In everyday life, I am an over-eater. I have trouble with portion control and knowing when enough is enough. How is it then, that on a long cycle, I habitually under-eat?
Take Monday's ride. It was quite flat but it was 70 miles and four hours of continuous exercise. Yet I had one small fruit and nut bar (not even a specific energy bar) and one bottle of High5 4:1 drink. This ride took place from 11:00 am until 15:00 pm so I had not had lunch so to all intent and purposes, I had less calories than I would on a rest day.
On the plus side, I did not feel like I was slowing in the last ten miles so it didn't do me any harm but I know I need to do better on race day. This was brought home as I watched a DVD from SiS about last years Etape. 5 guys did a recce of the route and listed what they had eaten and drank during the day. The average was:
4 bottles of SiS PSP22 energy drink
2 bottles of Go electrolyte drink
3 energy bars
7 gels
Firstly, I have never had six bottles in a day before, probably four is my max. Three bars I can do but its the seven gels that got me. I know the DVD was sponsored by SiS but even so.
As I don't like gels, I would have to eat more bars, about 3 more I think. That's six all together which I'm not sure I could cope with (too much sweet stuff even for me) and I'm not sure I could digest that quick enough.
Four days before an event is not the best time to be looking for a solution but I don't have a choice. Its either gels, more bars or something else, maybe from the feed stops on route. I'm seriously toying with the idea of bringing some sandwiches just in case.
The Running Shoe Mileage Myth
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How many miles have these running shoes covered? 100 miles? 200? Would it
surprise you to discover that they have just hit the 500 mile mark?
According to...
3 weeks ago
4 comments:
i always take a mix of bar/gel and real food for long stuff. oat cakes and marmite seem to work for me. do they have feed stations on the fw and etape?
There are 2 food stops on the FW so I can get stuff there. The trouble is, its often bananas and I hate them so it can be dangerous to reply on that. I think a sandwich in my pocket will be an opition, just not marmite :-(
Ham and cheese sandwiches for me and teacakes. Have you tried torq gels, they are really nice!
Someone else mentioned Torq gels. I'll try them in training in the next couple of weeks. I have been told that "At the food stops we have, sandwiches all types, cakes, date slice ect, bananas, cereal bars, malt loaf, water , orange juce." so I'm sorted. I love malt loaf.
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