Long distance Road riders take a look inside, help the roadnoob!!

[Armyballer]

On Aug 3rd I'm doing the 70mile gravel race on my 29er Mnt Bike and would like some ideas on a few things.

1. Food the night before? I've read to "Carb up”; pasta, spaghetti, stuff like that, any additional suggestions for night before meal?

2. Morning of meal? Start time is 9am, I plan to eat something around 6am, a few boiled eggs and fruit, strawberries/pineapple, any additional suggestions?

3. During ride hydration/food? I’m now being told no “Chase cars” are allowed so I’ll have to carry it all for the first 40miles. My plan right now is this.

-50oz Water Camel Back, 21oz Water Bottle on bike frame, 2x 17oz (Frozen) bottles of water in the 2 rear pockets of my Jersey and 1x 21oz Gatorade.

-Will tape Gu packets to my handle bars for easy rip and eat.

Any additional suggestions to eat during to first 40miles?

At 40 miles I’ll restock and do it all over again for the last 30miles. Should I try to eat something at 40miles? Maybe some fruit?

Yesterday I did 40miles @ 16.9 mph, I was defiantly tired at the end so I figure I’ll have to drop down to about 14.0 mph to make all 70miles.

If you have anything else helpful please post!!!

[badfish41]

I've never done a ride of this length, but I would say you are taking way too much water/liquids. I've done 30 miles with one water bottle and that is plenty. I would suggest stopping and getting a refill at a checkpoint. 126oz of liquid is pretty heavy.

[Armyballer]

Well thats just it, there are no checkpoints/water stations, I'm solo for the first 40 miles. I'm a "bigger" guy so sweat/drink ALOT. Yesterday afternoon during my 40miles I drank at least 80oz of fluid and about 30% of the ride was in the shade and not during the heat of the day.

[jJohnson]

Bananas, bananas, bananas.

One bottle per hour or one bottle per 15 miles if it's REALLY hot out like yesterday. I went through 7 bottles through 75 miles yesterday (4 on a 30 mile mtb ride, 3 on a 45 mile fast road ride).

Energy gels are good, but take a Clif bar or two and some Clif energy bloks. You'll need something of substance, so bananas are great. They saved my but riding the mountains of Colorado earlier this year. Potassium will keep you from cramping.

[Gunchie]

On Aug 3rd I'm doing the 70mile gravel race on my 29er Mnt Bike and would like some ideas on a few things.

1. Food the night before? I've read to "Carb up”; pasta, spaghetti, stuff like that, any additional suggestions for night before meal?

2. Morning of meal? Start time is 9am, I plan to eat something around 6am, a few boiled eggs and fruit, strawberries/pineapple, any additional suggestions?

3. During ride hydration/food? I’m now being told no “Chase cars” are allowed so I’ll have to carry it all for the first 40miles. My plan right now is this.

-50oz Water Camel Back, 21oz Water Bottle on bike frame, 2x 17oz (Frozen) bottles of water in the 2 rear pockets of my Jersey and 1x 21oz Gatorade.

-Will tape Gu packets to my handle bars for easy rip and eat.

Any additional suggestions to eat during to first 40miles?

At 40 miles I’ll restock and do it all over again for the last 30miles. Should I try to eat something at 40miles? Maybe some fruit?

Yesterday I did 40miles @ 16.9 mph, I was defiantly tired at the end so I figure I’ll have to drop down to about 14.0 mph to make all 70miles.

If you have anything else helpful please post!!!

Let me help:

1. That's a myth. Last thing you want is a full belly the day of a long ride. Plus, simple carbs like pasta isn't ideal, but I suppose it works. I like to do sushi with brown rice myself, but that's just me. Just eat like normal.

2. Oatmeal! Mix in some nuts, berries, and honey. A banana is a good idea too. May want to skip the boiled egg. Remember, it better taste good up case you burb it up.

3. You should drink a bottle an hour, which a 100 oz Camel Bak is roughly 3 bottles thus 50 oz is about 1.5. Skip the Gatorade. It's a lot sugar and simple carbs that isn't going to play nice on your stomach. Go for something like Hammer Nutrition HEED with complex carbs and mix in the GU with the bottle. I mix Hammer Nutrition products Perpetuem, Hammer Gel, and HEED together and sip on it. Then I keep the water separate. You want to shoot for 280 calories an hour. Honey Stinger, and Clif shot bloks work well too. The Margarita flavored shot bloks have 3x the sodium to help with cramping. Sodium capsules are a good idea too.

If you give me the hours you are shooting for I can put together a nutrition plan for you. You should really have tested out all your nutrition on long training rides, but we'll work with what we got. Go out easy for the first half, and up the pace on the last half. You want to make sure you don't blow up too early. Hope this is all helpful!

[SweetSVT99]

Let me help:
Just eat like normal.

Gunchie gives great advice, from experience, but the above line is probably up there with the most important. If you eat differently than you're used to, you stand a strong chance of having some stomach issues during the ride. The last thing you want to do is find out the hard way in the middle of a ride/race that something doesn't agree with your stomach. Especially out in the middle of nowhere on a long gravel race.

[Armyballer]

Thank you all for the wisdom, Gunchie, PM coming your way with more details, thanks again!!!

[Gunchie]

No problem. I'm kinda pro when it comes to this (no seriously, i'm going pro next year). PM sent back.

[jJohnson]

I'll second the Hammer Nilutrition suggestions. I love their products.

[Gunchie]

I'll second the Hammer Nilutrition suggestions. I love their products.

Yeah, I'd love to get them as a sponsor, but they are pretty strict about not using other products. I love my margarita shot blok too much. Honey Stinger is pretty good too, and a great company. Probably pick them up for the team next year. Anyone out that way heard of CarboRocket, Tailwind, or Skratch Labs?

[jimithng23]

...no seriously, i'm going pro next year...

you're so bro.

[jJohnson]

Yeah, I'd love to get them as a sponsor, but they are pretty strict about not using other products. I love my margarita shot blok too much. Honey Stinger is pretty good too, and a great company. Probably pick them up for the team next year. Anyone out that way heard of CarboRocket, Tailwind, or Skratch Labs?

I've used Skratch Labs, it's what I'm drinking right now. I don't really care for the taste of the pineapple, but their fruit punch is tasty. There was someone in IHRS last year riding for CarboRocket, but I've never tried their product. Never heard of Tailwind.