Originally Posted by
banerjek
To what extent is this is possible? This year, the problem I consistently run into is that on more challenging rides is around the 8th hour, I start hating all food and drink formulas -- only plain water tastes good. Trying to force myself just makes me feel sick. I can stand a nibble of fruit or a couple chips, but we're talking snacks that are only about 50 calories.
What I want to do is eat a larger breakfast while I still feel good and consume 100 calories or less per hour on the logic that my body will still be working on breakfast. Will this work?
Just in case I'm already doing something wrong, my normal plan is to consume about 700 calories at breakfast and then 250 calories per hour. Usually, I feel great for the first 6 or 7 hours. Around hour 8, I don't feel as good, and by hour 10, I'm sometimes in a daze. I'll be a little tired, but there's still some strength, so it's not like a bonk. Rather, I just feel sick and my head doesn't work.
I normally carry all my own food. On this last ride, I was hauling 800g of perpetuem, 550g of which I consumed before deciding I was going to ride the last couple hours on water alone (I was carrying an extra 140g because I was originally going to extend the ride if I felt good enough). I realize this sounds horrible, but it actually works better than anything else I've tried yet.
Bottom line is that I'm looking for a better way to stay fed on mountain rides. I want to eat more beforehand, less during, and I'd really like to carry as little food as possible. I'm willing to risk getting sick and not finishing a big ride to do an experiment, but I wanted to see if what I want to do is even vaguely feasible.
Or is it possible my eating plan is fine, but I'm not in good enough shape to do the rides I'm attempting -- i.e. I'm experiencing simple exhaustion? Ever since switching jobs in April, I've only been riding half as much as I used to. I'm no couch potato, but I'm starting to have problems on long rides that I never had before.
You sound like I was on STP last year, and on a recent training ride.
I don't think you're getting close to enough salt. The perpetuem is really stingy on it - only something like 240mg in a 45 ounce serving, which is very much on the low side (various sources recommend 400-1000mg/liter). I think the fact the cheeseburger - which likely has tons of salt - goes down great is a pretty good indication.
If you find yourself drinking a lot but not eliminating any fluid, that's another good sign.
Unless you are salt sensitive and have high blood pressure, extra sodium is very safe. I'd suggest something like 350mg/hour extra to start, and going up to perhaps twice that. The hammer endurolytes are fairly useless for this - they only have 40mg. I used succeed! on my last ride, and felt *so much better* at the end. Lava salts also have a good rep.