50 mile ride tomorrow: tell me what to eat!

[Reesha]

Tomorrow I'm doing another 50 miler and I would love a WOMAN'S advice on how to eat tonight and tomorrow morning. Last week, I burned 3000 calories on the ride.

I'll be riding at 1:30 pm.

Here's the advice I've had so far:

• In the morning, eat 1g of carbohydrates per lb of body weight about 4 hours before the ride.
• Tonight, eat sensibly, don't try to carbo load this close to the ride.

And that's really it.

Between my horrible first century where I really didn't bother to prepare at all and last weekend where I bonked after 42 miles (of riding around 85-95% my aerobic capacity) I'm ready for some tips from the pros

[Wahine]

Eat a normal meal tonight with some carbs. You don't really need to carbo load but it should just be a balanced meal. Eat another good meal (balanced with protein, fat and carbs) about 5 hours beforehand. A really good omelette with potatoes on the side would be good. Then eat about 200 cal per hour for the 2 hours before the ride, easily digested carbs with some protein (about 4:1 ratio) and keep doing that through out the ride. I like Hammer products and Accel gels for this reason. They have some protein in them and slower release carbs. Smoothies are really good about 2 hours before a ride for the same reason.

The bonk likely came from insufficient cal during the ride and too high intensity. You can't burn fat and keep up over the long haul at that kind of intensity. So scale it back a bit, take in 200 cal per hour and you should be fine.

Hope that helps.

[Miranda]

Well, I'm humble and not a pro lol. And I've surely bonked before. But, I think some of figuring out what works is trial and error. A training log is a great way to keep track of that trial and error. Simple notebook works. But, I started typing mine in my Garmin Training Center on my pc (in the notes section of the ride).

Dog crash trashed my century that I recently posted about. But, I was pretty confident I was going to make it. The furthest ride I did training wise was 70mi w/a weekly total of about 250mi.

The hydration part starts days before the long ride. Making sure you never feel thrist (which means you are already dehydrated a certain % by the time your brain senses the feeling). Some juicy fruits (extra hydration). But nothing OTT or it might upset the bowels.

For carbs, I like whole wheat spagetti (not just brown colored, but at least 6grams fiber per serving type). Topped w/grilled chicken breast for meat/protein (palm sized portion cut up), and traditional spagetti sauce, parm cheese topping.

My standard ride breakfast is: 2 pieces of SunMaid cinnamon raisen bread toast w/marg-butter spread, 1 scrambled egg in the micro w/Pam cooking spray--splash skim milk, salt& pepper. Strong iced tea, glass H2O... and first thing when I wake up black coffee before this (stop it closer to ride to avoid stomach upset). All this always eaten on a special gift plate from one of my long time GFs that's a "Happy Birthday" plate that matches my dishes set lol. Because every ride day is a "gift".

On the 70mi, I stopped twice and bought two 1 liter bottles of water. Left home w/two full large bottles H2O, 24 oz each. Had about 4oz H2O left in one bike bottle when I got in... which I finished on my post ride stretch. Btw, I personally have tried a few different sport drink options--they always make me want to puke. Thus, just plain H2O for me--at room temp, no ice cubes ever.

Food on the 70mi: 2 Lara Bars--1 peanut butter cookie flavor (more salt based), and 1 apple pie flavor (more sugar based). For my lytes, I eat them since drinking them makes me sick. I like Cliff Shot Block lytes. My favorite flavors that work for me (&I tried a few) are: Margaritta flavor w/triple sodium for cramp buster, and Orange or Cherry flavor which have caffeine. I alternate between the two--caffeine/sugar for a slight boot & sodium for anti-cramps. This ride it was 3 sleeves of Cliff lytes.

Thus, I figured I maybe could have cranked out 30 more mi w/1 more Lara bar & 1 more Cliff Shot block.

On my century that I crashed, on mile 40 I could feel the start of a carb deficiet coming on... so I had a whole wheat pbj 1/2 sandwich w/other stuff at the SAG. Then I was good to go some more. Mile 50 is where the dog got me.

Now, the one important thing you noted is your HR when you bonked. WAY TOO HIGH. I've personally been there, too. booonnnkkk

If you really want to crank it up and have some fun... save it until the end. Ride a negative split.

It's very tough to control yourself and purposely keep your HR low when your legs feel fresh, and you're ready to hammer. Just say, "legs! NO!!!".

Once you turn the half way point, AND there is no major head wind to deal with, hills from he$$ to climb, etc.... then ride like an animal. Any snow ball's chance in he$$ you will need some reserve energy... hold back. PROVIDED your goal is to *finish* your set distance.

Post ride still have energy to spare? Then note that, and plan for next time to go slightly harder/faster.

Good Luck!

[Reesha]

Well tonight I ate a delicious dinner of red lentils with sauteed onions and cumin seeds and basmati rice.

Thanks for the tips guys 8') Smoothie definitely sounds like a great idea.

Last week trying to hang on with the group killed me. I was the lone lady and I hate riding loooong rides alone so I fought to hang on. This time, I'll have my student Holli with me so we can ride together if they take off.

I also picked up some shot blocks and cytomax packets for my water bottles.

[Aquila]

I have a steel stomach, and I realize not everyone does, but my favorite for long rides is plenty of water or fake lemonade and a pb&j sandwich or two, and maybe an apple in pieces. For me, a pb&j sandwich just tastes perfect, and I like a few minutes off the bike to eat as a break when my feet start falling asleep.

I tend to want more protein ahead of time than other folks sound like they like. It also helps me if I drink a fair bit before heading out.

[Reesha]

[emily_in_nc]

Hope you had a good ride! DH and I did a 50 miler last weekend and honestly didn't do anything that special re. food. The first 25 miles were more of a utility ride with several stops (post office, food co-op, farmer's market), and the second half was more of a faster rural recreational ride. On-bike time was 3 hours, 46 minutes, with about 45 minutes additional for stops.

Can't remember what I had the night before, just some normal dinner at home. For breakfast, we had nice whole-wheat pancakes (2) with fruit, butter, syrup, oats, small handful of chopped walnuts on top, and coffee. Filling! On the ride, which started about 45 minutes after the pancakes, at various stops I ate one Lara Bar, two oatmeal cookies, a large handful of Pepperidge Farm goldfish, and drank plenty of water, and one water bottle of lemonade with a pinch of salt. I probably didn't eat as much as I should have, but I didn't bonk and finished feeling pretty good. I would have needed more to eat if the ride had gone on any longer, though.

[shootingstar]

If my ride of that distance is strictly for fitness/touring, then I will consciously eat just a bigger breakfast. I don't consciously extra-carbo load or eat extra protein. Just whatever is available at home or wherever I'm staying if I'm away at home which includes:

a cup of oatmeal with skim milk or cereal /slice of bread
fruit
juice
tea (+ skim milk) or coffee- yea, I know it's not good. But that is just me.
I might add scrambled eggs if staying at a hotel plus a sausage if available. I never have ham/sausage/bacon for brekkie at home. (I eat sausage ....for supper. )

Then approx. within lst 30-35 kms., I tend to need to eat a small snack with water or coffee, ie. it could be fruit or small muffin/cookie or half sandwich.

Somewhere later during ride will eat small portions of an granola bar or fruit or part of sandwich. Water.

At end, a sit-down meal...within 2-3 hrs. after ride.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
If the ride has bits of errand time and stops, I eat 40% less of all this food described above...it would mean breakfast diversity/size is drastically reduced plus 1 less snack stop.

I don't do cliff bars, cliff-shots, gels, energy drinks, etc. After all these years of cycling, am still just inherently lazy, cheap to buy and try this stuff. I justify this laziness as wanting to eat real food.

[Reesha]

Success!

I had a delicious breakfast of steel cut oats with maple syrup and chopped walnuts and a bowl of peaches with a sprinkle of sugar and sliced almonds.

Within an hour of the ride I had a banana.

During the read I ate a peanut butter and fluff and a package of orange Clif shot blocks and had a packet of Gu2O too.

The verdict? I felt awesome! The planning really paid off. I did not have a personal record like last weekend, but I didn't want one either. I just wanted to enjoy the ride. It was a lot hillier than last weekend's 50 mile ride and I never bonked. I felt endorphiny right up til the end!

Thanks for the tips ladies

[Wahine]

Yipppppeeeeeee!!! Good work.

[Miranda]

Good for you!!!

[TrekTheKaty]

I'm a big fan of protein before long rides. I made the Garmin Rice Cakes for lunch at the BDB metric this weekend. It's also good for breakfast beforehand--basically sushi rice and scrambled eggs. (I'm celiac, so I have trouble getting carbs!)

[Reesha]

Mmmm I love eggs and sticky rice.

I tried to sell the kids on my team on the Garmin rice squares but they didn't seem interested.

Tonight I'll have a big bowl of quinoa with parmesan, olive oil and salt and pepper. It's sooo good as a recovery meal.

Rode 30 more miles today. Legs were tired, but I feel pretty good.

[Reesha]

I discovered some things yesterday during my 80 mile ride:

I should NOT drink 12 oz of premium chocolate milk 35 miles into the ride.

I'm not sure if I'm lactose intolerant, but my stomach was wrenching in protest for the last 45 miles. Ugh!

Also, while I thought I had fueled pretty well thoughout the ride and before it, I felt really bad after the ride... kind of feverish, yucky feeling. I felt better a few hours later when I had a real meal (when my stomach could at last feel hungry enough to eat). Felt like my body was in shock from all that exercise. I wonder if that's the case?
During the ride I probably didn't drink enough water, 4 or so bottles total, over 6 hours.
I ate: 2 apple nutrigrain bars, 1 package of clif shot blocks, 2 bottles of gu2o, 1 half peanut butter nutella sandwich and 12 oz of chocolate milk. Two hours before the ride I had a massive bowl of Kashi oatmeal with maple syrup.

Do you suppose my body could have been in some kind of nutrition deficit shock? I drank tons of water after the ride, even though i didn't feel thirsty. I felt better by 6 or 7 pm.

Today I feel fine. Surprisingly good actually.