Training & Nutrition - on the bike food

If a ride is over an hour, i'll eat once every 45-60 minutes depending on whenever i remember. :) Only about 100 calories worth though (so 1 gel, 2-3 shot bloks, or half a clif bar). I take afew sips of fluid (water or energy drink) every 20 minutes too. I survived so far and never have had an upset stomach from it. :D I learned my lesson about drinking too much during my first triathlon (loaded up on water before the start and ended up having to pee with a fury between the bike and run :lol: ).

madmike and ronsmithjunior:

Thanks for the insight. Will pencil it into my cerebrum.

I had an epiphany last night...on neither of my two centuries did I have the opportunity to 'flush out the plumbing'...or 'drop the kids off at camp'...or 'lay down some cable' ifyaknowwhatimean prior to the start. One, we met at a school parking lot, and I'm afraid the janitor's wouldn't have appreciated the little gift I could have left for them. The other, I had the opportunity, but not the necessity. I wasn't 'prairie dogging it' if you will.

Any tips to 'get the led out' in the early morning, without Fleet or somesuch devilry?

Since I'm new to the long-distance thing, I've only tried Clif Shots, Powerbars, and Granola bars (Quaker Chewy) for jersey pocket food. I've had PB&J's before the ride and during SAG stops, and normally depend on dried apricots for potassium. Normally I have a cast-iron stomach, but some of the stuff just doesn't sit right.

(also, on the PIE ride, I was feeling bad before PIE...but the a la mode was torture and shall ne'er be repeated.)
Too much of the pre-packaged bars and stuff kicks my butt, and the gels make me sick right away. I know it goes against convention, but a small meat sandwich really works for me. Sometimes I get a large banana nut muffin and a I can climb for hours. My friend who finished first at this past Death Valley Double eats tuna sandwiches on the ride. Obviously, it works for him.
Recent studies have shown some protein is helpful during intense activity.

Any tips to 'get the led out' in the early morning, without Fleet or somesuch devilry?

A cup of coffee usually does the trick for me. :D

A cup of coffee usually does the trick for me. :DI REALLY think you misinterprested his euphemisms.

Either that or you're doing something nature didn't intend to be done with coffee.:eek:

I REALLY think you misinterprested his euphemisms.

Either that or you're doing something nature didn't intend to be done with coffee.:eek:

You're wrong. Coffee fixes everything. :D

You're wrong. Coffee fixes everything. :D

this is true...

I REALLY think you misinterprested his euphemisms.

Either that or you're doing something nature didn't intend to be done with coffee.:eek:

Oh, I think Tif interpreted it the way it was intended.....

This is all good stuff. Based on personal experience I will add two more:

- Riding at a high intensity for a long time can generate excess stomach acid. Your stomach may or may not be able to deal with it. Mine can't. After 8-10 hours I will have bloating if I don't take an ant-acid. On double centuries I take a gel flask filled with Pepto Bismal. At SAG stops I take a small sip. That is enough for me.

- Eating solid food while riding at a too high an intensity. The bigger the effort you are putting out, the less able you body is to digest food. Easily digestible calories, such as sports drinks and gels, will do better than something solid, such as a sandwich.

As with anything else, YMMV.

I totally agree about the stomach acid. I carry tums or generic calcium antacid tablets when I do long rides and I'll take several of them during the later half of the ride. The calcium can help with cramping. Put a handful in a baggie and the take up less space than a flask plus you can be a hero when you offer them to someone who's not doin' too well.

I've used power bars and cliff bars for some time, but lately switched to baking my own version of cliff bars. There are lots of internet recipes. Mine is a variation of "Bank bars (http://www.ellenskitchen.com/recipebox/powetrec.html)". I would say they are basically what is known as a "quick bread" with additives like raisins, currants, nuts, and whey protein.

It takes time to bake these but if you do it in quantity it makes it worth it. I put them in zip lock snack bags, freeze them and just stuff them in my jersey when I ride, by the time I'm ready to eat them they've thawed in my jersey pocket. They are dryer than power bars and don't melt or stick to the wrapper. I especially like not having to struggle with annoying packaging while riding.

I totally agree about the stomach acid. I carry tums or generic calcium antacid tablets when I do long rides and I'll take several of them during the later half of the ride. The calcium can help with cramping. Put a handful in a baggie and the take up less space than a flask plus you can be a hero when you offer them to someone who's not doin' too well.Good tip. Thanks.

- Eating solid food while riding at a too high an intensity. The bigger the effort you are putting out, the less able you body is to digest food. Easily digestible calories, such as sports drinks and gels, will do better than something solid, such as a sandwich.
The other thing too is that when you barf from too much exertion, sports drinks come back up in a much nicer form than solid food...