Bonking isn't just about long rides

[CorsairMac]

I figured with all the nutrition questions and advice going around I'd share my commute story from last night as it was a very valuable lesson learned. I was hungry yesterday when it was time for my nightly commute home. I ate a Luna Bar about 1/2 hour before time to go home but I was still hungry. I'm thinking no biggie, I'm going home after all, it's only 6 miles (ok....with a 400' elevation gain but whos counting) and it's not like I"m going to "race" home so what's the big deal. I had not a clue what "bonking" was although I knew it was somehow related to long rides and not enough nutrients. So...this was a short ride and I'd eaten a Luna Bar - doesn't apply to me right?.......Wrong
About 2 miles from home is a very short, very steep hill that tops out at the trailhead and it involves a short intense climb and then a fast stop for the traffic. I reached the top of the hill and knew I was in trouble. I was shaking, breaking out in a clammy sweat and my brain was screaming "UNCLIP, UNCLIP" but the feet just were not getting the message. I'm pretty sure I looked like the little tricycle guy from the old Laugh-In show, I just fell. Both feet still clipped, hands still on the flats. I was so out of it I didn't even check the bike when I got up. I got back on it and started riding like some crazy drunk until the brain finally got thru that I had another Luna Bar in my pack, stop and eat it NOW!! The second bar got me home where I did some major protein loading with complex and simple carbs to start getting my sugar back in balance.
Long story short (too late), bonking is a blood sugar drop and it doesn't matter how far you're riding, if your body doesn't have it, you can't use it.
I have found what was causing the sugar imbalance and have removed it from my diet but it could take another 24 hrs to bring my sugar back in balance, and a while longer for the owies from the fall! I'm fine, some scrapes and bruises and Allez is just fine - he had me to cushion his fall lucky dog! :p

Lesson learned: if I'm hungry, eat until I"m not or have someone take me home coz to ride like that was just stupid and dangerous.

[Grog]

Woah. I do take note....

[bikerchick68]

corsair... isn't that the most gawd awful feeling??? I have bonked twice... the second time I was 40 miles into a 50 mile ride and just pulled off the road and started CRYING! Jiminy... do you have any idea how stupid you feel when a bunch of men ride by asking what they can do to help... and you don't have an answer as to WHY you're crying??? :eek: :( talk about feeling like a GIRL!!! :mad: :D

Not long after that I read a really great article in bicycling mag about women and carb loading... you see, I was carb loading just like the boys and then going out and doing really long rides while taking in minimal amounts of carbs... and then bonking... hard.

this article said that women DO NOT process carbs the same way as men... and carb loading is not nearly as effective for us! it suggested that women should carb THRU OUT rides to prevent the blood sugar drops and to feel good...

so I changed the way I eat... prior to any ride, I eat a normal meal with protein and carbs... the morning of the ride, an egg and some oatmeal... and then I carb the whole way! I consume carbs at least every 25 miles... I have not bonked since! this is not to say that 25 miles is the magic number for ALL women, but it is for me...

listen to your body ladies and if you are already hungry or thirsty, your body is already in jeopardy! you don't have to eat a ton, but a little bit of carbs can sure make a difference!

[skibum]

Corsair, I am glad that you and Allez are ok. I took a spill like yours recently (although for a different reason) and, even though it didn't hurt much at the time, I was aching for a couple of days from the scrapes and bruises. I hope you heal quickly!

I can personally attest to the differences between men & women when it comes to carb loading. My BF can go on a long ride (~50 miles) and all he needs is water. Both times I've bonked, I've been out riding with him. Rather than listening to my body and insisting we stop for a snack, I just followed his lead, sipped some water and kept on pedalling. Then, all of a sudden, I just hit a wall and couldn't go on any longer. Except I had to... we were several miles from our destination and had no choice but to keep going. My BF rode next to me and would give me pushes to help me along.

OK, so I had to bonk twice before I learned my lesson. Now, I always make sure one of my water bottles has sports drink in it. Also, for rides over 25 miles, I bring an energy bar or two and nibble as we go along. I always thought that I was a wimp and just wasn't a strong enough rider to go as long as my BF without eating. But, better to be a wimp than to bonk. It's nice to hear that I'm not a wimp, my body just processes fuel differently.

[wabisabi]

Wow, that is a cautionary story, glad you are OK!! It is scary to me to feel that your brain isn't working. I realized training for a century the importantance of regular intake; what I thought was lack of training was largely not taking in enough, my muscles would feel wasted, and I would get really bad leg and foot cramps afterward. I have a lot of food limitations, and cannot eat a lot of carbs like wheat and oatmeal and even soy. I have trouble with the gels that have a lot of sugar, and have done better with a Hammer gel that I found, plus protein plus fat in the am before riding (the latest is turkey bacon, which has some sugar, but I swear I can just feel it doing its work). The Larabars, which the food co-op has, seem pretty good, no additives.

[alison_in_oh]

I bonked at less than 20 miles of a ~25 mile ride. Sigh. I'd been a dork, having a "fat day" -- I had hardly eaten all day and then figured that riding on an empty stomach would burn calories. Yeah it does -- burns the glycogen right out of your muscles so you've got nothing left to run on! I barely maneuvered into a parking lot, couldn't even stand when I tried to get off the bike! I remember the sweating, clamminess...I felt really drunk or something. The sun was setting so while DH went to get the car and come back for me, he urged me to try to get home. I had to walk my bike on sidewalks up the hill and then coast the downhills home! How embarrassing, and horrid-feeling. Iccccch.

Last weekend's 57 miles I didn't bring enough food, had a Clif bar at 1.5 hours but started getting fatigued just short of 3 hours.

Moral of the story: Eat well before riding, then get a good munchie in you starting at 1.5 hours and then every hour thereafter.

[Technotart]

I made the mistake once of referring to it as "boinking" my 17 year old racer and his buddies were most amused.......

Women do not store glycogen the same way men do, and they store less of it. Glycogen is the extra stuff you eat that your body thinks it still needs or will neeed later. It is stored in the liver. Men have a higher capacity to convert and store glycogen. The more active you are, and the better you eat, the more efficient your body will become over time at storing glycogen.

Staying up very late or being sleep deprived is a HUGE glycogen depleter - so be sure and eat a little more even if you have lost sleep in the past few days. Your liver does the glycogen converting and storing at night while you are sleeping.

My son gets out there and rides like 160 miles with nothing more than water and some sports drink.

Not me - I GOTTA eat...even if its just a few jellybeans every so often to go along with the 1/2 oatmeal bar I have to eat at about the 20 to 30 mile mark.

[nuthatch]

Dang, Corsair, I missed this thread until today!

That must have come out of the blue for you - bonking on your commute home!!! My commute is six miles, too. and my head always says "this is a regular everyday ride for you, you don't need any extra anything! You ride this without extra fuel each day and today's no different, so quit your whining!" And the amazing thing is, our bodies ARE different on different days (speaking for women now).

You really are right - listen to your body. When I ride, it's a time to turn off the "don't take in calories that will make you fat" voice in my head.

[Bike Goddess]

I'm glad to hear that someone is talking about the difference between men and women re carb and glycogen. If you look in the literature you will also find that carbo loading the night before doesn't do much for us women either! I carry water bottles with about 1/3 sports drink and 2/3 water on all centuries plus I am sure to eat at rest stops. I've done 4 centuries so far this year, and by adjusting this way of eating, I've not bonked.

I've also noticed that the faster/i.e.harder I ride on a century, the more food I need- ie. carbs. I figure its the glycogen thing.

Lately I have been adding an electrolyte mix to my drinks (oh yes, one bottle minimum to be drunk between rest stops on a cool day, more on a hot one)after about 20 miles. This also has helped.- No more cramps during or after! :D :D

When I ride in the early AM, I always have something to drink before I go and then use my water/juice mixture on the road. After coming home, its the solid food, you betcha! :D :D

[Melody]

CM, I'm glad you're ok. Bonking sucks, this I know since being diabetic, my blood sugar levels can fluctuate all over the place.

I didn't know, however, that we process carbs and glycogen different from the guys, though it makes complete sense. I too just thought I was just being a wimp compared to my husband. He doesn't have to take in carbs nearly as often as I do. I feel like I'm constantly taking something in. :o

Mel

[caligurl]

wow... that's scarey!!!!! i guess it's a fortunate habit i've acquired on organized rides.. i tend to eat too much! i guess better too much than not enough!! however i'm taking note that this can happen on my after work rides or weekend rides! :eek:

[Dogmama]

On a ride a few weekends ago, I actually ran out of Clif bars & remembered I had stashed a packet of goo in my bag. It worked pretty well, although it wasn't the most pleasant thing to eat/gag down. The good thing about goo packets is that they're small, they last forever and they add a nice jolt of quick carbs.

[Pedal Wench]

This is fascinating! My BF and I do a lot of hiking AND biking together, and I've noticed that when we both did the carbo-loading before hikes that he could just go and go, and I've crashed. Over and over. It's happened more times than I want to admit. I couldn't understand why I was bonking and he was fine. Now I know! This is the first I've heard of this - now I need to find out the best way to fuel. Should we avoid the carbo-loading before (what? no pre-ride pasta dinner???) or do that AND fuel more frequently while we're riding? I'm SO glad to know that it's not just me feeling whimpy!

[CorsairMac]

well - I rode a 50+ mile ride and a 71+ mile ride over the past 2 wks with a female friend and a male friend. I made sure I carried all my food just to be safe (and learning from the wisdom of my friends here). He didn't worry about anything, and she tried to be like him. On the 71 mile ride, he had 4 bottles of water and 2 bananas. She had 4 bottles of water, a Clifbar, and a banana and she bonked at about mile 54. I pretty much drafted her home. I had 2 gels, 2 Luna Bars, a banana, a Clifbar and 4 bottles of water w/ElectroMix in 2 and I did fine. I even rode the next day. I was teased in the beginning about all the food I had but I just smiled. In the end, I refused a ride home in the car coz I didn't need it, I rode my bike and they were both amazed I could still do that!!......I'm betting next ride, she'll be carrying more food too. Go for the pre-activity pasta, but carry food for you during the hike/ride coz You are the one that's going to need it.

Corsair "I just have problems with the Short distances :rolleyes: " Mac

[RoadRaven]

Wow!!

Great thread
Thank you ladies...

I had no idea that women stored glycogen differently or processed carbs at a significantly different way than men... though it seems logical now it has been brought to my attention...

Great forum... Thanks TE members, so glad I found this place

[Dogmama]

Wow!!

Great thread
Thank you ladies...

I had no idea that women stored glycogen differently or processed carbs at a significantly different way than men... though it seems logical now it has been brought to my attention...

Great forum... Thanks TE members, so glad I found this place



Ditto. Now I know why the big evening carb dinner just made me feel slow in the morning.

[Bike Goddess]

Congrats Corsair!!!! :p :p :p Exactly right! You did what I would have done- and look how good you felt!

I also do a post recovery drink- right now it's Endurox 4 (I think) from Performance. That also seems to help the next day.

One more thing everyone, just because you finish a ride doesn't mean you stop drinking! Keep the fluids going as that will help also. :D :D

[RoadRaven]

Yeah, drinking afterwards is a vital part of recovery - heaps of water, and maybe some recovery drink after a big ride...

My partner and some of his riding mates use a colustrum powder after particulalry big event races to help with muscle repair too.

But water is vital, important and necessary... oh. btw, did I agree with Bike Goddess... replacing fluid is somewhat important! :p

[DirtDiva]

I made the mistake once of referring to it as "boinking" my 17 year old racer and his buddies were most amused.......
Heh. In the NZ vernacular, "bonking" translates to pretty much what I'm sure "boinking" meant to your seventeen-year-old. Needless to say, this thread title caused a double take on my end before I processed what it was really about... :rolleyes: <--- trying to look all innocent-like

[CorsairMac]

and the languague difference strikes again!! :p

[RoadRaven]

ROTFLMAO!!!!

:D

tl, I was the same. First heard it when my partner came home after joining the local club a couple of years ago and started talking about bonking - I really thought he had his words mixed up, and why was he talking about bonking like that in front of the kids...?

I still don't string it into convos - for me bonking will always be, well, bonking! and if I run outta juice on a ride, I know I need to eat or I'll mebbe crash - not bonk!

[bikerchick68]

Should we avoid the carbo-loading before (what? no pre-ride pasta dinner???) or do that AND fuel more frequently while we're riding? I'm SO glad to know that it's not just me feeling whimpy!

Audio A- I do NOT carb load any longer the night before... since I will not store the glycogen the way a guy does it just means I'm consuming extra calories... I just eat normal the night before any ride, including the centuries I've done, and then eat some carbs AND protein in the AM prior to the ride, and then thru out the ride... this has drastically changed riding for me... I also used to feel like a wimp, especially since my ex-husband is a racer... so not only was I not "fast enough"- ever- to suit him, I also bonked... :rolleyes: once I read that article I changed my eating, learned how to fuel for me and have increased my riding and speed a TON! I have done 3 centuries this year and two metrics... to my knowledge the ex races but has yet to ride a century... HAH! :D

[Technotart]

Of course you can carb load if it works for you - and it doesn't mean you can't eat spaghetti the night before! Bottom line is trying things out and figuring out what works for you, and listen to the ladies - the guys are so outside the window on this one!

[bouncybouncy]

I just got a road bike and I know my fiance is anxious to get me riding up to his speed...I do great but seem to start loosing it way before he does. I would love to nip this in the bud and start being a roadie with all the right nutritious knowledge. Can you help me out if you remember where you saw this article and post a link?

Thank you!
Love that you can find women specific advice and knowledge!!!

[RoadRaven]

Hey there bouncy... if you have been reading this thread and considering the discussion here then I have a feeling that you not keeping up with your fiancee is not so much about what you have eaten, but possibly about your endurance fitness.

Eating def does help performance, but unless you are used to doing the miles, then your body just won't go the distance, no matter how much you tell it too. Maybe your fiancee can do a longer loop, and ride with you til just before you get tired, and you can head home at a slow warm down pace while he rides on and then catches back up with you?

[bouncybouncy]

That is exactly what we are going to do...He rides with a group that goes up & back (I say up cause it is directly north) I will ride to a chosen location, turn around and head back hoping they don't catch and drop me again :o This worked for another female rider in the group (unfortunately she has moved :( ) My real challenge is getting comfortable (emotionally, not physically) on a road bike, especially on we pavement (of course it is rainy season when I finally get a road bike)

I just like to read everything I can on "women & nutrition" Chris has a good diet (for him) and I just want to do the right thing for my body. I recently went through some emotional turmoil, gain 20 lbs or so, met Chris who got me off the couch and out of depression...put me on a mtbike and off I was to a new life :D I can not express how grateful I am to him for introducing me to the cycling world...it has re-establish my self confidence & gotten my weight back in control among other things ;) I just want to do all the right things to maintain the euphoria he has led me into!

Thank you so much for the advice... :)

[Biking Chick]

You really are right - listen to your body. When I ride, it's a time to turn off the "don't take in calories that will make you fat" voice in my head.

Couldn't agree more Nuthatch ... I've had to fire those members of my Everyone Committee (as in I can't quit my job and ride cross country - what will Everyone think???)

This has been a very interesting thread and one I will certainly think about before I take off on *just a quick ride*

[geochick]

I've gotten so much more information than I was origingally looking for.....

My hubby and I are doing a 24-mile ride tomorrow; 1350' climb and some of the hills will definitely be a challenge. Anyway, one of the guys I work with frequently rides the area we're doing tomorrow and he told me to be sure to "eat lots of pasta tonight" and "have it for breakfast, too".

Since I started riding about a month ago, I've been eating mostly "good" carbs - veggies and fruits, almost no-refined grains, very little bread, no potatoes, lean protein, good fats. When I ride, I usually take a bottle of gatorade and one of water and eat a clif bar, or something similar, when I get started. (I bring another just in case I feel there's a possibility I might bonk!)

I feel great and so far I've lost about 8 pounds. :D

So, it sounds like the answer to my question of whether I should gorge on pasta tonight is no.

But, I need a little reassurance here - Will I be okay if I just eat an egg and some oatmeal tomorrow for breakfast and then supplement with some fruit and maybe a clif bar while I'm riding? :confused:

Thanks!

[caligurl]

hi geochick! that's what i would do! (well.. i just have oatmeal.. not the egg!)

[CorsairMac]

Howdy geochick - actually for breakfast every day rather I ride or not I have a 3 egg white omelet and wild rice and a fruit so yeah you should be fine.

Now have fun trying to explain to your friend that you did NOT carbo load the night before and you'll be OK? LOL :rolleyes:

[SadieKate]

But, I need a little reassurance here - Will I be okay if I just eat an egg and some oatmeal tomorrow for breakfast and then supplement with some fruit and maybe a clif bar while I'm riding? :confused: This sounds like the perfect breakfast. Pretty much what I eat for big ride days. I don't usually drink fruit juice because of the sugar but I'll have apple juice on these days so I can get in some extra liquid early.

[Aint Doody]

I usually eat oatmeal--uncooked--mixed w/ fat free, vanilla yogurt, some fresh berries, and some walnuts. It really stays with me and keeps me going. Don't eat that instant stuff. The slow cook kind takes longer to digest and has more fiber.

[geochick]

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. I ended up eating a decent sized bowl of oatmeal (slow-cook, steel cut kind). I had plenty of energy, which I supplemented with a couple fig newtons and a piece of watermelon at the rest stops! ;) It was a GREAT ride - even with the hills. (Had to walk one hill - 8% grade was a bit much for me - but rode all the rest for 24 miles, so I was really happy with myself for that!)

Thanks for the support. I'm learning so much from TE members. All y'all are lifesavers as I try to re-acquaint myself with this wonderful sport.



:D

[nuthatch]

I ended up eating a decent sized bowl of oatmeal (slow-cook, steel cut kind).


Oatmeal triumphs again! Glad you had a great ride!!

[spazzdog]

Taking this really in the direction of bonking not being only about long rides:

Went out to the back yard yesterday at abt 11:30 am to take care of the jungle it had become. I had toast w/butter&jelly and a big glass of V8 Splash abt 30 min prior.

First I used a hand "field wacker"; you swing it back and forth kinda like a putter. Had to do this BEFORE I could attempt to mow (old lawn mower had gone to heaven & took a bit to get new one, thus 3 ft high jungle look).

Then I mowed. Then I raked. Along the way I had put away a couple of liter bottles of Gatorade BUT no food. It's now 6:00 pm.

I sat down in the lawn chair surrounded by my doggies to enjoy the fresh cut grass smell... and woke up at 7:30 pm.

so... well bonking can happen with any activity.

spazz

[SadieKate]

First of all, geochick: Good job! Sounds like you had lots of fun.

Bonking - when I get buried in a project, I've been known to bonk on the drive home. Of course, these are the days when traffic plugs up to a complete stop.

[LBTC]

wow, this is a great thread! Yes, I could tell that there was something different about carbs for women than for men, but I haven't found any place to read about it....so could only go with "this works for me"

just about any workout needs carbs and protein a few hours before, long enough to digest. I prefer potatoes and cheese, and sometimes ham or bacon in there, as it seems to get to me fastest and best. pasta always makes me feel heavy. during rides, I learned long ago I need water and an electrolyte drink. every ride. even the easy ones. I must admit, I often don't eat on a ride, and realize now that I probably should. if only I could find the thing that always tastes good even when all I want is a big juicy steak or sizzling bacon!! has anyone tried beef jerky for that??

what great information! If any of you have a link to an article about glycogen usage, please post it!

many thanks and
Namaste,
~T~

[oroight]

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/carbo-loading.html

Do we need to eat more carbs ? :confused:
Some guy told me that during a long ride we women have "peaks and troughs" in energy level.Well thats what l tell myself to get me home.....

[nuthatch]

:D

Some guy told me that during a long ride we women have "peaks and troughs" in energy level.Well thats what l tell myself to get me home.....

Ha, ha! I have peaks and troughs all the time - not just on the bike! :D :D Seriously, I have to concentrate on eating while I'm riding, not the night before. Lots of carbs the night before just makes me feel all "loggy-headed" and slow-limbed. I'm like a Betsy-wetsy doll - energy in/energy out and no real storage capacity!

[CorsairMac]

:D
I'm like a Betsy-wetsy doll........

Remind me to never ride behind you! :eek:

[Geonz]

I'm not so sure it's a gender thing. Might just be variation within the species. Yesterday's carbs work fine for me - I get hungry the day after, unless I'm riding hard then, too. Have ridden with males of the species who definitely hit the WALL.

[runnergirl]

Carb loading prior to a major event is less effective for women than it is for men. Here's a blurb from peak performance...

"One suggested explanation for this apparent discrepancy is that women have a lower respiratory exchange ratio (RER) than men, with men tending to use carbohydrate for energy and women tending to prefer lipids, possibly on account of hormonal differences. Another possibility is that women don’t ingest carbohydrate in sufficient quantities to facilitate muscle glycogen storage."

But as far as garden variety bonking, men and women are equal. Although since I've been doing endurance sports for a couple years I can go hard for 110 minutes before bonking, while hubby goes at 75-80 minutes.

[mtbdarby]

Would this explain why after my club rides Thursday night I'm wiped out for the weekend? I go right from work to the trails and ride for two hours on maybe a banana drinking only water. Afterwards, maybe an hour or so, we all go out to grab a bite to eat, but sometimes I just head home to bed without eating cuz I'm so tired. I've shied away from the performance bars because most have iodine in them or artificial sweetners, both of which are a no-no for me. Any ideas on what to eat in place of them?

Very interesting thread. Definitely got me thinking. Now my conscience can just holler at me "HEY, BONEHEAD, eat something before and during your ride!!!" Heck, maybe I wouldn't be the slow one if I did. Novel idea, huh?

[emily_in_nc]

I've shied away from the performance bars because most have iodine in them or artificial sweetners, both of which are a no-no for me. Any ideas on what to eat in place of them?

Do you like to bake at all? If so, you can make "healthy" cookies/bars like peanut butter/oatmeal/raison (with added protein powder, if desired) and the like. My husband hates paying the inflated prices for Powerbars and such so is always baking us goodies for the road. I am lucky to have a spouse who enjoys cooking and baking more than I do!

Emily

[CorsairMac]

you can also buy Larabars. They are a tad pricey but they only have dates, nuts and sometimes some other fruit in them. No additives, no processing, nada! You can also try making your own trail mix: nuts and dried fruits to munch on before you ride.
as for the being tired - yes, if all you're eating is a banana and water and then going home to bed you aren't replacing what you burned off. I think of it as putting fuel in my engine. I try to eat carbs and protein within 1/2 hour after my rides.
There is also an electrolyte replacement mix you can get at the health food store made by Alacar called Electro-Lyte (I think, dang I can never remember that name!). Again no sugars and no icky stuff just the electrolytes your body needs to help fuel your engine. It mixes with just about any liquid you want!!

[nuthatch]

Corsair modestly did not mention her own energy bar recipe, which is alot like Lara bars. There's a whole thread about them somewhere around here...Also that Ultralight Joe's Moose Goo is a great recipe.

[mtbdarby]

Emily and Corsair,
Yes, I LOVE to bake! I would love to see some recipes on the bars you mentioned. Either send me a private message or point me to the place they're listed on the boards.

I get to pick up my new bike tonight - can you tell I'm excited???!!! And we finalized our race team. I hope you don't mind, whoever mentioned this name (cuz I'm sure I read it hear yesterday) but we're calling the team the "Slowspokes". We're just doing this for fun (ok, competivite when I'm on the course) but I'm sure we'll all try our hardest and have a blast.

[han-grrl]

its funny that i read this thread, because just this past friday, i was done work, and a little hungry and i thought, eh, i will just bike home. It was HOT. i had water, but boy it was a PAINFUL ride home. Its an hour bike ride (on the road) with a few long hills (including the brutal one to my house). i crawled to the kitchen and INHALED a sandwich and felt better.

Also, for carbo loading...it isn't a matter of eating lots of carbs (which many people do)
you have to deplete them COMPLETELY first. this means doing a few days of training and eating very high protein, very few cards. it makes you into a bit of a B**ch. then after 4 days or so you go nuts with cards. your body IN ThEORY will overcompensate and hence store extra carbs.

i have heard before that this doesn't work for women quite as well. but i asked my physiology teacher when we were learning about it and he didn't see why.

[Jo-n-NY]

We pretty much really like a couple of the Balance Bars. During the winter we were eating the Balance Bar Gold Caramel Blast but did not want the chocolate coating for the summer. They came out with a Balance Trail Mix Bar and the fruit and nut is really good. I buy these by the box from Traider Joe's at 99 cents each. I saw a new Peanut Butter Crisp just over the weekend and that was really good also. It a thin peanutbutter coating.

Emily, your husbands bars sound yummy. Is there a recipe to be followed if you don't mind offering it?

~JoAnn

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, your husbands bars sound yummy. Is there a recipe to be followed if you don't mind offering it?
~JoAnn

Unfortunately, not! He just takes any old cookie bar recipe and starts adding oats for some of the flour, uses whole wheat flour in place of white, throws in some whey protein powder and mashed banana, replaces chocolate chips with raisins, and the like!

But I remember seeing links to energy bar recipes online that were very similar. I suggest googling "energy bar recipe" and seeing what you come up with. Even if what you find isn't exactly what you want, you can do a little creative manipulation with the ingredients like Barry does. The key is not to change the amount of baking powder/soda, and to keep the proportions the same of dry/wet ingredients.

I know there have also been recipes posted on this forum in the past, so try the search function and maybe just look for "recipe".

Good luck, and sorry I can't be more specific!

Emily

[Jo-n-NY]

That's ok...thank you for the info. I will do a search.

BTW...hope you are continuing to do well.

~JoAnn

[CorsairMac]

Emily and Corsair,
Yes, I LOVE to bake! I would love to see some recipes on the bars you mentioned. Either send me a private message or point me to the place they're listed on the boards.

I get to pick up my new bike tonight - can you tell I'm excited???!!! And we finalized our race team. I hope you don't mind, whoever mentioned this name (cuz I'm sure I read it hear yesterday) but we're calling the team the "Slowspokes". We're just doing this for fun (ok, competivite when I'm on the course) but I'm sure we'll all try our hardest and have a blast.


http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=2764

ask and ye shall receive. I also started making the Mookies as an alternative energy cookie. Last night I had a Mookie about 1/2 hr before I rode home. I sure didn't feel any different but I was kicking hinney on the hills and ended up having a guy draft off me coz I was just screaming on the ascents and descents so I guess they work! LOL

Just as a footnote: since I'm allergic to corn and I can only use gluten-free grains I substituted Teff Flour for the Corn Flour in the Mookie recipe and it was just fine. You could also use Rice Flour or Amaranth etc etc.

[amg]

I sometimes boil new potatoes the night before, and shake a bit of salt on them for long rides along with some energy bars. They taste fabulous, especially if I'm tired of sweet flavours from energy drinks and bars. Has anyone else tried this, or am I just weird?

CorsairMac, I read your Mookie recipe, and will have to try that. I hate paying so much for bars that are so small!

[Technotart]

OOOO! Potatoes! One of the groceries here has little tiny golden potatos - they taste like they are already buttered and they are about 1/2 the size of a small new potato - that sounds like a great idea. I get sick of sweet and salt, so the potatos might sound crazy, but I bet that they would be great fuel.

[jobob]

Has anyone else tried this, or am I just weird? No, you're not weird in the least - I know a few riders who carry small boiled potatoes as energy snacks. They carry them wrapped in aluminum foil. Rice balls work well, too.

[LBTC]

At the last mtb race I did support on, they were handing out chunks of cooked potato, besides the usual bananas, watermelon, etc...

makes perfect sense to me! potatoes are the perfect fuel for me!

Namaste,
~T~

[emily_in_nc]

Wow, potatoes are a great idea - I get so tired of sweet stuff on rides! Will have to file this away for when I am back on the road again...thanks! :)

Emily

[CorsairMac]

hmmmmmmmmmmm I can't eat potatoes - they make me sleepy but Rice cakes would work!! and I think they make a salted rice cake even. Thanks for the tip!!!!!

(here here on the overly sweet stuff - by the end of a long ride I just want to chuck anything left over and never see it again! LOL)

[oroight]

No, you're not weird in the least - I know a few riders who carry small boiled potatoes as energy snacks. They carry them wrapped in aluminum foil. Rice balls work well, too.

jobob Are potatoes a high glycemic option,instead of your jelly snakes etc? hmmm what sort of potatoes?l know TDF riders eat them

l agree too many sweet things (esp dried fruit can cramp your style!)l copied a recipe for rice pudding that l can eat from a zip lock bag on those loong rides. l put very little sugar for taste. ld be very interested to know how your friends get the riceballs to stick together?

[jobob]

more than you'd ever want to know about japanese rice & rice balls (follow the links) :D

http://japanesefood.about.com/cs/dessertssnacks/a/ohagi.htm

[newrider]

I just found this thread. Am so happy to have found TE and this kind of experiential advice. You all cut down tremendously on my trial and error.

And perhaps the best advice of all:


I've had to fire those members of my Everyone Committee (as in I can't quit my job and ride cross country - what will Everyone think???)

:D I have an Everyone Committee, too! This was hilarious, thanks!!!

And I'm taking you seriously! There's some firin' in order....

[oroight]

:D

Ha, ha! I have peaks and troughs all the time - not just on the bike! :D :D Seriously, I have to concentrate on eating while I'm riding, not the night before. Lots of carbs the night before just makes me feel all "loggy-headed" and slow-limbed. I'm like a Betsy-wetsy doll - energy in/energy out and no real storage capacity!

Hi Nuthatch l have to concentrate on the road while eating while riding,as l havent managed to perfect this skill yet!!!
lm still looking into carb loading stuff,(l dunno,,, lve a few womens books on sprts performance and l cant find much real difference btwn men and women,(cept that men have way more muscle and we fat!)but lm still looking,as lm interersted.
lve a peak performance book by (no nonsense) nutritionist.She says an old way of carb loading (workout +deplete glycogen in muscle,eatlow carbs and keep exercising, then rest several days and carb up can make you feel bloated,. due to glycogen is stored with 3 times its weight in water. Amongst other illside effects.She says its recognised now that most effective form of carb load is a diet high in complex carbs regualrily Combined this with strenous workout then rest b4 an "event". You have to eat complex carbs regularily, train your muscles(liver) to store glycogen and to use it regularily, eat/drink on the bike,and top up your "glycogen tank" as soon as poss post ride (~30mins) oh yeah and drink an drink......
l did learn as we get older our pit stops increase in number !!!!!! :)

[oroight]

more than you'd ever want to know about japanese rice & rice balls (follow the links) :D

http://japanesefood.about.com/cs/dessertssnacks/a/ohagi.htm
Thankyou forthe recipe,jobob Those beans may be a bit hard to aquire though..But l like the idea,,,, l never thought to mash rice grains together to a pulp,then it will stick and not fly down my throat as rice grains can as l suck it in while riding Maybe l will try an make rice pudding mashballs! :D

[shadon]

Every Wednesday, I start anticipating the weekend, thinking: "I"m gonna ride on Saturday morning, early" but then I wake up feelng tired and not ready to get on the bike....I sleep a little later, get up go eat a fairly big breakfast before I feel ready to ride....

So what should I eat fairly soon after I wake up so that I can get out on that bike earlier in the morning? Or should I eat something late in the evening before I go to bed (around 10-11 on Friday nights).

<sigh> I've got so much to learn!

[Dianyla]

So what should I eat fairly soon after I wake up so that I can get out on that bike earlier in the morning? Or should I eat something late in the evening before I go to bed (around 10-11 on Friday nights).
I can't eat a ton of food in the morning (unless I want to awaken 2 hours before I want to ride... no thanks!) so when I plan to ride on Saturday morning I have a totally guilt-free pig-out dinner on Friday night. Maybe even some midnight ice cream. Works out quite nicely, in fact. :p

[DeniseGoldberg]

So what should I eat fairly soon after I wake up so that I can get out on that bike earlier in the morning? Or should I eat something late in the evening before I go to bed (around 10-11 on Friday nights).


I find that I really need to eat something before I head out on my bike. It doesn't need to be a huge breakfast, but something. A bowl of cereal with some fresh fruit works, as does just the fruit. And I can happily get on my bike & ride very soon after eating breakfast.

--- Denise