Training for century rides

[Raedeke]

Can someone recomend a comprehensive book on nutrition for training and century type rides. And it needs to be in plain english - I got the college degree, but it wasn't chemistry..:D

I'm riding two 75miles days in July with about 30 of each of those days in the colordo rockies. I'm looking for some help at getting the old body into shape and then what to do when I get there.

Thanks

[Pat]

I have never seen one.

OK, I have a Ph'D in Entomology (bugs) but I have taught something like 20 different undergraduate courses in biology and I have read extensively about the physiology of cycling. Unlike you I do have a background in biochemistry - at least a good enough one to understand this.

First thing is what do you burn? Well, if you do not go over your anaerobic threshold, you burn carbohydrate (glycogen). What you do is take Carbohydrate (or fat or protein) + oxygen and convert them to co2, h2o and chemical energy. The problem is that your body can only store about 2000-2500 calories of glycogen. That is enough to motor you about 40-60 miles on flat terrain at your maximum sustained cruise. When you use up your glycogen, you have to burn fat. Your body can burn fat just fine. But you need 2X the oxygen to get the same amount of energy out of fat as carbohydrate. So when you burn fat, you go to half power and that is not fun (in the USA we call this the BONK). At below you maximum cruise, your muscle should burn a mix of fat and glycogen (carbo). I have learned from experience to take a couple of mph off my maximum cruise when I ride centuries. If I do, I can ride the century and still have a bit of "zip" in my legs. At this pace, I burn a combination of fat and carbohydrate probably nearly 50% of each. I don't bonk.

Problem is, say you go out and burn up all of your muscle glycogen riding 75 miles and climbing hills. OK. You are going to do it AGAIN tomorrow. So you have to eat 2500 calories of carbohydrate if you want to replenish your glycogen. IF you don't replenish your glycogen, you will run out of gas real fast and then have to rely on burning only fat with that big loss in performance. Well, 2500 calories works out to about 25 medium baked potatos. The point is, that if you want to do this day after day, you have to eat a potload of carbohydrates. I have done this. I generally minimize fats and go a bit light on proteins and load up on starches, fruits, vegetables and I will eat sweets but I don't let them dominate the consumption. The trick is to eat enough carbohydrate to fully recharge your glycogen stores each and every day. You have to reload.

Eating during the ride helps a little. But for some reason, you really will not effectively replenish glycogen during a ride. Eating on a ride will delay glycogen depletion a little but not by much. Also, I avoid those energy bars. They don't appeal to me. I eat food - bananas, oranges, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and so on during the ride. It works for me. Go with what works for you though.

If you are training, I would suggest that you increase your carbohydrate consumption without increasing your fat and protein consumption (within reason of course) to the point of replenishing your estimated carbohydrate consumption during exercise. If you ride flat out that would be 50 calories per mile or so. If you ride at a moderate pace, it might be 25 calories per miles of carbohydrate and 25 calories per mile of fat (I don't try to replenish the fat though because I already have more then enough).

As a word of caution, I lose weight doing this and have lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks with no ill effects and at a high level of performance. But I have enough excess fat, so burning some up is a GOOD THING. If you are say 5% body fat, well you will have to work at the mix of carbo, fat, and protein you consume very carefully because you don't have a fat reserve to burn up.

Another thing, is usually when people lose weight, they often lose muscle and fat in equal amounts. Often in cases of rapid weight loss, people lose mainly muscle which is actually a bad thing. It is mighty tricky to lose weight and to lose and lose only fat. I seem to be able to do it with the above method. But people respond differently to the same training schedule and diet. What works for me might not work for you. You might try it, but if something else seems to work better, I would suggest going with what seems to work for you.

[djpluv]

I don't know of any good books...but the latest issue of Bicycling magazing has a good article on several training schedules (sprinting, century, and climbing) suggested by Carmichael Training Systems.

[cycletourist]

Just ride a lot between now and then and make sure your bike fits well... you'll be fine. Training is not necessary for non-competitive events.

[Raedeke]

Pat -
Thanks for the great reply. I am noe reading a great book called Bicycling Medicine by Arnie Baker. You are confirming what I’m reading and putting it into some real world applications.
I do have a question about lunch – how effective is it in reloading your glycogen? The morning will simply be flat cruising. (about 45m) So I anticipate being able to handle that with no problem. The remaining 30 miles is an elevation gain of about 3500’. I imagine that my real expenditure will be the afternoon. Can I do anything at lunch-time to minimize the chance of “bonking”?

Also do you have any recommendations regarding recovery that night? Even thought the bulk of the climbing is over the first day, the next day you start out with a killer climb onto the peak to peak highway. As you mentioned you could be completely wiped on day one and the next day find yourself toast out of the gate. Short of those 25 baked potatoes, which isn’t going to happen, what can one eat mid tour to get prepared for the morning?

Cycletourist –
Yes you are correct this is not a competitive event. However, there are some of us out here that aren’t your typical randonneur riders and who need to work at this kind of thing. I’m sure that sustained 7% grades for 6-7 miles is a walk in the park for most. But I’d rather train now and ride across the finish line than have to ride the SAG because I didn’t do my homework… Thanks for the encouragement though. In the end I think I’ll do just fine as well.

R

[MichaelW]

Dont skip meals. You may want have a couple of lighter meals/heavy snacks, rather than a large lunch, but you definately need to eat during a long day ride.
I take sandwitches, bananas, and chocholate rather than special sports bars. Towards the end of long rides I sometimes get near to a bonk, and have to eat: anything I can get my hands on.

As far as training, you need to get saddle time. The limit for non-athletic endurance riding is really how long you remain comfortable on the bike, rather than how tired you get.

If you are starting your second day with a big climb make sure you are warmed up properly. Go for a short brisk walk, spin around in a low gear for 5 mins, just get yourself warm and start slowly before any hard riding. If you want to stretch, do that after your warmup, not when cold.

[lotek]

Raedeke,

Check out E-caps (http://www.hammernutrition.com/knowledge/endurancelib.cfm?&sub=ENDURANCE%20LIBRARY)
yes they are selling a product (hammer gel, e-caps etc.) but
they have an extensive library on nutritional needs for
endurance sports.
Their products are pretty good too. they have new formula
designed with Century in mind, targets requirements for
something like 65 - 75% max capacity for extended periods
of time (like a century).

Marty

[Pat]

Well, I 2 years ago I did a similar type of tour - 1 week in Colorado and then a week in Montana and Wyoming. And generally it was 70 miles and 3000' of climbing. Great fun.

Generally, on a tour like that I emphasize endurance. I don't hammer, I don't sprint. I spin and keep the pace in my cruise zone. Sometimes I might muscle things some, but it is easy to flame out.

The tour I was on had breakfast and I ate a good one. Then we had a lunch stop pretty early really after breakfast (40 miles in flat terrain less on climbs). I ate a good lunch and I stuffed my pockets so I could eat a nice snack at the 60 miles water stop. After the day's ride, it is good to eat something pretty soon after stopping. And it is good to eat a good dinner and maybe something to tide you over before turning in. I generally try to get as much in the way of carbohydrates as I can and I avoid fats - no ice cream. Remember it is critical to eat that 2000 calories of carbohydrates per day and maybe a bit more.

On your tour, I would recommend stopping shortly before the climb. If the climb starts at mile 40 maybe stop at mile 35 (just so you can warm up again before hitting the grade). Take a pit stop. Fill up the water bottles.

And eat. I don't think it will help your muscle glycogen. But your body uses carbohydrates in other places. That means that carbos you eat right now will fuel those uses and your glycogen will fuel your muscles (that is my interpretation). To really tell you would have to eat radio labelled stuff and then section the muscles to see if they took it up and burnt it and I dont think anyone wants to volunteer for that. The nervous system will only burn carbohydrate and it never shuts down so it makes a constant demand for carbos. A light to moderate intake of food during a ride is highly recommended. I can do 50 miles without eating first thing in the morning so it can be done. Generally, I can eat just fine when I am not near my limits and on long rides I eat. On the mountain tour I took at 40 miles or so I ate a couple sandwiches - one with onion, tomato, a slice of cheese, a slice of cold cut, mustard, a little mayo and the other peanut butter and jelly, and some pretzels, and some a little fruit, and maybe some M&Ms (I think you are getting the picture). And remember this is from a guy who trained for this event by getting up and doing 50 miles before breakfast for weeks before the ride. The thing here is some people can eat and do fine and other people can not.

Sure you can go out and do 1 day without eating much and maybe even two but you will be flattened on day three - I have seen it done.

I have never been a fan of the "energy boosters" people eat. Bananas or Oranges genererally are cheaper and better for you then most of the junk. As I said, I know enough biochem to know what is in each and what it does. Now I know some people who can not stomach food well and they gobble up the boosters because they can eat them without a problem and for that use, they are great. And if you just like eating the vile things - well that is ok too.

Remember if you are doing 70 miles in mountainous terrain you will easily burn 5000+ calories just in riding and you will burn another 2000+ during the day doing whatever. So eat your carbos. If you don't eat enough carbos, you will be drained the next day.

[Pat]

You said you were going on a tour. Well, it will be normal for your legs to not feel like pedalling much in the morning. Generally they are just trying to trick you with "I pedalled yesterday, I need rest today". Just start off and warm up and once your legs figure out you REALLY ARE GOING TO DO IT, they usually do just fine. It can be a bit demoralizing, if you are not wise to the trick.

Another trick is don't sprint or hammer. Just spin in your aerobic zone. And if you feel like it, stop and have a short rest, drink some water, have a snack.

Out west, generally long climbs will have 2 phases. The first phase will be the approach climb. The grade will vary and there will be some not so steep parts. The end of this phase is a good place to take a break. Because as you approach the latter part of the climb, the grade will go to 7% and stay there for 3+ miles. You can get going again on 7% from a stop, but it isn't fun. Of course, some passes like Rabbits Ear headed east from Steamboat are 7% the whole dern way for 7 miles, but those are pretty rare.

[Richard Cranium]

I'm pretty sure you'll "geek out" on all the nutrition advice.

My two cents, don't do anything special, make sure someone you trust knows your bike is "right". Always ride slow enough that it's "easy" to keep going.

You're not doing anything many grandmothers do.

Have fun.

[Machka]

I can't believe someone hasn't suggested this book already!

Get:
The Complete Book of Long Distance Cycling by Edmund Burke and Ed Pavelka

It's easily readable and deals with all sorts of long distance cycling from centuries to brevets, and beyond.