I'm Pooped

[Reesha]

Timely blog posting I just read tonight about the importance of recovery fueling after a hard ride, and the smoothie recipe sounds great too!

http://lovingthebike.com/cycling-nur...utter-smoothie

I was exhausted today after my 50-miler (very hot and humid towards the end as well). I was soaked with sweat and didn't feel hungry at all when I got home. Although I think I was well hydrated as I drank a good amount on the ride, I drank a tall glass of Simply limeade, took a shower, then made some salmon salad b/c I knew my DH would want it after his ride (78 miles). I could have easily skipped food for several hours and just napped instead! I ate salmon salad on a bed of lettuce and drank a lite beer for a very late lunch.

I guess I didn't eat enough on the ride, though I thought I did at the time. I had pancakes before the ride. During the ride, I ate a homemade energy bar (oats, honey, raisins, etc.), drank a 16 oz. chocolate milk, and one of my water bottles was diluted limeade with a couple sprinkles of salt added. Reading that now, it doesn't sound like a whole lot for 3.5 hours of warm-weather cycling with a good number of hills, plus ~45 minutes of stops.

I've just started doing long rides again -- guess I am out of practice!

I'm with you there! 40 mile plus rides every weekend in my future until I'm in killer shape. I need 750 more miles in my before I truly have a base. Only 250 in me now, yeesh.

I'm climbing the steps at the Arch (a lovely set of 60) tomorrow at 7 am. I'll have to get up early and eat something yumsies. Muesli or oatmeal might be on the menu

[nscrbug]

I am a huge proponent of naps. Infact, I take an hour long one nearly every day! My body simply craves it, which is reason enough for me.

[pll]

I went to a nutritionist who scolded me for doing 45-50 miles and not eating a little something (a hard boiled egg, half a banana) every hour of the ride. I end like Reesha describes, "done for the day." It does not matter what I eat afterwards. I don't feel like stopping every hour and eating. Hence, I now recognize glycogen depletion, and it is no longer a surprise to me. I wish it came with naps -- I have never been able to nap.

PS: said nutritionist is also a cyclist.

Correction: While I recall a mention of every hour, in she wrote to me "Hydrate AND fuel with calories during rides greater than 45 minutes to avoid glycogen depletion, as discussed. Eat small snack immediately upon return if planned meal is > 1 hour away." I think we all follow the eating within an hour of returning.

[Catrin]

Yep, it is important to eat during a long ride - yesterday I didn't take my own advice and was starving/exhausted at the end of it. I thought my breakfast was large enough & close enough to the ride to carry me through it - but it wasn't. Thankfully ride ended at my LBS and was able to snag a Cliff bar until I got home and ate real food.

I was so worn out at the end of my ride that my butt was still on the saddle when the bike stopped I didn't fall over though, and was fine as soon as I had something to eat.

[Reesha]

I went to a nutritionist who scolded me for doing 45-50 miles and not eating a little something (a hard boiled egg, half a banana) every hour of the ride. I end like Reesha describes, "done for the day." It does not matter what I eat afterwards. I don't feel like stopping every hour and eating. Hence, I now recognize glycogen depletion, and it is no longer a surprise to me. I wish it came with naps -- I have never been able to nap.

PS: said nutritionist is also a cyclist.

Correction: While I recall a mention of every hour, in she wrote to me "Hydrate AND fuel with calories during rides greater than 45 minutes to avoid glycogen depletion, as discussed. Eat small snack immediately upon return if planned meal is > 1 hour away." I think we all follow the eating within an hour of returning.

Yep, it is important to eat during a long ride - yesterday I didn't take my own advice and was starving/exhausted at the end of it. I thought my breakfast was large enough & close enough to the ride to carry me through it - but it wasn't. Thankfully ride ended at my LBS and was able to snag a Cliff bar until I got home and ate real food.

I was so worn out at the end of my ride that my butt was still on the saddle when the bike stopped I didn't fall over though, and was fine as soon as I had something to eat.

I'll just have to remember to wrap up little quarter sandwiches with PB and nutella for rides like that so I don't bonk in the last ten miles. Urgh.

[Geonz]

I realized when I felt sleepy after a ride that, in fact, I hadn't had the usual caffeine intake - a glass of iced tea cured it completely. I can kinda tell now when it's real "need a nap" and when it's "have a cup of tea, dear!" time -- but figure specific depletions of any of a number of things could bring on sleepiness, and a nap wouldn't even really help.

[pll]

Mild dehydration can cause sleepiness...