When to carb up?

[shootingstar]

I'm sorry Oak, my heart is now thinking of my partner who is concocting his 1,500 km. trip across British Columbia and Alberta. He's 70. To be done within 2 wks. He's booked all his accommodation. There are 3 mtn. ranges in B.C. to cross.

You really truly need to understand what intensity means for each person. They feel it in their body..the exhaustion. (Day after day.)

When he was 59 he did 4,300 km. across Canada....every day except 3 days scattered about, 100 km. Every day. Intensity is on body and mind. Mountain ranges and flat, boring prairie with headwinds. We have to take into account wind velocity on headwind/crosswind that can affect performance and creates cycling intensity not anticipated at all for several hrs. Could he have cycled into the night for 8-10 hrs.? No. This is not racing but it is intense. Eating properly is critical. One doesn't want to carry a ton of food because the bike baggage is heavy already. (So one hopes in some vast empty stretches in Canada and U.S. there will be a corner store in a village, a farmers' fruit stand...)

There's a part of me worried more than I have in the past. (Maybe it's several cyclists who have killed by cars in Canada on long distance touring within the past 2 months.)

I make it sound like torture. It doesn't need to be, but there are some difficult hrs. on end, where your mind and body must focus hard to finish for the day.

There are times as cyclist also, I wish I didn't know certain things (the hard stuff about long distance cycling) even though it makes me an empathetic partner for him after he tells me his rides, eating at the end of each day.