Century in Five Weeks... will I die?

[Jurgen]

Hey there,

So I'm thinking of doing a century around late August.

Some context... I'm a 33 year old male of reasonable health/fitness. (No blood pressure issues, etc.) I commute everyday on my bike (I easily put in 20-30 km a day), and can comfortably ride 60 km at about 75% MHR. (I haven't yet tried any further/harder.)

Is this a monumentally bad idea? I've started looking at a more serious training regiment, but most of what I've read recommend at least a 8-10 weeks to prepare.

So...

What does everybody think? Can I short-cut to get myself in ready? Or am I risking serious problems (beyond an uncomfortable 2nd half of the ride)?

Thanks in advance.

[Phoible]

I think that you should be fine, especially considering how much you commute every day. Unless the ride is extremely hilly, I would guess that you won't even find it to be too difficult. A lot of people overplay the difficulty of riding a century.

I have done a couple of centuries with virtually no training (like 2-3 20-40 mile rides in the month before the century), and finished with no problems (other than being a little bit tired at the end). If you are riding a double century, you might want to train for 8-10 weeks, but I would say that 5 weeks is more than enough to train for a century.

I was riding a difficult double century once, and spent most of the day riding with a guy whose only training was a 20 mile round-trip commute to work. He had no problems keeping up.

[Old Dirt Hill]

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Anyone who is in moderately good health/fitness can ride a century on a bike that fits them. Just eat/drink throughout and take your time. You'll be fine.

Then again, for your first century I would suggest doing a loop that will keep you fairly close to your home base location so that if you need to bail at any point you'll only be a few miles from home. Say for example a 25 mile loop that brings you back to home each lap.

Good luck. ;)

[supcom]

If you can ride 60 miles without struggling, you should be fine for 100 miles. Don't overdo it at the beginning, drink plenty of fluids and eat some food now and then and have a good time.

[Bacciagalupe]

Looks to me like you normally ride around 75 miles per week, and your longest ride has been around 40 miles.

I wouldn't describe this as a "monumentally bad idea," but 5 weeks is definitely a pretty short time frame. 8+ weeks is normal. There is no "short cut" to fitness for endurance events.

The main issues are:
- will the bike and your rider position be comfortable once you go past the 80-mile mark
- you have a moderate chance to incur some sort of overuse injury, either in training or on the ride
- you need to be able to intake enough liquid and calories to avoid bonking

Of all of the issues, I expect DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) is the most likely consequence. I.e. you will likely be very sore for a few days after the event.

[rainmann]

I think a lot of it is mental, after you do it one time it is easy after that.

I did my first century (100 mile) ride on June 21st, three weeks later on July 12th I rode the Triple Bypass ride in Colorado. It is a 120 mile ride over three mountain passes (I know some of it was downhill but you had to ride to the top at altitude to get to the downhill part 10300 feet of climb). The Triple was much easier than my first century ride. I think the fact that I knew I could ride 100 miles made the 120 mile ride easier since I knew I could do it. Make sure to just ride at your own pace and try not to go to fast. Keep hydrated and eat when you can to keep your strength up.

The last part of the ride is the worst part, your body hurts and you will just be very tired, but if you keep an easy pace you should be fine. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

[the spin guru]

My wife did a 200km brevet in June 5 months after having our son. She did this on almost no taining what so ever. To prepare she just commuted to work (14km's round trip) and rode a 60km and 100km ride repspectivly the 3 weeks before hand. Afterwards she was suprised by how not sore she was.

I think that with all the riding you do you will be more than fine to pull off a century. Just heed the advice of other poster's and keep a moderate pace for your first century ride.

[mandovoodoo]

Hard won tricks.

Make sure you have EXTREMELY low gears.

Comfort etc essential.

Break the ride into sections. Depends on the profile exactly how. Generally:

1. First 25 miles do NOTHING whatsoever. Other riders will want to ride. Don't do it. Coast whenever possible. Low gears on hills. If you're not stopping to pee, then you're not drinking enough. Just establish a pace, a feel. Seriously, 25 miles is really what it takes to warm up thoroughly.

2. Next 25 to 50 miles depending on terrain and you, establish a comfortable riding pace that doesn't really take anything out of you, but gets the miles put behind. Should be nicely warmed up and riding 50 miles nicely warmed up isn't a problem. Just don't work too much. Listen to your body. Shouldn't really be WORKING but can be using some energy. Keep drinking and peeing, eat often.

3. As that middle "easy ride" phase ends and the first "long way" signals come in, figure out whether you're just fine or getting tired. If you're getting tired, go back to "no work" as in the first phase. If you're fine, keep working and monitoring carefully. Watch out for bonking.

That's a pretty fair way of thinking about things. If obstacles exists, you really need to contour the ride around them. Warm up and rest up for a long steep climb. Plan the amount of no-work rest you might need afterwards.

Another important thing is strategy. Will you ride with someone? Will you count on pickup road friends? Are you cool riding alone? What weaknesses will you have to overcome? For example, I tend to like to crank like a demon because all I usually get are short rides. I have to keep telling myself to watch energy consumption. Riding with other old people (who are usually slow) really helps me stay the course. Left to my own devices I'll blast into bonk at 60 miles!!! No common sense. Just think of how you are and cater to your strengths, accommodate and shore up your weaknesses.

[tea]

Hard won tricks.

<and a whole bunch of other great advice>



THANK YOU for this. I'm about to try 162k this weekend and I've done 3 or 4 100k rides this summer. I meant to get a 120-30k in there as a transition, but didn't manage it, so it will be a bit of a jump!

[drewcifer]

youll be fine. as others have said, just remember to eat and drink a lot and dont push it. go at a nice comfortable pace

[ericgu]

Hey there,

So I'm thinking of doing a century around late August.

Some context... I'm a 33 year old male of reasonable health/fitness. (No blood pressure issues, etc.) I commute everyday on my bike (I easily put in 20-30 km a day), and can comfortably ride 60 km at about 75% MHR. (I haven't yet tried any further/harder.)

Is this a monumentally bad idea? I've started looking at a more serious training regiment, but most of what I've read recommend at least a 8-10 weeks to prepare.

So...

What does everybody think? Can I short-cut to get myself in ready? Or am I risking serious problems (beyond an uncomfortable 2nd half of the ride)?

Thanks in advance.

You can generally do your weekly mileage in one day fairly easily if you pace yourself. The big differences are nutrition and hydration. Do at least a 60 mile ride in preparation, and ride at a pace where you think you can ride all day. Weigh yourself before and after to see if you are drinking enough, and figure out what you will eat.

Aim for 200-300 cal/hour of mostly carbs with perhaps a little protein. Most beginning century riders eat way too much, which will only make you miserable. Riding in groups can make the miles go by much more quickly, but it's easy to ride too hard in them.

[nun]

I'd try to increase your riding at the weekend so that you get a 70 or 80 mile ride in the weekend before your Century. That will give you the confidence and mental orientation to succeed, a lot of riding long distances is avoiding mental fatigue. Take it slow, eat right, drink plenty and you'll be ok.

[JMRobertson]

It's all about pacing. If you give yourself 12 hours to do it, you're going to be bored yet finish it refreshed. If you try to do it in 4 hrs, you'll die. Eat, drink, breathe, and pee... if you're doing all four you'll make it

[Hezz]

The big problem is going to be pacing. If you are a very type B person who is satisfied with slow casual riding you will probably be OK. However, if you set off at too fast of a pace because you feel really good and thinking that you are in great cycling condition you may die at around 30 mile mark since you are used to only riding 10-15 miles.

You need to do at least an 80-90 mile ride before you go so you have an idea at what kind of pace you can sustain for your current fitness level.

[skylla]

Heh. 3 nearly-consecutive posts recommending 60, 70-80, and 80-90 miles as the longest training ride. 80-90 seems like more than necessary to me, but who knows. I guess pick whichever advice you prefer. Here's my experience, though:

I started commuting late last summer, doing 3 or 4 22-mile round trips per week. By early this spring, I could do 5 in a row, but it would tire me out. I did some weekend rides starting around 25 miles and working up to 40 or so. Then I did 2 organized metric centuries and one other ride that turned out to be about 65 miles in the weeks leading up to Calvin's Challenge, where I did 150.
I felt like half-dead crap by mile 130 or so, but at mile 100 I was feeling pretty OK, despite the rain and constant 20mph winds. So if it had been a century, I think I would have considered my preparation entirely adequate.

Good luck, and enjoy!

[10 Wheels]

Test: One week before the 100 mile ride, Go for a 75 mile ride.
REST two full days before the 100 mile ride. Stand up and pedal, eat and drink while rdiing.
The Last 15 miles are the tuff ones.
You can do it.
Let us know how you do.

[Richard Cranium]

What does everybody think? Can I short-cut to get myself in ready? Or am I risking serious problems (beyond an uncomfortable 2nd half of the ride)?
Who knows, depends a lot on what kind of route, weather and pace you want to keep.

A 100 mile ride can be a brutal, challenging affair, or nothing more than an all-day work out at the effort level of a brisk walk.

[bwinton]

I did 170km (Toronto to Balm Beach/Midland including a wrong turn) a couple of years ago with minimal training. Specifically, 3 rides of ever increasing length with the PWA Bike Rally (http://www.bikerally.org/index.php/calendar.html), which it seems you've just missed. :(

You can find my tale here (http://weblog.latte.ca/blake/random/biking/TheRoute.html), here (http://weblog.latte.ca/blake/random/biking/OnBiking.html), and finally here (http://weblog.latte.ca/blake/random/biking/ComingBack.html).

It was tiring near the end, but if I could do it as a 33-year-old male cyclist in reasonable health who bikes 25-ish km each day on my commute, then surely you can too.

[Cave]

My longest is ~145km (part of a 260km weekend late last year), I'm not particularly fit but at that stage was commuting regularly on the bike. That's not far off a century. I'm 33.

My experiences:
- Staying comfortable in the saddle for 7-10 hours is a challenge (yep that's only 15km/hr over a day, which seems to be my touring speed no matter what the terrain or load or distance. Go figure.) No chafing is more important than anything else. Don't change your saddle at this late stage, but make sure your shorts are comfortable on your long weekend rides.
- Eating and drinking enough is a challenge. Practice eating on the bike to see what works for you. I like muesli bars (granola bars I think they call them in NAmerica), Powerbars, dried dates or apricots (very sweet, need lots of water with these). Bananas/apples good on breaks, too hard to eat while riding. You need to eat on the bike, or else you won't bother because of the hassle of starting and stopping.
I need a solid dinner the night before, a large but low-fat breakfast the morning of, 1 "food item" of ~250 calories + some sugary snacks each hour (eg. 1 muesli bar and snacking on dates), 1 short coffee + snack break ~11am, one solid break +/- short nap in the afternoon.
- I went clipless shortly before this ride, which was a mistake. I had my cleats too far forward and the change from 1 hr of this to 10 hours is remarkable. I went from slightly faster on short rides, to 6 weeks of foot pain afterwards. Don't change your bike setup at this stage!
- I find I need about a water bottle every hour to hour and a quarter. I drink lots at rests. Once you hit about 5L per day you need to think about electrolyte losses. You don't have time to work out what works for you, or what the signs are, so consider taking along some gatorade powder (or buying bottles along the way); I like 1 scoop per 750ml, which is understrength but easier to drink. Again, try it out on long weekend rides to make sure you can stomach it hour after hour. One bottle water and one gatorade is a good compromise.
You should be passing lots of pale urine throughout the day. If not, rest and drink.
- Your judgement will be off if you are dehydrated, tired, hungry, sore, uncomfortable. Try to prevent all of the above. Look after those around you, hopefully they'll look after you. I'm presuming the fixed date of the ride means you won't be doing it solo, but you can't guarantee your buddies will be around you, so try to make the whole event friendly and with everyone looking out for each other.
- Consider the weather, flats, falls. Again you're doing this with not too much experience, so you might need to carry a bit more gear than ideal just to have a safety margin. At least have gloves, jacket, spare tube and pump, emergency space blanket, small 1st aid supplies for cuts/scrapes. What else you need depends on your environment and local backup.
- Build up your long rides on the weekends, continue your commuting with maybe a longer ride on Wed or Thurs. Get a full rest day once or twice a week. Stretch after your warmup (eg. on getting to work). Don't ride at all for 2 days before the big event, and taper down for a couple of days before that so you're not sore. So really you don't have 5 weeks, you've got 4 1/2. That's fine, you can still do it, but don't miss out on your recovery days or you'll just wear yourself out instead of improving your fitness.

On the day:
- Big low fat brekkie
- Don't go hard at the start (you'll be excited and full of energy, make sure you treat the first 45-60 min as a gentle warmup). Maybe stretch at your 1st break. Maybe stand up a little (eg. every 15 min) to stretch a bit and give your tail a rest.
- It is sometimes worth upping the effort a bit on flat parts of the ride to join a group eg. I go ~26km/h solo but can do ~32km/h without too much effort in a group. No way though can I hold 40 and keep riding! Careful not to wear yourself out for the sake of saving 15 minutes.
- Keep your own pace on the hills. This is where you can really wear yourself out - hard, hot work; hard to eat and drink; tempting to stand and grind to get it over with. Be prepared to walk uphill to give your tail and quads a rest, and have a chance to drink.

Good luck!

[Cave]

Oh yeah, don't forget sunscreen +/- long sleeves, also lip balm / chap stick (trust me).

Try out some chamois cream on your tail end on the prep rides to see if it works for you (zinc oxide cream works fine and is cheap; double duty as sun block).

[rpmbuilder]

I am 43, 6'2" and 210 pounds. I did my first Century last Saturday in Central Illinois - Miles For Smiles fundraiser for St. Jude. I made it, but wish I had read this forum first.

I cruised through the first 50 thinking I was going to kick the ride in the butt. That didn't come close to happening. The second half of the ride included a lot of hills (yes Illinois has hills) that I ended up walking up. I am still new to riding, but try to ride at least 3x per week. The longest prior to the Century was a 50-mile ride a week prior.

I lost energy at the end due I believe to a lack of nutrition. Nearly everyone in this string mentions eating and drinking. I went through 10 bottles of Gatorade, but did not eat anything. The temps were ~ 90, it was humid and I never had to pee.

Before I tackle another Century (and I will) I am investing in cycling nutrition training. I have feared eating while working so hard not wanting to get ill. I learned that liquid is not enough. In fact if anyone else wanting to follow up to my comments would be specific beyond Power Bars I would appreciate learing from you.

[Greyfox2]

I'm 60 and have done probably 6 centuries over the last 3 years. I learned most of what these folks are saying the hard way. I couldn't agree with them more. I think the two keys are nutrition and pacing. You have to eat and eat a lot to make a ride of this length. There is a major difference between 50 miles and 100 miles, at least for me. I can do 50 with water and sports drink. 100 requires pretty serious nutrition. Even if it is an organized ride with break area food, you'll probably need more. Take it on your bike.
Don't burn yourself out in the first 25 miles. On the other hand, set a comfortable pace that will get you there in a reasonable time. At some point just the amount of time you are spending on the bike starts to hurt. If you can't set a pace to get you there in 6 1/2 or 7 hours you could have problems.
Oh, one other thing. Bike fit is critical. Things that don't bother you in 20 miles can become major pains in 100 miles. If in any doubt at all, have a pro check it out.
But go for it! Once you've done it you will realize just how amazing your body can be.

[ncherry]

Oh yeah, don't forget sunscreen +/- long sleeves, also lip balm / chap stick (trust me).

Try out some chamois cream on your tail end on the prep rides to see if it works for you (zinc oxide cream works fine and is cheap; double duty as sun block).

I do centuries (every Saturday I lead them) and sunscreen is a must! But what is with the lip balm/chap stick? I've not used it but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea.

Thanks

[CliftonGK1]

I do centuries (every Saturday I lead them) and sunscreen is a must! But what is with the lip balm/chap stick? I've not used it but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea.

Thanks

I keep a stick of Burt's Bees lip balm in my wedge pack. It's spf 15, so on long rides in the sun I'm not going to sunburn my lips (yes, you can sunburn your lips) and it tastes better than Coppertone Sport spf 50.
Even when keeping properly hydrated, I still get dry lips if I don't reapply my lip balm once or twice during a long ride. During the winter it's essential to keeping from getting chapped lips if you're like me and shirk the balaclava/half-mask for a more au naturale facial covering.

[Cave]

Even when keeping properly hydrated, I still get dry lips if I don't reapply my lip balm once or twice during a long ride. During the winter it's essential to keeping from getting chapped lips if you're like me and shirk the balaclava/half-mask for a more au naturale facial covering.


Around here it's sun and wind, but same problem. Windburn and sunburn, dry cracked lips.

[ncherry]

Around here it's sun and wind, but same problem. Windburn and sunburn, dry cracked lips.

Thanks for the info guys, I never thought about 'sun block' for my lips (lip balm). I have no problems with dried lips except during the winter. Then I'm using the lip balm. During the rest of the year I'm using my Camelbak so keeping my lips moist is not a problem. Even on the 105+F day I rode I didn't have problems with my lips. I don't think I've ever gotten sun burned lips.

[rpmbuilder]

As a reminder - 6'2" and 210 pounds. I rode another Century (sort of) yesterday enlisting the advice found in this column. The ride was actually from Bloomington, IL and ended in Danville, IL. We rode 112 miles in 90 degree heat and it was a blast. I ate at every stop (sandwiches, bananas and even chocolate). If I had a downfall on nutrition it was not drinking enough. I cramped between the Gibson City (46 miles) and Paxton (60 miles) stops. I rested 20 minutes and drank lots. I kept drinking lots and did not have that problem again. Eating and drinking IS the answer - thanks all.

[Hezz]

Here is a recipe for a "mix your own" bike drink that seems to work well for long distance rides. Plain Gatorade or Powerade should be avoided except as a last ditch solution. I make a mixture of these three ingredients and put it in one water bottle and have another water bottle of plain water.

The mix is made from dry Gatorade or Powerade, green powder and soy protein.
You can mix it together and put it into a old cleaned out medicine bottle which will fit into your seat bag and make enough for 2-3 more bottles depending on the size of the bottle. This is done in addition to eating food on the bike.

Use only enough gatorade to flavor the drink to make it palatable and as much green powder as you can stand. The soy protein is best if it is sweetened with Stevia and has a balanced profile of added vitamins and minerals. NSI soy from Vitacost works well and is low priced. Soy protein seems to burn less acidic than whey protein while exercising so it is the preferred choice while exercising. Whey protein is better for recovery after the ride.

Since simple sugars generally burn acidic in the body this should be avoided as much as possible while exercising so only use small amounts of Gatorade. The more green powder that you can put in the mix the better. It has a high degree of nutrition and is loaded with the things your body needs. The protein should also be added only in small amounts. A good mix would probably be one scoop of each added together. The green powder is super concentrated. This would be about right for 3 water bottles of the drink. To make the drink better (more healthy not necessarily better tasting), add more green powder if you can handle the flavor. Some kinds of green powder are flavored but they still can have a distinct green grass type of flavor. Make sure the green powder is cold processed and there are several brands available at all health food stores.

[Cave]

What is green powder?

Why avoid Gatorade? I like it as a reasonably palatable electrolyte replacement. Your drink seems to be more a liquid food.

Not directly criticizing, I'm just not quite sure where you're coming from or why you recommend protein and vitamin replacement while exercising rather than carbohydrates and electrolytes. The only nutritional problems I've seen during a ride are dehydration, running out of energy, cramps from magnesium or potassium deficiency, and hyponatraemia from rehydration.

[Jurgen]

Just to update everyone... I couldn't do the century I was planning because it conflicted with my job (hectic Toronto International Film Festival gig). I found a quieter weekend and instead biked out to my folks' place and back for a total of 115km. (My dad heated up a lasagna for me as my mid-ride meal.)

I stayed hydrated, didn't push hard, and sunburned knees ended up being the worst of my problem. (And even that wasn't so bad.)

Clif bars and gatorade, though, were my real saviour.

And next year I'll do the extra 55km.

Thanks!

[Cave]

Well done!!

[Hezz]

What is green powder?

Why avoid Gatorade? I like it as a reasonably palatable electrolyte replacement. Your drink seems to be more a liquid food.

Not directly criticizing, I'm just not quite sure where you're coming from or why you recommend protein and vitamin replacement while exercising rather than carbohydrates and electrolytes. The only nutritional problems I've seen during a ride are dehydration, running out of energy, cramps from magnesium or potassium deficiency, and hyponatraemia from rehydration.


Why avoid Gatorade? Because it is not so good for you. Plain gatorade is quite acidic which is not so good and does not have the proper balance of electrolytes. It is designed to be cheap to manufacture to make the company lots of money. The green powder has a lot of minerals and electrolytes and other things your body needs in it but of course it does not have enough carbs and protein which is why I recommend mixing the green powder, gatorade and protein together.

[Cave]

Yeah, but what is "green powder"?

If you're worried about the correct electrolyte balance, why not use proper (medical) oral rehydration solution, like gastrolyte? I find it tastes too salty, that is why I prefer gatorade made a bit weaker than in the pre-mixed bottles, even if the electrolyte balance is not "perfect".

Also, how can your mix have the correct balance of electrolytes, if you put in "as much green powder as you can stand", rather than a specific amount?

Why add protein to it? If you're making up some sort of protein shake as a food source then OK that's fine, but for rehydration and avoiding electrolyte deficiencies protein does nothing. If anything, simple starches (eg. rice flour) can give some benefit, but they're a real bugger to keep in solution, which is why sugars are still used in rehydration solutions.

I'm also not clear on what you mean by things "burning acidic" in the body, particularly sugars which as far as I'm aware are completely metabolised to carbon dioxide + water.

Good luck to you if your mix works for you, but it would be nice to have some more details if you're going to recommend something to beginners which goes completely against what's currently known about hydration, electrolyte replacement and exercise physiology.

I'll repeat, as a medical volunteer on several rides with thousands of participants each, The only nutritional problems I've seen during a ride are dehydration, running out of energy, cramps from magnesium or potassium deficiency, and hyponatraemia from rehydration. Oh yeah, and some diabetic riders who didn't get the insulin / energy balance quite right.

[letank]

Yeah, but what is "green powder"?

Preparing for a century too..... usually doing the 25mile ride.... upped to 50miles last Monday, sore bottom.... the seams of the shorts are really digging in.... feet were a bit swollen.

Still had energy for the last hill climb 500' in 3 blocks: yep, this is SF.

Drinks: 2 fresh squeezed OJ in one bottle and 1 water.... 1/2 cliff at midway, the rest 30 min before the end.

Thanks for the nutrition tips.... So i walk into a nutrition store and ask for the green powder.

Michel
Allez1

[Road Fan]

Just to update everyone... I couldn't do the century I was planning because it conflicted with my job (hectic Toronto International Film Festival gig). I found a quieter weekend and instead biked out to my folks' place and back for a total of 115km. (My dad heated up a lasagna for me as my mid-ride meal.)

I stayed hydrated, didn't push hard, and sunburned knees ended up being the worst of my problem. (And even that wasn't so bad.)

Clif bars and gatorade, though, were my real saviour.

And next year I'll do the extra 55km.

Thanks!

Jurgen, I was just going to ask "five weeks is long past - did you die?" but I see the answer. Sounds like a great ride regardless of the numbers!

[Hezz]

Yeah, but what is "green powder"?

If you're worried about the correct electrolyte balance, why not use proper (medical) oral rehydration solution, like gastrolyte? I find it tastes too salty, that is why I prefer gatorade made a bit weaker than in the pre-mixed bottles, even if the electrolyte balance is not "perfect".

Also, how can your mix have the correct balance of electrolytes, if you put in "as much green powder as you can stand", rather than a specific amount?

Why add protein to it? If you're making up some sort of protein shake as a food source then OK that's fine, but for rehydration and avoiding electrolyte deficiencies protein does nothing. If anything, simple starches (eg. rice flour) can give some benefit, but they're a real bugger to keep in solution, which is why sugars are still used in rehydration solutions.

I'm also not clear on what you mean by things "burning acidic" in the body, particularly sugars which as far as I'm aware are completely metabolised to carbon dioxide + water.

Good luck to you if your mix works for you, but it would be nice to have some more details if you're going to recommend something to beginners which goes completely against what's currently known about hydration, electrolyte replacement and exercise physiology.

I'll repeat, as a medical volunteer on several rides with thousands of participants each, The only nutritional problems I've seen during a ride are dehydration, running out of energy, cramps from magnesium or potassium deficiency, and hyponatraemia from rehydration. Oh yeah, and some diabetic riders who didn't get the insulin / energy balance quite right.

If you go and study about the more advanced fuels you will find that they are made a lot different than Gatorade. First the potassium/sodium balance in gatorade is way off. The green powder is closer to what is natural in vegetables. From things I have read it is ideal to have about a 4-1 ratio of potassium to sodium. The green powder also has a full complex of the other minerals that you need. The protein is in there in a small dose. You don't need much protein while exercising since your system can't use much at this time but a small amount is beneficial according to the people at Hammer nutrition.

The only reason I suggest using some Gatorade in the mix is because it is a cheap source of carbohydrates. Though there are certainly better alternatives. Gatorade is not so likely to cause problems during a race. It's more it's continual use over time is not so good for the body. Contrary to popular belief many foods, including most sugars do not burn cleanly in the body. I'm just suggesting that there are better ways to get fueled on a long race that may improve your performance to some degree.

By the way "Green powder" is a superfood made from various things like barley grass and wheat grass. There are several brands. Generally it is a powder made from about 20-30 nutritious plants at the stage when the plant has the highest nutrient content. The good brands are made without heating which destroys more than 95 percent of the nutrient content. It doesn't taste so good and in a strong dose is hard to get down but a diluted dose is pretty easy. If you mix in a little grape juice to flavor it it can be pretty good.

A better mix would be to use maltodextrin instead of gatorade.

[Jurgen]

Jurgen, I was just going to ask "five weeks is long past - did you die?" but I see the answer. Sounds like a great ride regardless of the numbers!

Yes, it was great. Thanks!

[drew55]

Good to go Jurgen. Now just try to keep the mileage up (indoor training, spinning classes, something like that) so it's not quite as hard to get ready for a century in the spring. As alluded to by a few, they can be a bit of a pain or a walk in the park. Not all of it, but quite a bit of the results will come from your training status. Good luck - keep it up!