This week’s entry will be about eating while riding and what
menu / selection might be the best idea for me. In trying to figure this out I
tried to do a little experimentation during my rides and also a little research
on the InterWeb. Well, we all know how that InterWeb research goes: I received
countless pieces of advice and it varied from the overly specific – ‘eat what
works best for you’ ( ;) ), to the very helpful and then to the normal interWeb
response of ‘eat this, you’re an idiot, my team is better, Hillary did it and I
hate you’. In all seriousness I did
receive some very good input and I hope to crystalize it for you in this
posting.
It seems that the big deal about eating; especially on long,
multiple day rides, is to be sure to eat well enough so that you can ride the
next day. On single day rides I’ve found that I can eat a small breakfast, a
banana or two, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and maybe a cookie or two and
get by for the day. BUT if I eat that way on a long ride it turns out that I am
fairly worthless the next day and can not even think about riding… Lesson #1: Eat Today to Ride Tomorrow.
It’s something I have heard bike racing announcers and other ‘experts’ talk
about – make sure you are not over-depleting your resources during the day and
make sure you’re eating well enough so that you’ll be able to ride tomorrow
(and the next days). When I first rode in a 62 mile ride I was absolutely spent
the next day. Once I started thinking about keeping more food in me during the
first day I found that I could ride the second day and now I’m able to ride 62
miles on a Saturday and 45 on a Sunday without much pain and at about the same
pace. I have always enjoyed a big meal
after the long rides (or any ride for that matter) but I’ve noticed that if I
eat a little better during the day and eat a ‘better’ meal at night that I feel
better on my bike the next day. The key is not to run your ‘tank’ empty.
Other ‘good’ advice
centered around a protein rich menu but with good balance amongst the other
food groups in order to keep the daily intake well balanced. Those of you who
know me know that I have no idea what a balanced meal or daily menu is. I tend
to eat lots of meats (protein?) and few if any vegetables outside the ‘green
beans, corn, etc.’ group. My post-ride
meals are generally the biggest thing I can find plus dessert washed down with
lots of nice beer…maybe that has something to do with the ‘worthless’ feeling
that I have had on the day after long rides? Lesson #2: All Things in Moderation. So in order to ride multiple
days in a row I’ll need to continue to develop an idea of a good ‘post ride’
meal and learn some about ‘balancing’ meals.
Another prevalent point that was made was that it is
important to eat more continuously rather than in three big meals. You should
try to carry some high protein snacks with you and consume those between meal
stops and also make sure to take full advantage of any ‘stocked’ rest stops
where the ride organizers provide snacks. Lots of riders said that they carried
small bags of peanuts, other nuts and/or sunflower seeds as an easy snack. A
good suggestion was to pick up a banana and a granola bar and keep them in a
pocket until you have ridden another substantial distance and then eat them.
This is obviously easier on the organized rides than the solo rides without
rest stops. Many riders suggested that they lay out courses that include gas
stations and convenience marts along the way and carry some cash to buy what
they need there. I have tended to lean towards the banana and orange slices at
the rest stops and also carried a banana with me for between the stops so I need
to figure out how to carry a little more.
Lesson #3: Keep it coming. You
are using quite a bit of energy pedaling all the time so you should try and
levelize your fuel intake to match that level, especially if you plan on riding
tomorrow.
Although I have written mostly about food so far it is a
given that the same rules apply for hydration. Many of us already know to drink
before we are thirsty and to make sure you do not drink so much that my
Grandmother’s Monkey does not get on your back. (She used to caution us about
drinking too much water during the hot South Carolina days by saying “…don’t
let the monkey get on your back…”. I have no idea where she kept that monkey
but he sure did keep me in line!) So far I have been fine with carrying just
water on my bike and drinking small amounts of a sport drink at the breaks and
after the ride. Too much of those things tend to create issues for me so I have
already learned that moderation is the key for me when it comes to sports
drinks. I do realize I will need to up my intake of those as the days get
hotter but I will still tend to drink less of them than just plain water. Lesson #4: Always listen to your
Grandmother.
All this talk (writing) about food may have you
wondering…”How do you actually eat on a bike?” Well, I tend to eat
bigger things at the stops and save the smaller things for eating while riding.
Even so, it is taking time but I am learning how to open packages without
crashing, to avoid whole bananas and go for the ones that are already sliced in
half since they are easier to peel and to keep my balance while I try to grab
stuff from my pockets. If I am riding with a group I will pull aside from the
group and/or drop to the back of the group since I still tend to wobble when
getting stuff from my pockets and also while eating. Lesson #5: Don’t wreck, it hurts.
How does that all sound? Fairly logical and intuitive? Really
screwed up and a recipe for a disaster? I think it is that way with this as a
lot of things in life…once you think about it, it just makes sense. Then again,
maybe it doesn’t. I do plan to keep reading and posting questions and trying to
figure out a plan for me. And I would appreciate you putting your thoughts in
the comments section below and let me know what you think. Thanks in advance!
How’s the Riding Going?
As of today it is 75 days until RAGBRAI and I think I am doing well with my riding. I took most of this week off in order to go driving in the mountains with some friends over the weekend but I managed to get a few good weeks in before hand. I rode 143 miles last week and 163 during the first week of April. I will be riding at least two days a week from now until the RAGBRAI ride with adding the occasional third and fourth day in when possible. Once June rolls around I plan to try to ride seven straight days in early June and then again in late June / early July in order to make sure I can get on my bike that many days in a row!NEXT WEEK
That is about all for this posting…keep up the comments,
emails and encouragement and please let me know of any ideas you might have for
future topics. Thanks for Reading!!!
