Training & Nutrition - Supported ride - what to eat/drink at stops?

Hi all,

I'm riding my second MS150 this weekend and had a question about in-flight refueling. This is a fully-supported 2-day ride and as such the 5-6 rest stops are stocked with a plethora of edibles, including but not limited to:

- water
- Gatorade (50% cut, I believe)
- trail mix
- Fig Newtons
- grain bars (Kellogg?)
- bananas
- grapes
- oranges
- prime rib

Ok, kidding about that last one :) So my question is: which of these should I avoid, or at least not overeat on? And which are preferred? I'm uninformed nutrition-wise and my tendency is to chow on down indiscriminately but I might be riding with a faster group this year and don't want to overdo the eating/drinking.

The ride itself isn't too demanding - 2 75-mile legs and not too hilly (around a 400' elevation change here in flat Louisiana.) Sunny and temps in the high 70s predicted so excessive heat shouldn't be an issue. I finished the ride last year with no problems but I'm a pretty leisurely rider (probably averaged 13MPH.) No particular urge to break any records but as stated I'd like to be able to keep up with my group.

On a supported ride, I almost never eat the stuff provided at stops, preferring the tested comestibles I bring with me. On a double, I'll eat a sandwich somewhere, maybe graze a little, but not much. The Fig Newtons and grain bars should be fine. An occasional banana can be good. Water is good. I never eat fruit or use Gatorade. I'm nominally a non-meat eater, but I will eat some on a ride over 12 hours, otherwise not. Just my preference.

It's an MS150, not a race. Eat whatever you want to eat.

If that's the list of foods they provide (excluding the prime rib, of course), they don't provide much! But as long as you're not allergic to any of it, eat whatever you feel like eating. I presume you've eaten those food before on longish rides, and you know how they will sit with you?

Water of course, gatorade or whatever you want bring to mix in for flavor.

Looking over the rest of the list, I'd grab a couple of orange sections first, then fig newtons and/or Nutrigrain bars for carbs to reload. The thing I don't see if anything salty -- I'll usually need some for rides over about 50 miles. Maybe you don't or maybe you'll get lucky and it'll be so cool you don't need them, either. Second or third rest top, and later, maybe half a banana. I never understood the popularity of grapes on supported rides, but that's just my tastes. It'd be nice if they had some PBJ sandwiches.

I'd probably take some lemonade mix with a bit of extra salt to mix in my "flavored" water bottle, and enjoy their fare. Get a good dinner and breakfast in between!

Have fun and eat what you find appealing at the time.

Pretty well anything with a high % of carbohydrates is fine. I'd eat anything on that list except the trail mix.

Thanks all... yeah, it's low-stakes, just mainly want to keep up with my group. I don't have any particular issues with anything they set out so I'll just try to moderate my appetite a little more than I usually do. Did manage to score a Club 100 Reception invite so dinner that night should be excellent!

Eat whatever you're familiar with. Translation: carry YOUR favorites, or switch to their stuff NOW (if not four weeks ago).

When in doubt, you need to replenish electrolytes (not just salt, a blend; hence Gatorade, fruit, etc.), carbs (trail mix, bars, figs), and a small amount of protein, along with a reasonable amount of water.

I've gotten hooked on Hammer Nutrition products recently, so I carry my own stuff for the whole ride. Most are powdered, so I pre-make baggies with my standard concoctions and mix them with water at breakpoints. Aside from not enjoying "surprise flavors", I know I can and will drink "my stuff" so I'll deal with the hassle. Got me through the Atlanta MS150 earlier this month, and will do the same in San Antonio next month.

Maybe add some PB?