v70cat

Yesterday I did a slow group ride with lot of stops, including lunch and I was really done.

I did two 40 miles ride a week ago and I was fine but for some reason this 60 mile ride took all my energy. I had no problem riding and was at the front of the pack the whole way, but when I got home I showered and was a sleep by 8:30 PM.

I just wonder why this slow group ride took all my energy?

K.Katso

Make someone else take a turn at the front next time.

RacerOne

You're not in shape for it yet?

RacerOne

Your brakes were rubbing?

sharky nrk

Also while it seems like not alot farther, its an additional 50% distance over your 40 mi ride. That is significant in the amount of energy your body has to burn.

Copperhed51

I've found that I can regularly knock out 40 miles and feel fine. I begin hitting my wall close to 60 miles as well. I suspect that if I ride those distances more frequently then I imagine the 60 mile ride will become as easy as the 40-miler. It's just a matter of getting your body acclimated to the higher distances. Also, make sure you are eating and drinking properly during the ride. The longer the ride is, the more important nutrition becomes. This is all just my semi-educated opinion though so I could be wrong.

tspek

There was a molecular quantic isotopic rain storm yesterday---it's quantum physics and stuff.

Oh, and you're out of shape.

merlinextraligh

Slow rides with lots of stops where your outside all day seem to tire me disproportionately to the distance.

60 miles in 2:30 can be easiear than 60 miles in 4:30.

Grumpy McTrumpy

slow could also mean "no adrenaline, no cortisol"

hence it would be easy to fall asleep later.

mrvile

I've found this to be true as well. Doing a fast solo ride just makes my legs tired at the end, but when I ride the same distance with (substantially slower) friends, which may take twice as long, I get very sleepy afterward.

coasting 

i don't understand this thread. i never ride slow.

v70cat

Yes I think it was related to nutrition, I had nothing to eat until lunch at the 28 mile mark. Normally I eat a energy bar but was out.

v70cat

I also think that was part of the problem, we made the first stopped at the 8 mile mark, just when I was warming-up.

v70cat

I am training for a 140 mile Montauk ride.

PhilNYC

Me too...5bbc?

coasting 

what was the stop for. you needed to eat? to sit around a starbucks?

v70cat

It was drop and sweep system where the rider the rider behind the rider drops and waits for the last rider (the sweep) to pass and then you speed back to the front.

I did this twice, and I sure it had some impact.

TromboneAl

I've found a lot of variability in how tired I get on one ride or another. I've done 40 mile rides and felt very tired afterward, and 55-80 mile rides and felt fresh and invigorated afterward. Temperature, sunshine, pace, nutrition, how well you slept -- all those things play a role.

v70cat

Yes, did you ride yesterday in Queens?

PhilNYC

No...despite my screen-name, I am from NNJ and do most of my riding in Bergen and Rockland (NY) counties. Also met a small group of folks on 9W saturday morning who were targeting the 145 to Montauk. Unfortunately, my own riding group is wussing on me because they don't want to deal with the travel back to NJ after the ride, so I'm planning on doing it solo unless I can hook on with other people...

rumrunn6

I did 56 Saturday and at 40 I wanted to stop but pressed on. I wonder if there is some threshold between 40 and 60 that needs addressing with nutrition timing

merlinextraligh

There is. Decently trained athlete can store enough muscle glycogen for 2 hours effort. So you really don't need to eat anything on a 40 mile ride. Much beyond 2 hours, what you eat and drink during the ride starts to matter.

Beyond 2 hour rides, you need to start eating (or drinking calories) within the first half hour. If you don't you get into a deficit that hits you later in the ride.

rumrunn6

cool info! THANKS! I usually don't eat until after the 1st 1.5 hrs but maybe now I will introduce some calories sooner! it's just that I have a regular rest stop at 1.5 hrs and I usually don't like to eat while I ride. I'm going to have to give this some thought

coasting 

that explains a lot. i normally ride to half way and then have a sandwich. i hate eating on the move.

echappist

+1. this

i did a 70 mile ride saturday with a fair bit of climbing, but not west-coast like. on a similar previous ride, i basically bonked 45 miles in. this time, i loaded up before i went, loaded up during (4*230kcals of gatorade per hour, two PB sandwiches @ 350kcals each (1/2 sandwich per hour), and one small pecan pie in the middle). the only time i didn't feel good was near the end when we were coming down a huge ass hill on a narrow road, and leading to the main intersection, the section of the small road must have been 25%. i chickened out & walked the damn bike down

one other thing about longer rides at slower paces, you are in the elements a lot longer. the sun will no doubt make you feel more uncomfortable

for anyone who watched MSR 2010, the commentators were describing Alessandro Petacchi's eating.

6.15 am: breakfast 1

- toast with jam, warm milk with sugar

6.30 am: breakfast 2

- 100 g pasta with olive oil and some parmesan, omelet (3 eggs), 1 - 2 cups of coffee.

9.20 am: start

- 4 sandwiches with honey, 2 energy bars, 2 bottles (1 tea, 1 water)

1 pm: food bag 1

- 2 sandwiches with honey, 2 energy bars, 2 bottles (tea, water)

3.15 pm: food bag 2

- 1 sandwich with honey, 2 energy bars, gels

4 pm: last 50k

Only gels and water

As a teammate explained to me, a sandwich with honey is like a hotdog, except the roll is a nice croissant and the "dog" is filling made of honey and other sweet stuff. All in all, a lot of kcals. be happy you can eat whatever the ef you want as long as it doesn't make your GI tract irritated.