Back Biking again

I hit a milestone in my recovery last week - I went on my first extended bike ride on my road bike. I chose a short route, only about 7 miles, but this being Sioux City, I knew there were some steep hills to contend with...

Short Cheyenne Blvd Route

Despite the hills - much steeper and narrower than I'm used to, I ended the ride feeling warmed up and not at all tired. My three big concerns were:
1) would my still numb left leg be able to power me up the hills,
2) Would my back handle the repetitive stress, and
3) would my butt be able to handle a seat without padded biking shorts (still lost from moving)

The answer to all 3 ended up being an enthusiastic yes to the first 2, and a very sore yes to the 3rd... After the ride, I walked up and down my yard to warm down, but realized that I was not very tired at all.

Tired and not dehydrated.

Joe sent me this article about the importance of knowing your sweat rate. I remember when I was first starting out, I would come home after a long ride for a beginner (20-30 miles), and absolutely just collapse in the shower. I knew this would shortly be followed by extreme muscle cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. After an hour of contorting myself into weird positions while sitting on the pot with a garbage can in my face, I would realize the attack was over, and stumble out into the living room or bedroom to recover from that.

Incredibly stupid. Severe dehydration is life threatening.

I now carry twice as much water as I think I need. I bought a 3 liter Camelbak and make sure it's filled every time I leave the house. In addition, I make sure to drink at least 1 Gatorade bottle every 20 miles or so. Since that, I have had no "attacks", even after my last big ride, a 50 miler...