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05-17-15, 06:48 PM
#1776
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05-17-15, 06:52 PM
#1777
So it is
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Very cool, @rjones28
05-17-15, 06:59 PM
#1778
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Under 5.5 hours seems pretty fast to me. Is this a flat ride?
Basically you probably have around 2000ish cal of stored glycogen. If you're riding intensely, you'll probably be burning 550ish cal/hr, maybe more if you're big. You don't want to run your glycogen stores too low, lest you get bonky. Without eating, you'd probably become glycogen-depleted at around 3.5-4 hours into the ride.
Since you're not well-conditioned to the distance, you should basically assume that your ability to metabolize fat won't be great. But the truth is a decent percentage of your calories needed on the bike will probably come from stored fat (of which for the purposes of cycling you have an infinite supply). So if you miss a little on your calorie intake, you'll have some wiggle room because of the fat metabolism.
Most people can process 200-250ish cal/hr during exercise (I'm talking about at the level of the GI tract), maybe 300ish cal/hr if you are using a mixed sugar source (I can elaborate on that if you want, I just feel like I'm already going long with this answer). So that should be your goal, around eat around 200-250 cal from carbs per hour. After your ride the day prior, be sure to consume some protein and carb within an hour of the ride, something like chocolate milk, to replace glycogen & aid in muscle recovery. Then eat a normal dinner with some carbs. Well before the ride, at least 2 hours, eat a normal, lightish breakfast. Something with carbs to top off your tank. And protein to slow digestion. For example a bowl of oatmeal with an egg whisked in (I know this sounds weird, it's good though, makes the oatmeal custardy and delicious).
I'm not exactly sure what is in Heed? It's an electrolyte drink, right? You may not need too much electrolyte early in the ride when it's cooler and you're not sweating much. My theory is that part of my nausea came from hours of drinking electrolyte drinks (the salt in that can be irritating to the stomach. I've moved to drinking honey, water & lemon juice early, then Skratch electrolyte drink later.
Whatever you're drinking, you'll need something between 16-25oz water per hour. Could be more in extreme heat, which I doubt you'll have. There is a real argument for lower-calorie drink because it has a lower osmolality, this is why I drink Skratch, it has a lower concentration of solutes in it. For me, I mix Skratch at 80 cal/25 oz bottle and honey (2 tablespoons plus generous lemon squirt) at 120 cal/25 oz bottle. Usually I'm drinking at the rate of 1 bottle per 1.5 hours. Then I make up the rest of my calories with solid food, aiming for 200 cal/hr. I can typically keep up with this early on, but I get behind later in the ride.
What to eat is a bit of trial and error. Basically you want carbs and not much else. Pure carb products like gels and Cliff Bloks are great but they empty from the stomach very quickly. This gives your small intestine a lot to deal with all at once (not good). But easy to eat on the bike. Real foods that contain mixed ingredients (a little protein or fat) and that require a little digestion will empty from the stomach more slowly, which is good. So you want to try to eat some real food too. Pretzels, breakfast bars, graham crackers, fruit etc.
It's way better to eat small amounts frequently, gives your stomach less to deal with at any given time. I have a timer on my bike computer that goes off every 15 min. My goal is a few sips from my bottle and about 50 cal every 15 min. Sometimes this doesn't work logistically (for example you're on a rough road). For me, it's a mistake to try to make the calories up, especially late in the ride, my GI tract can't handle the overload. So I just get back on schedule as soon as I can. Eat at the back of a pace line, at the top of a descent. Get your food into a state such that you can easily eat it while riding- for example, I open 3 hours of Bloks in advance so it's easy for me to grab one while I'm riding (the go into a top tube bento box that I have).
And lol, if you decrease intensity, none of what I wrote matters. You can eat less calories and bigger amounts less frequently & you'll be fine. If you get bonky (lightheaded), stop and eat. Then you can probably keep going without too much trouble at less intensity with more eating. If you get dehydrated (for me, just really weak with big drop in power output), it will be hard for you to recover, it will affect the rest of your ride, just do your best to drink more and get through the ride.
Basically you probably have around 2000ish cal of stored glycogen. If you're riding intensely, you'll probably be burning 550ish cal/hr, maybe more if you're big. You don't want to run your glycogen stores too low, lest you get bonky. Without eating, you'd probably become glycogen-depleted at around 3.5-4 hours into the ride.
Since you're not well-conditioned to the distance, you should basically assume that your ability to metabolize fat won't be great. But the truth is a decent percentage of your calories needed on the bike will probably come from stored fat (of which for the purposes of cycling you have an infinite supply). So if you miss a little on your calorie intake, you'll have some wiggle room because of the fat metabolism.
Most people can process 200-250ish cal/hr during exercise (I'm talking about at the level of the GI tract), maybe 300ish cal/hr if you are using a mixed sugar source (I can elaborate on that if you want, I just feel like I'm already going long with this answer). So that should be your goal, around eat around 200-250 cal from carbs per hour. After your ride the day prior, be sure to consume some protein and carb within an hour of the ride, something like chocolate milk, to replace glycogen & aid in muscle recovery. Then eat a normal dinner with some carbs. Well before the ride, at least 2 hours, eat a normal, lightish breakfast. Something with carbs to top off your tank. And protein to slow digestion. For example a bowl of oatmeal with an egg whisked in (I know this sounds weird, it's good though, makes the oatmeal custardy and delicious).
I'm not exactly sure what is in Heed? It's an electrolyte drink, right? You may not need too much electrolyte early in the ride when it's cooler and you're not sweating much. My theory is that part of my nausea came from hours of drinking electrolyte drinks (the salt in that can be irritating to the stomach. I've moved to drinking honey, water & lemon juice early, then Skratch electrolyte drink later.
Whatever you're drinking, you'll need something between 16-25oz water per hour. Could be more in extreme heat, which I doubt you'll have. There is a real argument for lower-calorie drink because it has a lower osmolality, this is why I drink Skratch, it has a lower concentration of solutes in it. For me, I mix Skratch at 80 cal/25 oz bottle and honey (2 tablespoons plus generous lemon squirt) at 120 cal/25 oz bottle. Usually I'm drinking at the rate of 1 bottle per 1.5 hours. Then I make up the rest of my calories with solid food, aiming for 200 cal/hr. I can typically keep up with this early on, but I get behind later in the ride.
What to eat is a bit of trial and error. Basically you want carbs and not much else. Pure carb products like gels and Cliff Bloks are great but they empty from the stomach very quickly. This gives your small intestine a lot to deal with all at once (not good). But easy to eat on the bike. Real foods that contain mixed ingredients (a little protein or fat) and that require a little digestion will empty from the stomach more slowly, which is good. So you want to try to eat some real food too. Pretzels, breakfast bars, graham crackers, fruit etc.
It's way better to eat small amounts frequently, gives your stomach less to deal with at any given time. I have a timer on my bike computer that goes off every 15 min. My goal is a few sips from my bottle and about 50 cal every 15 min. Sometimes this doesn't work logistically (for example you're on a rough road). For me, it's a mistake to try to make the calories up, especially late in the ride, my GI tract can't handle the overload. So I just get back on schedule as soon as I can. Eat at the back of a pace line, at the top of a descent. Get your food into a state such that you can easily eat it while riding- for example, I open 3 hours of Bloks in advance so it's easy for me to grab one while I'm riding (the go into a top tube bento box that I have).
And lol, if you decrease intensity, none of what I wrote matters. You can eat less calories and bigger amounts less frequently & you'll be fine. If you get bonky (lightheaded), stop and eat. Then you can probably keep going without too much trouble at less intensity with more eating. If you get dehydrated (for me, just really weak with big drop in power output), it will be hard for you to recover, it will affect the rest of your ride, just do your best to drink more and get through the ride.
Thank you for your inputs. I appreciate this.
It's fairly flat, 2200 feet of elevation. I've attached the profile. My biggest issue so far is that of dehydrating, which is why I use the big bottle. Maybe I should get a second. Heed has both electrolytes and carbs and I don't have any issues with it. I could fill both bottles with it. I have a small package of Skratch I was planning to bring to use later. I should have no problem eating the Cliff bars on the bike, like you suggest at the back of a paceline. Hopefully there'll be more than one rest stop too.
Temps are showing start at 65 and up to 75 with 8 mph winds, so not too bad.
05-17-15, 07:03 PM
#1780
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You'll be fine after your "openers" the day before, @mvnsnd. If you're accustomed to Heed, stick with it. Skratch is super easy on the belly, if you can get it. My personal favorite is raspberry, that is until I take a swig of some pineapples. It's all good though. I would try that on the second bottle. I assume there will be a refill stop, so if you can get a pack or two of Skratch single serve to carry with, go for it. If not, I can go with Gatorade, but not all can stomach that. I am a firm believer in solids, along with gels and Bloks. A buffer for the stomach, or something. Nutri-Grain bars are great, and they're flat and easy to carry, but I have also taken a shine to Fiber One bars too.
On a five hour century, I would have 2-4 Gels, 3-4 Nutri Grains, and likely 4 bottles. Maybe some Bloks. Adjust as needed.
On a five hour century, I would have 2-4 Gels, 3-4 Nutri Grains, and likely 4 bottles. Maybe some Bloks. Adjust as needed.
05-17-15, 07:11 PM
#1781
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You'll be fine after your "openers" the day before, @mvnsnd. If you're accustomed to Heed, stick with it. Skratch is super easy on the belly, if you can get it. My personal favorite is raspberry, that is until I take a swig of some pineapples. It's all good though. I would try that on the second bottle. I assume there will be a refill stop, so if you can get a pack or two of Skratch single serve to carry with, go for it. If not, I can go with Gatorade, but not all can stomach that. I am a firm believer in solids, along with gels and Bloks. A buffer for the stomach, or something. Nutri-Grain bars are great, and they're flat and easy to carry, but I have also taken a shine to Fiber One bars too.
On a five hour century, I would have 2-4 Gels, 3-4 Nutri Grains, and likely 4 bottles. Maybe some Bloks. Adjust as needed.
On a five hour century, I would have 2-4 Gels, 3-4 Nutri Grains, and likely 4 bottles. Maybe some Bloks. Adjust as needed.
05-17-15, 07:14 PM
#1782
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My thoughts and recommendations are very similar to LAJ's posted above. I personally find Heed too sweet, but if it works for you stay with it. I've also switched to Skratch and the pineappple is my favorite, followed by the raspberry, very easy on the stomach, not too sweet. And I'd suggest two bottles to start. For me, I'd go with water to refill for the remainder of the ride, but it depends how much you're sweating. You could supplement with electrolyte tabs if you need them. My preference for eating on long rides is Clif Bars, but do what works for you. I wouldn't eat more than 3 on a century. I usually don't bother with gels unless I'm feeling unusually low on energy the last 20 miles or so. Sometimes it helps to have some additional carbs to get you to the end. As far as riding strategy, try to conserve your energy for the first 50-60 miles or so if possible. If you're riding with a strong group they probably won't mind if you do short pulls. Saving some watts till the end will help you finish stronger. Have fun.
This will probably be my biggest issue. I'm going to stay away from the fast crowd.
I'll consider the Cliff bars or the nutrigrain for solid foods. I'll have to ask if there is a stop for water refills.
05-17-15, 07:16 PM
#1783
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Thanks @LAJ I do have a couple single packs of skratch, orange, I think, so I'll bring them. I have a bunch of gels too. Good suggestion on the nutrigrain as they wont melt.
05-17-15, 07:40 PM
#1785
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Thank you for your inputs. I appreciate this.
It's fairly flat, 2200 feet of elevation. I've attached the profile. My biggest issue so far is that of dehydrating, which is why I use the big bottle. Maybe I should get a second. Heed has both electrolytes and carbs and I don't have any issues with it. I could fill both bottles with it. I have a small package of Skratch I was planning to bring to use later. I should have no problem eating the Cliff bars on the bike, like you suggest at the back of a paceline. Hopefully there'll be more than one rest stop too.
Temps are showing start at 65 and up to 75 with 8 mph winds, so not too bad.
It's fairly flat, 2200 feet of elevation. I've attached the profile. My biggest issue so far is that of dehydrating, which is why I use the big bottle. Maybe I should get a second. Heed has both electrolytes and carbs and I don't have any issues with it. I could fill both bottles with it. I have a small package of Skratch I was planning to bring to use later. I should have no problem eating the Cliff bars on the bike, like you suggest at the back of a paceline. Hopefully there'll be more than one rest stop too.
Temps are showing start at 65 and up to 75 with 8 mph winds, so not too bad.
Interestingly, Heed has more calories and less sodium. In some ways that would be better for me. But I don't like the taste.
If you have had hydration issues previously, I'd get the bigger bottle. Especially if you're unclear about water stops. Drink lots. Worst case scenario is that you'll have to stop at a shrub somewhere.
You need water to absorb calories. If you put too much into your stomach at once without water, you'll need to temporarily pull water out of your bloodstream into your GI tract to digest the food. You'll reabsorb it, but if you're dehydrated, eating will temporarily compound the dehydration. So just don't get dehydrated. Drink regularly. More important even than eating.
@FLvector & @LAJ, it sounds likes you are consuming around 1000 cal on a century ride. Seems way low to me. You guys both have power meters, what kind of calorie burn are you getting on a 100 mile ride? Obviously calories burned even from a power meter is not 100% accurate, it will depend also on metabolic efficiency. But just wondering what calorie numbers you guys are seeing after these centuries?
05-17-15, 07:51 PM
#1786
Peloton Shelter Dog
Forget all this silly bicycle crap.
Having the most badass car RULES.
Having the most badass car RULES.
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05-17-15, 08:02 PM
#1787
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05-17-15, 08:06 PM
#1788
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05-17-15, 08:27 PM
#1789
So it is
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@FLvector & @LAJ, it sounds likes you are consuming around 1000 cal on a century ride. Seems way low to me. You guys both have power meters, what kind of calorie burn are you getting on a 100 mile ride? Obviously calories burned even from a power meter is not 100% accurate, it will depend also on metabolic efficiency. But just wondering what calorie numbers you guys are seeing after these centuries?
Strava
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@Heathpack, there's a huge difference in calories between the two, and I tend to believe the Garmin is much closer. That one was 4 Nutri-Grains, 4 Gels, 2 Skratch, and 3 more Gatorades. Likely a a pack of Bloks, as well. It was a sporty ride, and when I do the Z2 stuff, it's quite a bit less, even though those are a challenge in themselves.
05-17-15, 08:40 PM
#1790
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05-17-15, 08:46 PM
#1791
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05-17-15, 08:48 PM
#1792
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@Heathpack, I've never been much of a calorie counter on or off the bike. I just make sure I'm drinking enough, start the day well fueled with a good meal and eat several times throughout the ride. Looking back at a few centuries, I usually do the flat ones just under 5 hrs, a bit longer with hilly ones. I average a bit over 3,000 calories for a 5 hr ride, roughly 600/hr according to Garmin. I have no clue on how accurate that really is since I eat based on how I feel. I'm usually good about eating and drinking enough, but get surprised once in a while.
05-17-15, 08:49 PM
#1793
Still kicking.
Saw the eagle again today.
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05-17-15, 09:03 PM
#1794
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Excellent, Herbie.
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05-17-15, 09:04 PM
#1795
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05-17-15, 09:06 PM
#1797
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Good shot, Dan. That's a mature eagle, there should be a nest nearby or in the vicinity.
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05-17-15, 09:07 PM
#1798
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Good pics & report, Jonesy.
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05-17-15, 09:21 PM
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Cliff notes: ran only part of his qualifier marathon to get into Boston (beginning and end). Likely would have gone unnoticed, but made himself inter web famous by calling out his daughter's principal for sending an unexcused absence form letter for going and watching him.
...if I send you two of the hardly used tyres we get at the Bike Co-op as donations from racers who only use them once, and people who buy a pair, try them out, and don't like them, is there any chance at all you will quit *****ing about this, and just start riding your bike again ? #hopeful
I rode a bridge over a lake inlet. Below I saw a female kayaker and three guys in a canoe. The latter saw me and started howling. I thought it was uncalled for.
Anyway, I now have no backup tyres should there be another immaculate GP4000 spontaneous explosion.
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