I’ve had that blog title in mind for a long time. I confess that sometimes I pee my pants after a long hard workout. I don’t even realize I’m peeing until I feel it dribbling down my legs! This happens only when I am doing a really hard sustained effort. When your heart rate is high, i.e., Zone 4 or above, your body will ignore nonessential functions. Like the need to pee. As soon as you stop, your heart rate drops, and your body shifts its attention to other things. Like the need to pee.
My mentor advised me to keep moving fast in transitions to keep the heart rate high, thus avoiding the urgent need to pee in a race! This advice has served me well. But watch out as soon as I cross the finish line! I keep meaning to look at my heart rate when this happens, so I know what heart rate is my trigger point. But, in the pee of the moment, I always forget! I’m usually too busy scurrying to find a potty! LOL!
Today’s long brick workout made me once again think “Sometimes I have to Pee”. And I came to the realization that I need to change my pee strategy on my long brick workouts to avoid the risk of poision ivy. Today, I once again found myself peeing in the woods and I was totally freaking out about the thought of suffering that horrid rash again.
On my long bike/bricks, I don’t ever pee my pants unexpectedly. My heart rate just isn’t in the zone for me not to feel the urge to pee. But I do have to pee every few hours. My preference in the past has been to pee in the woods – rather than stop at icky gas station restrooms. Today, I did have the presence of mind to stop at a gas station to pee early on in my ride, to avoid a hike through the woods later.
However, soon after a quick bike to run transition in my back yard, I found myself needing to pee. Out of habit, I never go into my house during transitions, wanting to keep them fast, and wanting to avoid the “Mommy syndrome”. You see, whenever I walk in the house after a long workout, my family immediately asks me for help with stuff. So, I just never go back in until I am completely done and ready to be the Mommy again.
There is a nice patch of woods 1/4 mile from my house where I take care of peeing if I need to. Today I got to that spot, and realized I had to pee, so I trekked in to take care of business, carefully inspecting every branch and leaf and tree trunk for evidence of poison ivy. Everything was green and leafy and full of vines – ACK! From now on, I will pee in my house during transitions, and risk Mommy syndrome over poison ivy!
When I got home, I scrubbed my legs with Dawn dish detergent, hoping it would wash any poison ivy oil away. Dawn is supposed to cut the grease off dishes, right? Hope it works!
Here are some pictures of poison ivy. I do not know what poison oak or sumac look like!!
New sprouts:
Notice fuzzy vine as it grows on a tree trunk:
Thanks Kari, I have tried Zanfel before and agree it works! I thought this rash was actually some kind of bug bite at first, so that’s why I didn’t use the Zanfel. You’re right, I need to get some more of that stuff. Pricey, but cheaper than a doctor visit!
You crack me up! As an adventure racer, I occasionally got hit with some PI. I got a sample of this stuff once in a race packet and man, it works well. It’s a little pricey, but it works. Might want to keep a tube handy at the casa.
http://www.zanfel.com/help/productfaq.html
Keep up the great work and posts.
very timely post…i’ve recently been finding the same thing during hard sustained climbs. After I finish the ride I will realize at some point I stopped holding it haha.