giving me an especial buzz whilst I was taking part.

I've found the best strategy is to ensure that you are well-rested before the event and not in sleep debt. The one event I did in which I wasn't was the last PBP, and I ended up with the dozies at all sorts of strange times and taking short naps throughout the event. Although caffeine can stave off the dozies for a while, but sooner or later you are going to need some sleep. It's better to do what your body is telling you to do.

JonB

  • Granny Ring ... Yes Please!
Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #76 on: 07 June, 2019, 04:43:44 pm »
How have people found coming off caffeine ?   Is cold turkey the best way ?

I've dropped down to one double espresso, post commute in and then a can of diet coke lunchtime.

I'm wondering whether to withdraw one of these next week as a steady bleed out.

I tried it once but to little effect. The thing that struck me was that it was hard to get a decent cup of coffee when I most needed it during the night on a 600 or longer rides. I haven't bothered since but maybe I should give it another go, I have found the final 20km-30km of the return from Kings on the BCM particularly difficult on the last two outings especially the long downhill section. 

Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #77 on: 07 June, 2019, 04:57:56 pm »
How have people found coming off caffeine ?   Is cold turkey the best way ?

I've dropped down to one double espresso, post commute in and then a can of diet coke lunchtime.

I'm wondering whether to withdraw one of these next week as a steady bleed out.

I went cold turkey about 12 years ago and wouldn't recommend it.  I had all sorts of unpleasant symptoms including a spitting migraine (which I'd never had before or had since) for 2 days and both stomach and (strangely) thigh cramps. I didn't touch caffeine for years after to make the suffering worthwhile!
The sound of one pannier flapping

S2L

Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #78 on: 07 June, 2019, 05:04:32 pm »
I tried a week without coffee with no side effects... that proves that I am not an addict like you bunch of dopers...  :thumbsup:

Phil W

Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #79 on: 07 June, 2019, 05:09:19 pm »
I'm a green tea drinker and don't really have much caffeine to withdraw from.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #80 on: 07 June, 2019, 06:48:55 pm »
There's  around 30mg caffeine in a cup of green tea.

That's less than a cup of coffee but enough to keep my partner awake...

andyp

  • Andrew Preston
Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #81 on: 07 June, 2019, 09:21:58 pm »
More generally, I don't think it's a great advert for Audax, reading about riders popping pills to stay awake while they ride their bike because they didn't have time to sleep.
what, and posts about people falling off their bikes when they've fallen asleep with no following discussion of strategies to avoid it is? I think being open, honest and helpful is more important than being an advert.

I don't think the "extreme" label is one we want to wear
I think it's safe to say that that ship has long sailed: audax, especially 300km+ falls well within the definition of extreme for almost everyone except us.


Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #82 on: 07 June, 2019, 11:51:13 pm »
I stopped having caffeine (to the extent that I could avoid it) about five years ago.  I did it to help me sleep better in normal life, not to do with cycling.  I don't remember stopping being much of an issue. But now that I have far less of it I am much more conscious of its addictive nature.  If I have chocolate then I crave more in a way I don't recall doing when I freely consumed caffeine.

mattc

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Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #83 on: 08 June, 2019, 08:04:51 am »
I think it's safe to say that that ship has long sailed: audax, especially 300km+ falls well within the definition of extreme for almost everyone except us.
As someone on Audax Ecosse said:
"It's the most badass thing you can do that noone has ever heard of."
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

vorsprung

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Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #84 on: 08 June, 2019, 09:33:29 am »
Never mind caffeine tablets, what about Phenylpiracetam, vitamin B5 and alpha gcp?

Phil W

Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #85 on: 08 June, 2019, 10:38:50 am »
There's  around 30mg caffeine in a cup of green tea.

That's less than a cup of coffee but enough to keep my partner awake...

Well well well.  I don't do tricks with caffeine on Audax, preferring to have a nap,  so it's kind of mute. But interesting to know.

Phil W

Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #86 on: 08 June, 2019, 10:44:45 am »
I wonder whether having some blue LEDs turned on, at night, on the handlebars would be an effective remedy against the dozies?

"Researchers at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University investigated the effects on alertness and cognitive performance from prolonged daytime exposure to blue light. They also compared the daytime effects of blue light exposure to the effects of evening exposure to the same degree of light. Their findings confirm that blue light at night stimulates alertness and diminishes feelings of drowsiness, interfering with sleep."

Quote from Psychology Today




Kim

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Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #87 on: 08 June, 2019, 01:10:26 pm »
I wonder whether having some blue LEDs turned on, at night, on the handlebars would be an effective remedy against the dozies?

In that you'll wake up when you ride into something because you can't see?

Planet X Paul

  • The Green Machine
Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #88 on: 08 June, 2019, 01:34:39 pm »
How have people found coming off caffeine ?   Is cold turkey the best way ?

I've dropped down to one double espresso, post commute in and then a can of diet coke lunchtime.

I'm wondering whether to withdraw one of these next week as a steady bleed out.

I stopped having 'normal' tea and coffee about 3 weeks before WCW as an experiment.  The one thing I did notice was that I had a headache all day following the day I started, but otherwise did not notice any effects.

CrazyEnglishTriathlete

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Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #89 on: 08 June, 2019, 08:40:16 pm »
How have people found coming off caffeine ?   Is cold turkey the best way ?

I've dropped down to one double espresso, post commute in and then a can of diet coke lunchtime.

I'm wondering whether to withdraw one of these next week as a steady bleed out.

Cold turkey for me is hard, but I'd rather do it than abandon an Audax because I can't keep my eyes open.  I have tried cutting down progressively over a couple of weeks, sometimes that gives less suffering that going cold turkey, sometimes not.  Probably depends on other factors such as work stress, travel, home, family, etc, etc.
Eddington Numbers 130 (imperial), 182 (metric) 571 (furlongs)  114 (nautical miles)

rob

Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #90 on: 08 June, 2019, 08:53:30 pm »
Only one single espresso today.

I do feel really sluggish but I suspect this is down to the large amount of miles in the last 6 weeks.

Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #91 on: 08 June, 2019, 10:44:10 pm »
I am not sure going 'cold turkey' works for me. There has got to be some balance in life between pleasure, determination and outcome. We all suffer from the 'dozies' from time to time (which could be any number of factors, really). Personal experience agrees with the above posts - best  outcome is to start without sleep dept - - trouble with that, is it can be difficult to really know your own circumstances.

Apart from that, I find chewing gum helps and recently found on the Brimstone that 'Japanese rice crackers' found at one of the controls (Beaminster Coop) did a good job of being me awake.

Caffiene?? - Well, obviously we would all like to see one of those Vespa tri-scooter-van Barristers on the side of every lane:


 
However, short of that non-reality on the road, I have tried caffeinated chewing gum:

https://www.blockheadenergy.com/energy-gum-peppermint

50mg caffeine per gum (they say about one single espresso). I find 2-3 takes the edge off the night an gets me through. And the argument foes that most of the caffeine is absorbed through the gums, so no upset stomach.

Ben T

Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #92 on: 08 June, 2019, 11:13:09 pm »
I once tried giving up caffeine in preparation for an audax but soon came to the conclusion it wasn't worth it. About 5 minutes after the first missed coffee  ;D

Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #93 on: 09 June, 2019, 07:00:51 am »
I've been caffeine free for nearly 2 years now, I felt urgh for a few weeks, maybe because i take my coffee strong with 3 heaped teaspoons per mug!

When I do have a strong (with caffeine) coffee it certainly has an effect.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
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Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #94 on: 09 June, 2019, 04:06:46 pm »
How have people found coming off caffeine ?   Is cold turkey the best way ?

I've dropped down to one double espresso, post commute in and then a can of diet coke lunchtime.

I'm wondering whether to withdraw one of these next week as a steady bleed out.

I stopped having 'normal' tea and coffee about 3 weeks before WCW as an experiment.  The one thing I did notice was that I had a headache all day following the day I started, but otherwise did not notice any effects.
I've only done cold turkey once - I thinkI had a couple of days of headaches (I was forced to by medical circs)
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

vorsprung

  • Opposites Attract
    • Audaxing
Re: Coping with the Dozies
« Reply #95 on: 10 June, 2019, 03:14:29 am »

I've only done cold turkey once...