Monday, July 9, 2007

Lot of riding this weekend. I have been following the Carb-boom century training schedule which has worked out pretty well. 24 Friday night, 24 Saturday morning followed by a yardwork cool-down. Up Sunday and cranked out 67. 3080 calories, 10' of elevation. Actually felt pretty good, only a slight melt down about 50 miles in, but I pushed through it. That is the hardest part of solo rides, all the encouragement is internal. Some clouds and a little rain helped keep the temps down.

I am dialing in on nutrition and bike fit. Quaker Oats are king in the morning -- like a coal fire burning steadily in you furnace. Hands were a problem so I brought a wrench and made some adjustments along the way. Figured I'd flip the stem upside down last night to see if that helped. I flipped it right side up...DOH! I had it wrong since I replaced it. I couldn't have a Canondale stem on my Trek bike. See what I get for being a purist! Anxious to try it out -- the right way.

Thanks for all the online activity!
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey guys,

I agree with Kevin regarding the yardwork. Yes, I did get some great rides in on Sunday but am actually sore from playing 'stone mason' this weekend. I would highly recommend repair/replacement of outdoor patios if lower back pain, sore knees and arthritic hands are your destination. Cross that off the 'honey do' list.

Got out on Sunday for 35 miles of decent hill work with the good Dr. Alex. Team Saffrano (Alex and I bought the same bike) did well, but this was only because we started at 5:45 AM. It's the only way to beat the heat. Our ride finished just in time for me to hit an hour spin session at the gym. I like to challenge myself in this regard with interval training...half the battle is mental. As Steve says, it's hard to push through pain/suffering/apathy/lethargy etc. while alone. Like Steve, I usually do ride alone as well and I often have to work through the mental valleys.

Like Steve, I like oatmeal pre-ride too. I can only tolerate a small amount though. I have heard from other endurance athletes that oatmeal is too high in soluble fiber and under duress increases the need to crap...not desirable on the fly or to the chamois.

We need to discuss our pre-ride menu as well. It should be something simple, easy to digest and be eaten with sufficient time to digest prior to the event. It is important to top off glycogen stores pre-ride but need to ensure it is digested before the ride starts. What you want to avoid is anything that is complex to digest just before a ride and/or during a ride. What happens is your body forces blood to the gut to aid in digestion thereby robbing your legs of the precious oxygen they need resulting in a faster buildup of lactic acid. Ah, I love science! So, this would be anything high in protein and/or fat. Most carbs and a little protein are good.

As Kevin suggested, I had good success with Accelerade drink mix. I like it, but have switched to the Hammer product line due to the science behind it. I still like Accelerade and it works for me too. On longer events, I prefer to use something that is less sweet. The sugary taste gets old after awhile for me. I do think it is important to make sure you use a replacement drink that does the following:

-compatible with you (GI, taste)
-contains some protein
-mixes well with your other supplements (gels, blocks, etc.)
-contains minimal to no simple sugars

This last point regarding simple sugars is extremely important. Simple sugars (sucrose, dextrose, fructose, etc.) are found in many products and are inferior to complex sugars/carbs when it comes to give you fuel. Simple sugars give you that immediate sugar boost/rush but don't last and cause you to crash just as quickly. Plus, simple sugars require much more fluid (6-8 ounces of water) to dilute and get absorbed. This, as you would imagine leads to more bloating and that 'uneasy GI' feeling. Now, I know some folks and pro cyclists drink flat coke for the simple sugars and caffeine, but it's not optimal.

Complex sugars (Maltodextrin) are much better, give you that sustained energy and are easily absorbed with minimal fluid.

Clif products have simple sugars in them. This is one of the reasons I don't use Clif shots anymore. I am not sure about Cytomax, Enervit, Gatorade, etc., but like a good consumer, you should read your labels.

As Kevin suggested, now is the time to experiment with nutrition, not just before or during the event. Many events will even have supplement drinks at the SAG stops. However, I would not recommend trying something new mid-ride either. As we are planning our menus, we should also be planning our supplements as well. Buying online is probably the best way to go...I believe Nashbar is having a sale now on all supplements anyway.

As I said, I have switched to the Hammer line. All of their products are compatible with each other, they all use Maltodextrin as their sugar/carb and are mild on the taste-meter. More to follow on the specific products later...

Cheers

July 9, 2007 at 12:51 PM
Petit Chèvre said...

Sucrose Sucrose Golly.

Okay, that might explain why I can't get any excess weight off despite the number of calories burned. I just looked at a bottle of Gatorade and it is the second ingredient -- after water. I consume a lot of it during rides and in the heat.

Any ideas where I can get a quick fix OTC on some Accelerade or another suppliment? They don't carry much here and nearly nothing in the bike stores.

July 9, 2007 at 1:29 PM

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