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Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please.
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I wonder if youse ladies could maybe post what you take with you on your IM distance training rides as some examples of good fueling? I had a foodie meltdown on Sunday after my long ride. Ended up finding some pop tarts and it wasn't pretty. Strava said I burned 2520 Kcal, so it didn't do any drastic harm weight-wise, but I need to make wiser choices.

Any ideas?

Thanks, as always!

~~ kate
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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [dreaming~big] [ In reply to ]
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For my really long rides in prep for IM, I ate what I was intending on racing with. So that meant Infinit and a Clif Bar on the bike then a peanut butter sandwich at the halfway mark (I usually leave that in the car and loop back to eat it - this is what I put in special needs). I find that I really need some actual food for anything more than 5 hours of riding. The pb sandwich is really easy on my stomach, so it works great. I can't handle Clif Bars anymore, so I would use a Lara Bar or something else that goes down easily.

Another thing that I really like is dried figs. Someone once suggested to me to roast those small round potatoes with lots of salt and bring that along. I think that would be a great idea, but I've never tried it.
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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [DawnT] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks, Dawn. When you were racing IM, did you take all of your nutrition with you on the bike (or special needs), or did you do the water stops? With all the latest stuff about people crashing & burning at the water stops, etc., I'm wondering if it's practicable to just haul your own stuff, maybe use a Camelbak, or what. Never having done an IM, I'm not really sure what to expect. Sorry if this post sounds stupid, I'm just kind of buffaloed about how to do it.

~~ k
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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [dreaming~big] [ In reply to ]
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Not a stupid question at all. It's good that you're trying to figure this out ahead of time.

I had an aero bottle filled with concentrated Infinit (I figured out the concentration that worked for me). I also had a water bottle on the downtube with water. I only restocked with water at the aide stations. I also carried a Clif bar with me on the bike.

At special needs, I had another bottle of Infinit that I refilled my aero bottle with. I also had another Clif bar and a peanut butter sandwich. Let me tell you - that sandwich was delicious! By halfway on the bike I was really ready for some real food. I wolfed it down. That was enough to keep me going. Had good energy all day.

The mistake I made was using the Gatorade on the run. I didn't want to have to carry Infinit on the run, so I used what was provided. Big mistake. I had never had problems with it before, but I ended up doing the tour-de-porta-potty on the run. Oh well - live and learn. If I ever do another one, I'll try to figure out how to carry salt tabs or something like that on the run and just use water at the aide stations.
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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [dreaming~big] [ In reply to ]
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In training, I find I can chew. I can eat a variety of bars, gels/blox, stop at a gas station for a Coke, sandwich, etc...


In races, I can't chew as well. BUT I also can't do all gels and drinks. Stomach does NOT dig that. So, by now in the season (IM Lake Tahoe training), I'm switching over to mostly stuff I'll be doing in the race - Perpetuem and Ironman Perform (one bottle each), boiled & salted potatoes, gels, a really squishy PB&J, bananas. For the race, I'll have an extra bottle of Perpetuem and potatoes in special needs. PB&J will be already in my bento box, along with some gels. Bananas available on course, along with Bonk Breakers, which I need to try out sometime soon. Not sure if they're too "chewy" for me.


Not sure when your race is, but this (along with any shorter races you have along the way) is your time to experiment! See what works, what your stomach can tolerate, how much you need, etc. Most of all - keep it simple and listen to your body.
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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [dreaming~big] [ In reply to ]
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This year I tried Allen Lim's rice cakes, in addition to gel/Infinit. They're a nice way to get some calories and take a break from all of the sweet foods. You can find the recipe here. He has a cookbook called FeedZone portables that has a bunch of variations, if you want to experiment. I practiced with them a lot during training, so if you do try other variations, definitely use them a few times in training before adding them to your race day plan.

I just raced Vineman Full and used these, First Endurance gel in a flask and Infinit. I stuffed the rice cakes into my bento box and then a few more in my special needs bag. I got off the bike feeling pretty solid, no sloshing or stomachache.

Don't feel bad about your foodie meltdown, it takes a long time to figure this stuff out. Even when you think you've figured it out, you can still have the occasional disaster (ask me how I know!).

M

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The beatings will continue until morale improves
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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [dreaming~big] [ In reply to ]
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Boiled new potatoes- either cut up small or start with the tiny ones- and lots of salt.

I put them in a zip-lock and tear a hole out of the corner so I can just squeeze them into my mouth. Not esp. civilized, but tasty and easy to digest.
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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [mdraegerpnw] [ In reply to ]
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I'm going to try the Lim "real food" route as soon as I'm up to speed on long course training again. It's what I typically do in training, and in the past have switched over to engineered products once or twice before the race. But after my stomach rebelled on the the run at my last (and only) IM, I'm going to go the real food route for the bike for races too (then switch to liquid/gels for the run), if I can figure out how to carry it all.

A quick suggestion that I have is peanut butter filled pretzel snacks. Yummy on the bike, and pack well.

BTW, I have both of the Lim cookbooks, and they are great recipes, for training rides and for everyday eating.

No coasting in running and no crying in baseball
Last edited by: Tri3: Aug 2, 13 14:55
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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [Tri3] [ In reply to ]
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I used to have a lot of stomach issues on the run and finally figured out that I wasn't drinking enough water on the bike. Once I started doing that, it was a whole new world. (Apparently, dehydration shows up as nausea for me.)

And good suggestion on the peanut butter pretzels. I've done them before and they are awesome.

M

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The beatings will continue until morale improves
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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [dreaming~big] [ In reply to ]
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I like to carry all of my nutrition with me whether I'm training or racing so I only have to take/find water. For longer rides I'd probably have the following onboard:
1x bidon with Endura electrolyte
1x bidon with water

1x small flask between the aero bars with concentrated Endura - I like this to be a different flavour from the starting bidon and I refill on the go. Top off the electrolyte bidon, big squirt of concentrate, fill with water taken from the aid station, top back on, flask back between the bars. Takes a little bit of practice but means I don't need to stop between T1 & T2.

I'm not big on stuff hanging off my bike so everything else is in the jersey pocket. I'm also big on home made, so my jersey will have:
Gotoob of homemade gel
couple of homemade choc millet bars
couple of homemade date fruit bars

After my ride I hook into the soy Sustagen with a raw egg in it as soon as I can. After that I eat stuff.

I've never counted calories or calculated carbs per hour etc. I ride, I eat, I drink, I listen to my body & my gut. So far so good and IM 3 next year.
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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [dreaming~big] [ In reply to ]
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I think the most important is that you are eating what you plan to eat on race day. If I could do the infinite/perpetuem I definitely would because it is easy to pack but for an IM I need some real/solid food. I haul everything with me and only take water at aid stations to dump on my head later in the race.

From T1 I carry 3 waterbottles with my electrolyte drink, pita chips (the big thick salty ones from Costco), peanut butter filled pretzels, or salted potatoes in a bento box, and 2 mojo bars taped to my bike stem. (for waterbottles I use cheap ones that I plan on tossing at an aid station as I empty them)

Special needs I take 2 new waterbottles with my electrolyte drink, refill the bento box with pita chips, and eat a PB bagel as I roll out.

I generally don't drink all of the waterbottles...just depends on how hot the race is.....just drink when thirsty and when I eat to keep digestion

I've found I have to avoid all sugar so I go with straight salt, chips, potatoes, and chicken broth on the run....Unfortuately I can't do GU, coke, chomps, sport beans or any sugar and no GI issues.

I would recommend against a camels' back. It will really be uncomfortable and there are enough aid stations out there to get water from that you and your neck/back will be much happier in T2 without having one on for 6-7 hours.

GOOD LUCK!
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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [dreaming~big] [ In reply to ]
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I've been doing a lot of 4-5 hour rides lately and most of them are with people faster than me. I make sure that I eat about 400-500 calories within 45 minutes of leaving my house. As for on the bike, I've been trying to eat real foods so I've been packing pitted Medjool dates. I eat 1 every 20 minutes (62 calories a piece) starting the 2nd hour and I haven't had any issues with calories (too low or too high) or GI distress (some may argue that the fiber could throw you a curveball but I find that sugary things tend to "liquify" me and cause GI distress.

I'm thinking about using dates and Infinite for the bike leg of IM Canada. I can let you know how that goes

leslie myers
http://www.foodsensenow.com
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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [dreaming~big] [ In reply to ]
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Perpetuem in a 3 hour concentrated bottle. If ride is longer, I either bring the powder to remix with water or I loop back to the house to pick up the next bottle. One gel an hour. Water when I need it. Pack of Sharkies for something different towards the end. I can't remember the last time I had a 'bonk'. This works well for me.

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Re: Long Bike Nutrition Suggestions Please. [dreaming~big] [ In reply to ]
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Generation UCan for fluid and nuts/raisin mix, plus home-made energy bars of equal weights almond butter, whey protein, and almond milk.

DFL > DNF > DNS
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