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Happy Friday!  We all know how important nutrition can be with any type of endurance activity. Having a sound nutrition strategy is just as important as one’s physical preparation and training, and can make or break a new PR. With dance, nutrition was important yes, but very different from cycling. I find cycling to be much more taxing physically, requiring a much different nutritional and mental approach. I am fairly new to cycling as well, which throws in a steep learning curve, while dance on the other hand was like second nature to me, mostly because I’ve been doing it since I was 8!  

Because this is my first century (100-mile!) bike ride, I’m planning on taking it super easy. I’m not looking to break any records ha! Most importantly I don’t want to keel over during the course or bonk. I want try and average around 15-16 mph and stop at least every hour or at least every 25 miles.  This way I can enjoy the scenery 😉 This of course means to finish those 100 miles it’s going to take me nearly 7 hours to finish + about 45 minutes of rest time, which = about 8 hours!

I’ve never in my life exercised or danced that long. Well, never-ending rehearsals could take that long, but we weren’t active the entire time. I managed to get in 77 miles last weekend and was feeling pretty good, so I am at least somewhat confident of my abilities to finish 100 😉  At least 3 days before the ride on the 23rd I will begin tapering and making my meals carbo heavy (6-8g/kg or 324-432g CHO those days, but some athletes get up to at least 10g/kg).

This of course presents a sports nutrition strategy and I wanted to share with you what I am planning. Here are some more basic tips:

• Any activity longer than 1.5 hours should have some kind of nutrition strategy, depending on the sport, weather conditions, the individual, etc.
• ‘Practice’ the nutrition strategy during training and see which foods/gels/bars work best for your tummy — I myself can’t stand goos, they just turn my stomach.  I do better with gummies, bars, and slightly diluted sports drinks.
• See what products they will have at the race/event — I contacted Echelon a little while ago and they didn’t have a complete list yet.  They did say they will have all Hammer products + some real foods.  I will have to contact them again to get specifics because my tummy can be quite sensitive, especially when I’m nervous.  I haven’t tried Hammer Heed yet, but I don’t want to risk trying it on race day.  I do like Recoverite, but that doesn’t help me during the ride.
• How many rest stops will they have? Some races have tons of rest stops, so you don’t really have to worry about carrying a lot extra, unless they don’t have what you prefer.  Our ride is going to have 4 rest stops at each 25 mile interval.  That’s a pretty good stretch, so I’m going to be sure to have fuel and fluids with me in case.
• Is there travelling involved? Make sure to see what accommodations there are at the hotel.  Is there a fridge?  Continental breakfast? — We are going to have a nice 10 hour car ride with our bikes stuffed in back.  Our hotel is actually going to have a mini fridge with a TJ’s close by!!  I’m so happy for that.  I will also be bringing copious amounts of snacks just in case 😉  Hydration is also really important, especially on airplanes.

As far as the specifics of during the ride . . .

This is a formula I’ve used for cycling (from sports dietitian Kim Mueller, MS, RD):

• Avg 15 mph – 0.0561 x 120 x 60 = 403.92 kcals/hour
• 405 kcals x 7 hours = 2,835 kcals
• 6200 ft gained (6200/100) x 22 = 1,364 kcals extra
• 2,835 + 1,364 = 4, 199 kcals total
• Min = 4200 x 0.3 = 1, 260
• Max = 4200 x 0.5 = 2,100

My hourly goal –> Min = 1,260/7 = 180 kcals, Max = 2,100/7 = 300 kcals

My range is replenishing at least 200-250 kcals per hour.  I plan on taking in 4-6 oz every 15-20 minutes of the ride (about 4-6 gulps), plus a bit more when we stop at the rest stations.  I also ordered a formula called Infinit because you can formulate your own specifics based on individual needs/body comp.  I’ve sampled the lemon-lime flavor and didn’t have problems.

In two scoops my formula will contain (w/an osmolality of 249):

I believe they said each two scoops mixes with 40 oz (?), but I have to make sure once I get it in the mail.  There is no way I’m getting in 40 oz of liquids each hour.  If I aim for 16-20 oz every hour, which is usually what I can tolerate, I’ll only be getting 150kcals per hour.  I also plan at each stop to drink at least 2 cups of cold H2O (to keep the core temp down) + any other small snacks like a packet of gummies (Luna Moons & sports beans).

I don’t think I’ll be getting the formula till Monday, which is cutting it close, but hopefully it will work!  I plan on taking about another 3 servings with me on the ride and mixing it in the Speedfil.

Well, there you have it!  I’m sure it’s not perfect, but at least I have some sort of a plan 😉

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Chris and I managed to get a quick ride in yesterday morning and I actually made it to bed by 8:30pm and got up when the alarm buzzed at 4am!  It was the perfect morning for a ride too.  I had to put on the leg and arm warmers, but there was absolutely no wind and of course no traffic which was nice.

The best part about riding so early is getting to see the beautiful sunrise.

Weeeeee!  The downhill is the fun part.

It was a nice little route totalling 15.5 miles, and with me dragging behind, we finished in 57 minutes riding time and averaged about 15.8 mph.

It was a great way to start the day!

Happy Friday to you!  I had to take my bike in to the shop because all throughout the ride, the bottom bracket was making a weird clicking noise.  I’m going to try and get another ride in on Saturday, since it looks windy on Sunday, but I also have to get my car in for a major tune up at the same time, and then get re-fitted on the bike after that.  We shall see!   My crotch is not liking my new lower body positioning lol so I must figure out a new saddle ASAP!  I can’t believe we leave next Saturday 🙂  If you’re still thinking about making a donation for LiveStrong, you can check it out on my donation page.  They are accepting them up until May 20th!

Any other race day tips?  Any weekend plans?