Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat... Bike, Bike, Bike
June 5, 2015 4:30 PM Subscribe
I'm riding a 62 mile event on Sunday, my second ever. This time, I'd like to be sure to include the best pre-ride regimen I can manage. AskMe, can you advise me on good practices re: what to eat and drink tomorrow and Sunday a.m?
The thing that's really got me thinking about this, is that we are starting at 7am - an hour at which I am usually either sleeping, or lazily crawling out of bed. I usually don't eat much until around 9 or 10 a.m. Yet, I know I should give my body some power for this ride. There are aid/food stations at a couple spots along the way... but in the early a.m. I'd like to be ready. Any suggestions on night before or morning chow? Any routines you have?
The thing that's really got me thinking about this, is that we are starting at 7am - an hour at which I am usually either sleeping, or lazily crawling out of bed. I usually don't eat much until around 9 or 10 a.m. Yet, I know I should give my body some power for this ride. There are aid/food stations at a couple spots along the way... but in the early a.m. I'd like to be ready. Any suggestions on night before or morning chow? Any routines you have?
Get a solid night's sleep tonight. Saturday night you may be too jittery to sleep well and that's fine. Tonight is the sleep that will help you be well rested and ready.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:42 PM on June 5, 2015
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:42 PM on June 5, 2015
I've done two metric centuries, this year.
For the first, I only carried my standard four bottles of Gatorade, and died about two-thirds of the way in. It was horrible.
For the second, I had four bottles of Gatorade, two Cliff bars, stopped halfway through for a 15 minute break, where I got four more bottles of Gatorate, a bottle of water, and a bag of beef jerkey.
Only through constant eating and hydration *while on the ride* was I able to call the second metric century a success. For the first, my wife said I looked "stunned" and was so dehydrated I was unable to speak, for 15 minutes post ride.
So, yes, eat some carbs the day before, but be sure to have far more calories and fluid than you'll think you'll need the day of the ride. Take breaks, drink lots, eat lots (every 20 to 30 minutes) and pace yourself.
You'll unfortunately have to force yourself to start eating high-protein, high-carb foodstuffs about an hour after starting your ride. There's no way around this. No matter how much spaghetti you eat, the night before, you Must. Eat. As. You. Go.
posted by jpolchlopek at 6:49 PM on June 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
For the first, I only carried my standard four bottles of Gatorade, and died about two-thirds of the way in. It was horrible.
For the second, I had four bottles of Gatorade, two Cliff bars, stopped halfway through for a 15 minute break, where I got four more bottles of Gatorate, a bottle of water, and a bag of beef jerkey.
Only through constant eating and hydration *while on the ride* was I able to call the second metric century a success. For the first, my wife said I looked "stunned" and was so dehydrated I was unable to speak, for 15 minutes post ride.
So, yes, eat some carbs the day before, but be sure to have far more calories and fluid than you'll think you'll need the day of the ride. Take breaks, drink lots, eat lots (every 20 to 30 minutes) and pace yourself.
You'll unfortunately have to force yourself to start eating high-protein, high-carb foodstuffs about an hour after starting your ride. There's no way around this. No matter how much spaghetti you eat, the night before, you Must. Eat. As. You. Go.
posted by jpolchlopek at 6:49 PM on June 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
Avoid caffeine and any other diuretic the morning of. For breakfast before a ride I'll eat a PB&J. It has all of the things: protein, sugar (sucrose and fructose), and carbs. I also usually scarf a banana just before and keep a couple in the back of my jersey. They're high in potassium, which helps stave off cramping. Hard boiled eggs are awesome little packets of protein, too. I stick them in baggies and carry them in my back pockets. You also want to hydrate before the ride, not just during.
posted by batbat at 7:32 PM on June 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by batbat at 7:32 PM on June 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
Well as someone who just registered this week for the Paris-Brest-Paris 1200K, I have spent way too much time thinking about this question and have tried different things over the course of the 200/300/400/600K qualifying rides...
I don't think it particularly matters and I would just do whatever it is you normally do. Just drink more water before hand and eat continually while you ride. Your spirits and will to finish the ride, in the moment, is generally directly related to your blood sugar level. If in your head you're thinking "fuck this shit" you are way past the point of when you should have eaten. Recognize that it will pass, eat something immediately, and then keep pedaling. If you can figure that out you can ride for forever.
I disagree about taking breaks. I'm never in a hurry on rides, but breaks add up really quick. The Tortoise vs the Hare is the perfect cycling metaphor, slow and steady goes the distance. Especially if you are having a low point mentally, "breaks" are really just an excuse to get off the bike (and an opportunity to talk yourself out of getting back on it) when your real problem is that you need to eat more. It is better to keep crawling along in your lowest gear than to be "resting" at 0mph.
I think everyone is different and the specifics of what to eat and when is something that's personal that you will figure out the more you do it. I've never been a breakfast person on a normal day, so for a 4am start to a 375 mile ride I had a banana and a few cups of coffee (I started eating a few miles down the road when I was more awake, and never stopped). Some people I rode with did the opposite and put down massive breakfasts that would have made me sick. Whatever works.
Personally I try to eat real food (sandwiches, burritos, boiled eggs, olives, pastries, PB&J, fig newtons, mineral water), avoid acidic things (no Gatorade unless it's substantially watered down), and save the gels and other weird things for actual emergencies where I'm bonking or so sleepy that shoving a double espresso goo down my throat makes sense. I bring along salt pills if it's hot, there's no way I could chug 8 sports drinks and keep going.
But really it's all in your head, if you're not having fun then eat something and keep pedaling.
posted by bradbane at 10:17 PM on June 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't think it particularly matters and I would just do whatever it is you normally do. Just drink more water before hand and eat continually while you ride. Your spirits and will to finish the ride, in the moment, is generally directly related to your blood sugar level. If in your head you're thinking "fuck this shit" you are way past the point of when you should have eaten. Recognize that it will pass, eat something immediately, and then keep pedaling. If you can figure that out you can ride for forever.
I disagree about taking breaks. I'm never in a hurry on rides, but breaks add up really quick. The Tortoise vs the Hare is the perfect cycling metaphor, slow and steady goes the distance. Especially if you are having a low point mentally, "breaks" are really just an excuse to get off the bike (and an opportunity to talk yourself out of getting back on it) when your real problem is that you need to eat more. It is better to keep crawling along in your lowest gear than to be "resting" at 0mph.
I think everyone is different and the specifics of what to eat and when is something that's personal that you will figure out the more you do it. I've never been a breakfast person on a normal day, so for a 4am start to a 375 mile ride I had a banana and a few cups of coffee (I started eating a few miles down the road when I was more awake, and never stopped). Some people I rode with did the opposite and put down massive breakfasts that would have made me sick. Whatever works.
Personally I try to eat real food (sandwiches, burritos, boiled eggs, olives, pastries, PB&J, fig newtons, mineral water), avoid acidic things (no Gatorade unless it's substantially watered down), and save the gels and other weird things for actual emergencies where I'm bonking or so sleepy that shoving a double espresso goo down my throat makes sense. I bring along salt pills if it's hot, there's no way I could chug 8 sports drinks and keep going.
But really it's all in your head, if you're not having fun then eat something and keep pedaling.
posted by bradbane at 10:17 PM on June 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
I run half marathons (for time) and ride 40-80 mile day-long bike rides (for fun).
I don't eat breakfast (or even drink much) before starting these activities:
1. I'm never hungry in the morning. If I force myself to eat, it then just makes me super hungry, and of course a huge meal is a bad idea, so I don't do that, and then I'm cranky and hungry.
2. In the case of running, it gives me terrible stomach cramps, even if I wait a couple hours.
I do, however, start replenishing soon after starting and do it generously throughout the activity. For running, I start hitting Gatorade (not water) at mile 3. I do two or three energy gel packets along the way as well. For biking, I start munching an hour in and then just snack every hour or two (depending on how fast you're going and how far you have to go). Cliff bars, bananas, etc. Quick things. Real foods, not the energy gels, since I have the ability to stop and the activity is not so intense that eating would give me cramps. There is at least one substantial break with a more substantial foodstuff, like a sandwich or something along those lines. Depending on the nature of your event they may have an aid station like that.
In addition, the day before I hydrate, rest, and eat. I don't set out to eat carbs specifically, but I let myself "off leash" and it ends up in me eating a lot of carbs, and I've found it does help performance. I try not to go too crazy, particularly if I've been eating pretty healthy, so as not to upset my stomach. Some of my pre-event day foods have included: several pieces of cake, lo mein, pizza.
You need to figure out what works best for your body, and this will involve experience and experimentation over time. (Oh, that particular woozy feeling means I need to eat. Oh, I got thirsty really fast, maybe I should drink more in the days leading up to this.) Mostly I wanted to share my experience so you know that it's okay to buck conventional wisdom (and even straight up science) and do things like not eat breakfast if that's what works for you.
posted by unannihilated at 10:40 PM on June 5, 2015
I don't eat breakfast (or even drink much) before starting these activities:
1. I'm never hungry in the morning. If I force myself to eat, it then just makes me super hungry, and of course a huge meal is a bad idea, so I don't do that, and then I'm cranky and hungry.
2. In the case of running, it gives me terrible stomach cramps, even if I wait a couple hours.
I do, however, start replenishing soon after starting and do it generously throughout the activity. For running, I start hitting Gatorade (not water) at mile 3. I do two or three energy gel packets along the way as well. For biking, I start munching an hour in and then just snack every hour or two (depending on how fast you're going and how far you have to go). Cliff bars, bananas, etc. Quick things. Real foods, not the energy gels, since I have the ability to stop and the activity is not so intense that eating would give me cramps. There is at least one substantial break with a more substantial foodstuff, like a sandwich or something along those lines. Depending on the nature of your event they may have an aid station like that.
In addition, the day before I hydrate, rest, and eat. I don't set out to eat carbs specifically, but I let myself "off leash" and it ends up in me eating a lot of carbs, and I've found it does help performance. I try not to go too crazy, particularly if I've been eating pretty healthy, so as not to upset my stomach. Some of my pre-event day foods have included: several pieces of cake, lo mein, pizza.
You need to figure out what works best for your body, and this will involve experience and experimentation over time. (Oh, that particular woozy feeling means I need to eat. Oh, I got thirsty really fast, maybe I should drink more in the days leading up to this.) Mostly I wanted to share my experience so you know that it's okay to buck conventional wisdom (and even straight up science) and do things like not eat breakfast if that's what works for you.
posted by unannihilated at 10:40 PM on June 5, 2015
My long rides are usually 60-100 miles. I don't eat anything special before them. The most important thing to do for any effort longer than a couple hours is to eat easily digestible food during the event, as others have already said. I will drink a dilute Gatorade solution (usually powder, half as much as the instructions say; if I buy liquid at a convenience store, I'll pour it in my water bottle until it's half full, then top off with water) and eat peanut butter sandwiches or Clif bars.
One organized ride that I did, 111 miles in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, had a baked potato stop about 75 miles in. That was nice on a cool October day.
Most people can digest 200-250 calories an hour while cycling, which is less than you'll be expending (unless it's a very leisurely ride) but enough to keep your blood glucose levels up once your glycogen stores are exhausted. If your blood glucose drops too low, your brain starts to run out of fuel and you "bonk": normal activity starts to seem really hard, you might be confused or disoriented, or have the urge to stop and lie down. If that happens, drink some sports drink or have a gel—get sugar into your system as fast as possible. It's best to avoid getting into the situation, though.
If you haven't eaten on the bike before, stick to easily digestible carbohydrates, with maybe a bit of protein. I've discovered that I can handle pizza, tuna salad, etc. while cycling, but other people find too much fat or protein messes with their digestion. Play it safe until you figure out your own digestion. Some people set a timer on their watch or bike computer to remind them to eat a little bit every 30-45 minutes.
Have fun!
posted by brianogilvie at 7:31 AM on June 6, 2015
One organized ride that I did, 111 miles in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, had a baked potato stop about 75 miles in. That was nice on a cool October day.
Most people can digest 200-250 calories an hour while cycling, which is less than you'll be expending (unless it's a very leisurely ride) but enough to keep your blood glucose levels up once your glycogen stores are exhausted. If your blood glucose drops too low, your brain starts to run out of fuel and you "bonk": normal activity starts to seem really hard, you might be confused or disoriented, or have the urge to stop and lie down. If that happens, drink some sports drink or have a gel—get sugar into your system as fast as possible. It's best to avoid getting into the situation, though.
If you haven't eaten on the bike before, stick to easily digestible carbohydrates, with maybe a bit of protein. I've discovered that I can handle pizza, tuna salad, etc. while cycling, but other people find too much fat or protein messes with their digestion. Play it safe until you figure out your own digestion. Some people set a timer on their watch or bike computer to remind them to eat a little bit every 30-45 minutes.
Have fun!
posted by brianogilvie at 7:31 AM on June 6, 2015
Eat light on Sunday morning - resist the urge to overload, because there'll be plenty of chances to eat at rest stops. Doesn't really matter what you eat (well, it does, but hopefully you know what I mean), just don't eat a ton of it.
Also, one tip I've found really helpful on longer rides (I do a couple centuries every summer) is to find a flavor of PowerBar/Clif Bar/Luna Bar or the like that you enjoy. Buy a bunch of them. The morning of the ride, break two or three of them up into bite sized chunks and stick them to your top tube, so all you have to do when you feel your energy start to dip is reach down and grab a chunk. They're viscous enough that if you just press down a bit they'll stick to the tube on their own.
That plus the fruits/carbs available at rest stops usually gets me through a long ride pretty well - I never feel too full and I almost never suffer the OH MY GOD THIS SUCKS that bradbane mentions above.
posted by pdb at 11:19 AM on June 6, 2015
Also, one tip I've found really helpful on longer rides (I do a couple centuries every summer) is to find a flavor of PowerBar/Clif Bar/Luna Bar or the like that you enjoy. Buy a bunch of them. The morning of the ride, break two or three of them up into bite sized chunks and stick them to your top tube, so all you have to do when you feel your energy start to dip is reach down and grab a chunk. They're viscous enough that if you just press down a bit they'll stick to the tube on their own.
That plus the fruits/carbs available at rest stops usually gets me through a long ride pretty well - I never feel too full and I almost never suffer the OH MY GOD THIS SUCKS that bradbane mentions above.
posted by pdb at 11:19 AM on June 6, 2015
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I've found that I naturally shy away from greasy fried food.
I'd suggest eating anything you like, as long as it's not going to be hard to digest. Don't eat too much in the morning. It's better to snack frequently than to carry around a giant pancake breakfast in your gut.
posted by adamrice at 5:25 PM on June 5, 2015