Old guy dealing with cramps on endurance ride
Hi all,
I "celebrated" my 73rd birthday this weekend by cycling 73 miles.
I started cycling a couple of years ago on a Trek Verve hybrid "comfort" bike and upgraded a year ago to Trek Domane SL6.because I wanted to do this birthday ride.
Although I managed to finish the ride, during the last 20 miles I developed cramps in my hamstrings, my calves and my inner thighs. I believe I was consuming adequate carbs, liquids and electrolytes so the cramps were unexpected.
After the ride, my hamstrings continued to cramp if I remained seated too long.
I've gradually built up distance and my longest ride prior to this weekend was 50 miles, and it went ok. I keep my cadence between 85 and 100 and normally try to stay in zone 2 when I'm riding, but my heart rate gradually increased throughout the ride and I believe it was too high for the last segment of the ride.
I'd like to ride 74 miles in a year on my next birthday, but I'm not going to do it if I'm not confident I can do it without cramping.
I suspect that the primary culprit was inadequate conditioning and I'm looking for advice on how to be in better condition for long rides.
I'd appreciate any input folks are willing to share.
Thanks