Training & Nutrition - What do you eat before a big ride?

Well tomorrow we are doing a 100k bike race and I just wondering what you guys eat for dinner the night beforer and the morning of the race and I dont mean just pasta but like what do you make with it that kind of thing. Just wondering what I should make for dinner lol.

Well tomorrow we are doing a 100k bike race and I just wondering what you guys eat for dinner the night beforer and the morning of the race and I dont mean just pasta but like what do you make with it that kind of thing. Just wondering what I should make for dinner lol.

Pasta loading starting three days before

I found this interesting website:

http://www.cptips.com/sixrides.htm

It has suggestions for 6 common types of rides:
Commute or Social Ride - mild to moderate effort, 15 to 20 miles
Basic Training Ride - moderate intensity, 15 to 50 miles
Intervals - intermittently high intensity, 10 to 30 miles
Long Distance Ride - moderate intensity, 50 to 100 + miles
Competitive Event - high intensity, 20 - 30 miles
Multiday Ride - moderate intensity, 50 to 100 miles per day

And 2 tips on Pasta and Rice:
http://www.cptips.com/pasta.htm
http://www.cptips.com/rice.htm

Well tomorrow we are doing a 100k bike race and I just wondering what you guys eat for dinner the night beforer and the morning of the race and I dont mean just pasta but like what do you make with it that kind of thing. Just wondering what I should make for dinner lol.

If it's just a 100k (62 mile) training ride with the boys, I don't eat anything special. If this is a ride, rather than a race, with rest stops filled with fruit, bagels, water, etc... I wouldn't worry about eating a huge carbo loaded meal the night before or even the morning before.

If it is actually a race, I eat spaghetti & meatballs for dinner the night before (kind of a tradition) and then something high calorie but low in fiber for breakfast at least 2-3 hours prior to the race. Bagels with peanut butter is one of my favorites.

I'm probably gonna get slammed for this, but that's okay... differing opinions and experiences are a good thing.

For a long ride, even if it's high intensity, pasta just doesn't cut it for me. I've got to have protein and some fat is okay, too. Food that sticks to the ribs. (But, no heavy cuts of beef or anything quite like that, they're too much work to digest.) And we're not talking bird-sized portions, either. Even mexican. Either at lunch or an early dinner, preferably not much after 6:00 PM. No riding the day before, unless it's rediculously slow and easy. The morning before, my regular breakfast, 2 eggs scrambled and grits a few hours before. Powerbar or whatever 1 hour before. Gel 15 minutes before.

I'm probably gonna get slammed for this....

I'm not going to slam you, we can all make our own choices. :)

That said, I agree with BikeINMT that if it's just a 100K ride you shouldn't have to eat anything special. Most of us already get enough carbs to supply our energy for a ride that long.

I've got to put my gratuitous annoying plug in, though: YOU DON'T NEED EXTRA PROTEIN!!!
I really think it's just a psychological thing for some people, but that's just my opinion. I've done extensive research on this, as I have been vegan for over 7 years, and came to the scientific conclusion that you can produce very well physically on a modest amount of protein.

Again- that said, I think the human body is an amazing thing. We are all so different, so don't take anyone else's word for it. Listen to your body and do what it tells you. There is no protein/carb/calorie formula that works for everyone.

Carbo loading can be done but not the night before.. You need 2-3 days out for proper carbo loading. Morning off Long rides/races.. I would always have 1-2 Bowls of Oatmeal.. For some reason it just sticks with through the day.. I would also take a bottle of Gatorlode or Twinlab Carbo Fuel or some complex carbo drink the morning off the race.. This combo would always help in the endurance arena.. Hope this helps..

Thanks for the tips guys. This is my first race an I was just wondering what some of my fellow seasoned forum riders eat. I will let you know how it goes tomorrow night for now it time to hit the bed got to get up at 4:30am to drive to the race.

Later

Good luck Toyota 4Runner!

Good luck! oh....and Special K every morning guarentees a great day's ride! :)

Ride went well guys. Came in 21 out of 96 people that were in my class. Not bad for my first time out if I say so my self I was very pleased with the finish now to find a few more rides till the big one in June.

Congrats on the great ride, 4runner!


I'm not going to slam you, we can all make our own choices. :)

That said, I agree with BikeINMT that if it's just a 100K ride you shouldn't have to eat anything special. Most of us already get enough carbs to supply our energy for a ride that long.

I've got to put my gratuitous annoying plug in, though: YOU DON'T NEED EXTRA PROTEIN!!!
I didn't mean to imply MORE protein. What I meant was somewhat more of everything! Don't eat anything special... I guess that's really what my prep boils down to, as well. I don't think I've ever ruined a ride by doing my normal routine, however I have put my self in a bit of hurt by trying something special a couple of times.

Well tomorrow we are doing a 100k bike race and I just wondering what you guys eat for dinner the night beforer and the morning of the race and I dont mean just pasta but like what do you make with it that kind of thing. Just wondering what I should make for dinner lol.

Everyone will tell you to carbo load, and well before an event. Same old stuff, Pasta Rice,Bread Potatoes sticky buns and so on. this is what you should be eating, all the time if you do a great deal of exercise. Several years ago, I missed a feed stop on a ride, and got hungry, Starving was more appropriate. Into a local shop and bought a cake we have in England called a lardy Cake. (This is actually made with Lard, The cooking Fat sort). It was beautiful, big and bought energy back fast.

Talking to a nutritionist, she said that Carbo loading is fine, but fats will pay an important in storing carbo,s in the body. I now eat indian food the night before a race, (Or chinese occasionally), and on the morning of the ride Have a Full english breakfast, the whole works, egg, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, black pudding, fried bread, and plenty of toast. It works for me, but then don't have too many riders getting close to me on the ride. one whiff of the methane aura that surrounds me and they drop back very quick.