Fifty Plus (50+) - allocating resources

Whenever I start out on a longer ride than I am used to (today for example), I find it difficult to allocate my total energy available over the entire course. Today was no exception. I started out at about 06:00 with a 10 mile warmup to our meeting spot. Our group of 4 continued on the planned 132 km (83 mile) ride to Ashkelon and back. I was carrying enough water (2 liters on the back and another liter water bottle), however as it turned out, an apparently insufficient amount of food: banana, apple and pear. We made fairly decent time over the first 70 (about 20 miles/h). Then I came to the junction where I split off from the group turning left right into a stiff easterly (my guess is 10-15 mph). This is where my gasket blew. Luckily my family lives on a kibbutz about 9 miles up and up the road against the wind. My pride usually doesn't allow me this luxury but this time I stopped by my Mom's house, who by chance had just taken some freshly baked muffins out of the oven, perfect with blackberry jam which I voraciously consumed along with a cup of ginseng tea. What a godsend mothers can be.

Whenever I start out on a longer ride than I am used to (today for example), I find it difficult to allocate my total energy available over the entire course. Today was no exception. I started out at about 06:00 with a 10 mile warmup to our meeting spot. Our group of 4 continued on the planned 132 km (83 mile) ride to Ashkelon and back. I was carrying enough water (2 liters on the back and another liter water bottle), however as it turned out, an apparently insufficient amount of food: banana, apple and pear. We made fairly decent time over the first 70 (about 20 miles/h). Then I came to the junction where I split off from the group turning left right into a stiff easterly (my guess is 10-15 mph). This is where my gasket blew. Luckily my family lives on a kibbutz about 9 miles up and up the road against the wind. My pride usually doesn't allow me this luxury but this time I stopped by my Mom's house, who by chance had just taken some freshly baked muffins out of the oven, perfect with blackberry jam which I voraciously consumed along with a cup of ginseng tea. What a godsend mothers can be.

I thought this would get back to Pies again. Wheres the Pics?

If I know I am on a longer ride than normal- I always get an extra carb loading the night before- and wherever possible get a quick breakfast in. Fruit alone does not help me on a ride of this distance and time and I would have carried a Variety of snacks. Cereal bars, fruit cake, dried fruit and some form of protein- normally in the form of cheese. Then the camelback would have carried water- with a little juice to flavour it, but the water bottle has my isotonic drink at double strength. Then I have my fallback emergency-- In the top bag on the Tandem I have a couple of Sqeezy gel sticks. They are an emergency supply only and if in trouble with energy they are fantastic. Don't last for long but just give enough time to take a detour to find food.
My danger time on a bike is if I don't want to eat, and happens occasionally. This means I have to try and force something down me, and if I don't I bonk. One of the reasons for the double strength drink as this also has a Carb element in it aswell.

Berts......after reading about your dad a while ago, and now about your Mom, too...........do you ever wish to return to childhood? If I'm ever on the road to Ashkelon, I know where I'm showing up and whose name I'm dropping. Nice post.