Planning my first century!
#26
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Drink one tall bottle per hr minimum plus 200-300 cals per hour. Why eat when not hungry? Well you are fueling the back end of the ride. How you feel that last 1-3 he's effects bike speed but all tied into how you are fueled up. If you're hungry....well its too late. Your body can only digest 3-400 cals/hr. Burning 6-1100 cals per hour...well if you do the math.
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The trick about breaks is to make sure that you're hydrating and eating enough so that you don't feel either thirsty or hungry on the ride. Usually, by the time you actually feel it during a ride, it's too late to easily recover the deficit. That said, you don't have to binge on energy bars or stuff like that. I've found a simple banana works wonders because they deliver both natural sugar and potassium. In regard to fluids, water's best, but you will want to put back some sodium too, so a sports drink isn't a bad idea either.
Stop long enough to eat what you need, but no more than that, if you can. That will help keep muscle fatigue at bay. As far as not riding before the ride, that all depends on how much you're training. Unless you're going "full gas" in terms of mileage, you can probably train right until a couple of days before the event.
Stop long enough to eat what you need, but no more than that, if you can. That will help keep muscle fatigue at bay. As far as not riding before the ride, that all depends on how much you're training. Unless you're going "full gas" in terms of mileage, you can probably train right until a couple of days before the event.
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Even if you ride for one hour. Drink the whole bottle, make it a habit, in the summer you might drink 2 bottles/hr. This is not just about training your legs to pedal longer. There is a bigger picture than just spinning your feet in circles (wish someone told me that when I was a newb). One you figure it out, the only thing that will stop you from riding all day will be getting your butt used to the saddle time and family. First one can be fixed with good bibs and good matching saddle.... The 2nd...you have to work that one out, none of us can
As far as riding in the drops, kinda have to get used to your stomach rubbing your legs. Mine do, but I don't think about it nor will let it effect my riding style. There are other much more important things for me to worry about.
As far as riding in the drops, kinda have to get used to your stomach rubbing your legs. Mine do, but I don't think about it nor will let it effect my riding style. There are other much more important things for me to worry about.
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Well I rode the same route Saturday in 90' heat and it was probably the worse ride I ever had. The time wasn't bad, but I just felt horrible and struggled the entire time in the heat. I did go through 2 bottles that day, but over 2 hours. Not sure what it is, but I hate riding in the heat and love riding in the cool breeze of night. Now if I can find a century that starts at dusk that would be a fun ride!
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Well that's the kicker because I almost never really feel hungry or thirsty on a ride unless it's really hot. If it's really hot I almost always avoid riding unless I have no other opportunity to ride. I do however drink and eat after the ride, but of course my longest ride has only been slightly over 3 and a half hours. I think I need to do longer slower rides to see how my body responds to small meals.
#31
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Yeah, I have a hunch it has to do with parking capacity there at the west end of the park, with all of us riders there and the ball fields in full swing with little league, it was a zoo. I parked elsewhere and rode in for the start.
Yes, they do. The train is for the riders. No way Amtrak can accommodate a 1:1 rider to bike ratio.
Yes, they do. The train is for the riders. No way Amtrak can accommodate a 1:1 rider to bike ratio.
#33
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I just signed up for the OCW spring metric. See you there!
Yes, I'm doing the OCW spring metric. Regarding breaks, OCW has 2 on the metric. On the Amtrak ride I think they had 4. On the Palm Springs ride I think there might have been 5. Of course you don't have to stop at every break. On the Amtrak ride I was riding with someone and we chose to stop at each break, grab a banana or cookie or whatever, top up water and get back on the road ASAP. We did take more time at the lunch stop.
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Excellent! We'll have to be sure to meet up. I'll be the guy wearing an OCW jersey and black shorts!
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Well I rode the same route Saturday in 90' heat and it was probably the worse ride I ever had. The time wasn't bad, but I just felt horrible and struggled the entire time in the heat. I did go through 2 bottles that day, but over 2 hours. Not sure what it is, but I hate riding in the heat and love riding in the cool breeze of night. Now if I can find a century that starts at dusk that would be a fun ride!
#36
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That's some serious riding and climbing! I did 52 miles/2200 feet on Sat. and 48 miles/3500 on Sunday - @LGHT this was the bear training ride.
I went thru 3-1/2 bottles of water and an iced tea on Sat and a little more on Sunday. I had one bottle with one Nuun tablet in it each day. Had no issues with hydration or cramping.
You definitely need to drink throughout the ride, especially when it is hot like last weekend.
I went thru 3-1/2 bottles of water and an iced tea on Sat and a little more on Sunday. I had one bottle with one Nuun tablet in it each day. Had no issues with hydration or cramping.
You definitely need to drink throughout the ride, especially when it is hot like last weekend.
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Last Saturday on my vertical ride, I drank 13-15 bottles in 8 hr moving time plus 3 cold cokes where I could. I added two tablets of nuun per bottle ( electrolytes), one tube of reg flavor and another tube that had added caffeine. I did not not cramp, I didn't seem a noticeable fade throughout the day meaning I wasn't stuck in my granny gear all day. Ride stats were 108 mi/11k vert. Keep the motor happy and it will keep going.
That's some serious riding and climbing! I did 52 miles/2200 feet on Sat. and 48 miles/3500 on Sunday - @LGHT this was the bear training ride.
I went thru 3-1/2 bottles of water and an iced tea on Sat and a little more on Sunday. I had one bottle with one Nuun tablet in it each day. Had no issues with hydration or cramping.
You definitely need to drink throughout the ride, especially when it is hot like last weekend.
I went thru 3-1/2 bottles of water and an iced tea on Sat and a little more on Sunday. I had one bottle with one Nuun tablet in it each day. Had no issues with hydration or cramping.
You definitely need to drink throughout the ride, especially when it is hot like last weekend.
#38
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Nuun is good stuff, or at least, it's really convenient if all you have access to during your ride is water. Basically it's like an Alka-Seltzer tablet that turns your water into an energy drink. They do a sugar free version as well that just does electrolytes.
#39
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Wow great work. I don't think my average would be much faster than 14mph either, but I would like to try something that has a little less than 5,000' as my first one so I don't have months and months of training to get strong enough to do it. I figure if I can add 1000' to the route I do twice a week that would give me roughly 7000' a week or a total 28k a month. If I can add in a commute and some hills I may be able to scratch out 30k' a month. However last nights 3 hour non stop ride did have me a little saddle sore toward the end of the ride and getting out of the saddle didn't seem to help much like it normally does so I'm realizing I have a lot more training to do.
#40
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@dr_lha, i agree. I like the Nuun for its convenience and because it is not full of sugar. Most sports drinks are just too sweet for my taste, and I've not found the need to consume lots of sugar when riding. An oatmeal and banana breakfast and a mid-ride Cliff bar will get me 50-60 miles.
#41
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Things I do just because they work for me.
2-3 days prior I stop training, and start hydrating. I absolutely drink water every hour and make sure I am peeing clear a minimum of 1 day in advance of the ride. On the day before the ride, I do a mini type carb load, as in a use a carb type drink (I use hammer perpeptuem) once per hour during the day (usually on the drive to the century) and then make sure I get a decent carb dinner. I make sure I leave the wine alone for 2 days prior to a ride to help with hydration. I eat a reasonable breakfast 3 hours before the start, and taper my water. As jeff said, I make sure I eat 200-300 calories per hour and at least 16 oz of water per hour. I use either hammer endurolytes or the fizz for salt replenishment. I used to use perpeteum for fueling but over time found it made getting the proper water difficult. I still wanted my bottle of water to drink during the hour, but since that needs water to mix, I was getting too much fluid and was bloating by rides end. I now throw in a pack or two of that for hard parts of the course but eat other solid foods while riding.
Other tips in my opinion would be dont rely on rest stop food to a: be there, b: be tasty or what you are use to. Dont stop at the first rest stop, make it to the second and get new water (I just carry two bottles). Take your favorite pain pill with you for the last half if you get shoulder neck pain form being in that position and not use to it. Popping two of those in the last two hours can help.
2-3 days prior I stop training, and start hydrating. I absolutely drink water every hour and make sure I am peeing clear a minimum of 1 day in advance of the ride. On the day before the ride, I do a mini type carb load, as in a use a carb type drink (I use hammer perpeptuem) once per hour during the day (usually on the drive to the century) and then make sure I get a decent carb dinner. I make sure I leave the wine alone for 2 days prior to a ride to help with hydration. I eat a reasonable breakfast 3 hours before the start, and taper my water. As jeff said, I make sure I eat 200-300 calories per hour and at least 16 oz of water per hour. I use either hammer endurolytes or the fizz for salt replenishment. I used to use perpeteum for fueling but over time found it made getting the proper water difficult. I still wanted my bottle of water to drink during the hour, but since that needs water to mix, I was getting too much fluid and was bloating by rides end. I now throw in a pack or two of that for hard parts of the course but eat other solid foods while riding.
Other tips in my opinion would be dont rely on rest stop food to a: be there, b: be tasty or what you are use to. Dont stop at the first rest stop, make it to the second and get new water (I just carry two bottles). Take your favorite pain pill with you for the last half if you get shoulder neck pain form being in that position and not use to it. Popping two of those in the last two hours can help.
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My two pennies is to not underestimate what TJ said about nutrition. That was key for me as I started riding over 50 miles. I'd suggest a couple of 60 to 70 mile rides before you go after the big 100 to make sure your body is getting the right fuel in the right amount. For me, staying away from artificially sugared stuff is key. Eating right can really help you with that fog that can set in at the 80-90 mile mark.
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Follow her advice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeIA261_gSw
Especially the part about a small sip every 15 min. and
"you aren't done with your workout till you are refueled"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeIA261_gSw
Especially the part about a small sip every 15 min. and
"you aren't done with your workout till you are refueled"
#45
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@vesteroid thanks for the very helpful tips. I don't do well with soy so I picked up some Maltodextrin and Whey Protein Isolate along with a few other goodies to make my own carb load drinks. I'm going to try and weigh and bag 60 grams of the mix that would give me 240 calories and drink 1 every hour on my future rides instead of just waiting until the ride is over to refuel. If I do that do I also need to drink an additional 16oz of water per hour minimum or can I count the water I used to add to the mix as part of the 16oz?? I really don't do well eating and riding and bloating is also a concearn, but I really need to get my riding nutrition planned better for longer rides so I need to figure out if I need to eat and drink or if I can do with just the carb drinks and water.
@raceboy I actually think I could do a flat 100 miles, but at my weight it's the hills I'm worried about and what I'm focusing on in my training now. If I do a 62 mile route should I try and do the same amount of incline that the century will include? So if the century has 5700' of incline should I try and do a 60-70 mile route with 5700' of incline or would it be ok to taper back the incline to say 4000' for that training route? I just ramped up my twice a week training route to 40 miles with 3500' of incline so that's giving me 80 miles a week with 7000'. Hopefully after a month I can add a little more and a month later a little more and hopefully build up my distance and incline along the way.
@raceboy I actually think I could do a flat 100 miles, but at my weight it's the hills I'm worried about and what I'm focusing on in my training now. If I do a 62 mile route should I try and do the same amount of incline that the century will include? So if the century has 5700' of incline should I try and do a 60-70 mile route with 5700' of incline or would it be ok to taper back the incline to say 4000' for that training route? I just ramped up my twice a week training route to 40 miles with 3500' of incline so that's giving me 80 miles a week with 7000'. Hopefully after a month I can add a little more and a month later a little more and hopefully build up my distance and incline along the way.
#46
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Follow her advice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeIA261_gSw
Especially the part about a small sip every 15 min. and
"you aren't done with your workout till you are refueled"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeIA261_gSw
Especially the part about a small sip every 15 min. and
"you aren't done with your workout till you are refueled"
#47
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I survived my first century last year in good shape and have done several more solo efforts since using the principles she outlines. The advantage to the long form lecture is you really get a better understanding of the basics. Everyone's physiology and tastes are different so it works best to approach it from the basics, experiment and find out what works for you.
Years ago I went to using a Camelback for climbing and mountaineering/backpacking trips. I still use a 3L Camelback for about all training rides. It makes it really easy to stay disciplined about taking a sip every 15 min or so. If it's really hot or I'm going to go long I'll go with 2 frozen 1/2L water bottles with the bottle sliced off, 1L Gatorade and then fill it with water. Usually though it's straight water in the Camelback and a bottle of Gatorade in the cage.
PB&J for lunch. A Payday candybar for in between (half at a time = 200 cal) and a box of raisins in case I bonk (haven't used it yet)
Immediately post ride, (really immediately! as soon as you get the shoes off) A half a dill pickle (electrolytes) Pineapple (or other fruit) Whey protein shake and a Beer.(analgesia)
Years ago I went to using a Camelback for climbing and mountaineering/backpacking trips. I still use a 3L Camelback for about all training rides. It makes it really easy to stay disciplined about taking a sip every 15 min or so. If it's really hot or I'm going to go long I'll go with 2 frozen 1/2L water bottles with the bottle sliced off, 1L Gatorade and then fill it with water. Usually though it's straight water in the Camelback and a bottle of Gatorade in the cage.
PB&J for lunch. A Payday candybar for in between (half at a time = 200 cal) and a box of raisins in case I bonk (haven't used it yet)
Immediately post ride, (really immediately! as soon as you get the shoes off) A half a dill pickle (electrolytes) Pineapple (or other fruit) Whey protein shake and a Beer.(analgesia)
Last edited by TGT1; 03-20-15 at 08:30 PM.
#48
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I plan on taking my 3L camelback filled with straight water, and having two previously frozen bottles (20oz ea) of diluted Gatorade in my cages. I figure this should be good for an avg temp of 100 degrees and not knowing how far apart any stores/water sources will be, my metric included ~5800' of total elevation and only passed one shady looking convenience store and one ice cream shop, two bottles of water barely sufficed.
Food, I acquired a taste for peanut butter and banana sandwiches last year, I always thought the sound of peanut buttered bananas was absurd, but it helped me power through my metric last year faster and cramp-less so I'm sticking with it. I tried taking a Payday bar with me for emergency fuel, but I couldn't keep it from melting in my pack last year, even froze it the night before the ride.
Food, I acquired a taste for peanut butter and banana sandwiches last year, I always thought the sound of peanut buttered bananas was absurd, but it helped me power through my metric last year faster and cramp-less so I'm sticking with it. I tried taking a Payday bar with me for emergency fuel, but I couldn't keep it from melting in my pack last year, even froze it the night before the ride.
Last edited by MikeRides; 03-20-15 at 09:11 PM.
#49
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LGHT: I rode the LA Wheelmen Metric Challenge last June. That was my single biggest day ride so far with about 10,000 feet of climbing and 125 miles, roughly. My last big training ride was about 80 miles and 6000 feet of climbing. Based on my experience, I'd say you'd be fine to do 4500 feet/70 miles. Especially if you are feeling good at the end of the ride. I am absolutely no training expert--just relating what worked for me. Your mileage may vary. Literally.
#50
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Interesting about the PayDay bar melting. I carry those as emergency fuel and since they don't have chocolate the issue of temperature is less of a concern for me. I had one with me and ate it at the 4th pit stop in Palm Springs this past Fepb when it was really hot. It is cheap easy sugar and protein.