KRATZMC

Ever see Pink Elephants running along side your motorcycle in the rain?…Well, I have.  When you choose to ride hard there will be those times when you’ll feel sleepy or fatigued.  Relentless hours of watching the white lines disappear underneath your machine and the constant blur of the passing scenery can be hypnotic.  Sometimes a quick power nap or a roadside stop at the Iron Butt Hotel can be the answer but sometimes you just need to get off your machine and call it a day.

The Iron Butt Hotel. Me doing a 30 minute power nap in the parking lot of a abandoned Motel in Mississippi.

Yours truly in the Summer of 2006, after riding from San Diego, Ca to Jacksonville Beach, Fl in 48 hrs and 40 minutes.  I slept for three hours on a metal bench at a rest stop just outside of San Antonio, Tx.  Although tired, I was surprisingly alert after the ride.  I think the adrenalin of completing my first successful IBA 50 CC ride had something to do with it.

You may not have any adrenalin to keep you awake unless you have a near collision with a fixed object or scare yourself awake, so what should you do when you find yourself getting tired?

I believe that the body doesn’t need sleep but it is necessary for the mind to be able to reboot and shut down for a while.  Military Special Forces training spends many hours delving into this realm, the Navy Seals call it “Hell Week”.

So what do you do when you find yourself getting sleepy behind the handle bars?  My answer, get off the bike!  If you can’t shake the nods in a few minutes, it might be time to call it a day or find a spot to take a nap.  Try to avoid drinking caffeine or power drinks and other forms of snake oil, unless your destination is fairly close by.  These concoctions will give you a temporary lift but will quickly let you down.  Besides like I said, it’s your mind that needs the rest.  Try to keep hydrated and eat foods that are low in simple sugars, to prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking, then plummeting.  Eat or snack frequently, to maintain consistent blood sugar levels (ie: fruit or nuts).  I keep hard sour or hot candies in my tank bag and pop one in my mouth when I am getting the yawns.  I also do some isometric exercises on the bike, which gets my blood flowing.  If none of these things work, Sherlock Holmes would say “It’s is a clue!”.  It is time to get off the bike.

Hopefully you will learn your limitations and heed them but how else will you learn your limits unless you push them once in a while?

Here is a link that gives one riders view point on his experience with extreme fatigue while riding.  Just click on the Pink Elephant to read the story.  Ride Hard and Ride Safe!

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