Breakfast Before Early Rides?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I don't know how I'd feel if I got up at 4am to ride , but....if I'm up to ride at 6am or later, I always eat a nice big breakfast before my rides. Before I was active and biking, I never wanted breakfast. Seems my body has taken the hint and now it tells me it wants breakfast before my morning rides.

[lisa_b]

I know the feeling-sick to your stomach when the alarm goes off, just wanting to sleep and then knowing you really must eat breakfast. For my rides that start really early, I've found that a banana and coffee, usually with a bit of granola will hold me over until the start of the ride, and then I try and eat as soon as I'm on the bike. Also eating a big meal the night before helps.

[indysteel]

I'm glad this topic came up. This past weekend was the first weekend that our club rides started at 8 rather than 9 a.m., and I was in a world of hurt thanks to my sensitive early-morning tummy. Plus, I had to leave for Saturday's ride at 6:30 and for Sunday's, I rode to the ride and started off at 7 a.m. While I had enough time to eat and digest the food, it just didn't sit well. The food went down okay, but I felt horribly nauseous afterwards. At the first two SAGS on Saturday, I found myself very close to throwing up. That, and my routine of drinking a big bottle of water the minute I get up meant that everything, uh, "moved" through my system rather quickly. Let's just say that it could have gotten very ugly, but thankfully didn't. The only thing I could tolerate on the bike were Clif blocs (which are indeed the perfect food). Both rides were very hard, however, and I could have used something a bit more substantial. I hate riding with that empty belly feeling.

I felt a little sick to my stomach on Monday morning, too, so perhaps I just had a bit of a bug. I hope so because I'm not sure I can endure the next few months of early morning rides if I consistently feel sick to my stomach at start time.

A lot of the food that I eat--instant oatmeal, whole wheat waffles, cereal bars, yogurt, etc., is sweet, which is normally appeals to me, but I wonder if that's contributing to my upset tummy. Perhaps I should stick to bland or savory foods and cut out the little bit of coffee that I drink.

[Starfish]

Since I started this thread, I have been experimenting. I am beginning to think that I am trying to eat too much on the bike, and worrying too much about getting in enough fuel before I start an early morning ride.

The really nauseous times I have had recently have been at the starts of rides, and usually the early morning ones, when I have tried to eat breakfast.

I had read in some biking guru's book about how many calories we should try to get in before long rides, and the dangers of starting out a ride hungry. But, I seem to be doing better when I just get up and go, maybe a 1/2 cup of yogurt and a coffee, and then starting to eat bites of Powerbar, etc, within 20 minutes on the bike.

I have yet to try this minimalist approach on a ride longer than about 2 hours. But, next Saturday is Tour de Blast, so I guess I'll find out!

[Veronica]

Even though I'm a morning person, when a ride starts at 5 AM I have a hard time eating before that. I usually have about a half a serving of yogurt with some cereal on top. I try to eat the whole serving, but usually I can't.

It's worked out okay for me, I managed to finish my last two big rides. I do try to think about eating a little sooner on the bike than I might otherwise when I haven't had a full breakfast.

Tour de Blast is going to be... a blast. I'm really looking forward to it.

V.

[suzieqtwa]

Somebody posted a really easy recipe for" banana pancakes." Anyway,they are pretty good ,and you can eat them as you are driving to your ride ,or event. I found they gave me the energy I needed in the morning. Sometimes I dip them in maple syrup. Its really hard to eat at 4 or 5 in the morning.

[Starfish]

Somebody posted a really easy recipe for" banana pancakes." Anyway,they are pretty good ,and you can eat them as you are driving to your ride ,or event. I found they gave me the energy I needed in the morning. Sometimes I dip them in maple syrup. Its really hard to eat at 4 or 5 in the morning.

You know, I love banana pancakes...I have been making them for years. But, one of my recent terrible bouts with a.m. ride nausea has been after eating a couple of those. I think that it is just too much food for me in the morning. Great recovery food, though!!