The Ride Starts Here

In reality I started the mental preparation for my upcoming ride a few weeks ago, but the physical preparation begins today and in the form of hydration. Yes, more than a week away from my departure date I have begun the task of making sure my body not only has, but can retain enough water for what I am about to undertake. More about that in a minute.

The undertaking is not remarkable for some, but unfathomable by others. I am going to ride from Mesa, AZ to Lisbon, OH the place of my birth and where I grew up. It is a trip Home, both physically and metaphorically in a sense that I will be attending a High School Reunion while I visit Ohio. While the Reunion is not the reason for the trip home, it is a convenient excuse.

I take this trip at a very interesting time due to the upcoming Presidential Election, the Economy and the price of gasoline. The last point may prove to be the most interesting as when I originally planned this trip the economics of the whole deal never figured into why I was doing it, but now it seems my route will be the most economical. I've also been a little ahead of the curve, whether I've wanted to be or not, this seems to be one of those times.

Anyways, back to the water. A lot of people never think about how the management of hydration figures into a long distance motorcycle trip, but to me it is a vital part of getting where I want to get safely. I am not a rider that drinks on the roll, but that may change. I have found in the past when I have liquid readily available I tend to over-drink causing me to need to stop too frequently to relieve myself of the over-hydration.

The lack of hydration over a long period of time leads to fatigue and while on a normal day type ride that fatigue can be easily dealt with on the fourth day of riding over 500 miles it can be dangerous. Paying attention to hydration ranks right up with proper maintenance of ones motorcycle, proper sleep and proper eating habits.

I'll talk about these things while on the road, but as I said...the Ride Starts Here!