Endurance Fitness & Recovery

Roubaix Rider

8)

ut_och_cykla

1 and 3 mostly
2 is good for teh soul
4 might prolong /increase your agony if its not your 'comfy ' cadence.
But definitley eating & eating right is key to day after day riding in my opinion, together with a pace that is 'comfy' most of the time.

peanut

crikey ! :shock: :shock:

sooner you than me mate.

I would say look to the pros for advice. Definitly a good massage to your legs will be essential every evening to remove the latic acid build up which accumaltes. That will cripple you as quick as anything.
You need to eat before you are hungry and drink before you feel thirsty. Its too late bu the time you feel thirsty as I expect you found out.

I would recommend you take at least 2x sachets of `rehydrate' salts before starting every day with your water.It will stop you getting dehydrating. Dyrolyte' from any chemist

Eat mainly fat and simple carbohydrates . You want food that will be easy and quick to digest and will release lots of energy as quick as possible. Don't eat lots of protien and meat products etc which will give little energy and tie up your digestive system , give you cramps and release little energy.

Eat smaller amounts but frequently ie every hour during the day rather than 2-3 larger meals

good luck

Babbsy

1 and 3 are essential.
2 is a nice to have if available, why not
4 is a no. (Perhaps a spin for the first 30 mins of each day to ease in stiff tired legs, then again at the end of the days riding.) You need to ride at your most efficient cadence.

On a similar ride (end to end 870miles in 5 days) the hardest thing I found, and the area which training did not prepare me for, was the cumulative lack of rest/sleep. Riding started at 6am each day (rising at 4.30-5.00am for breakfast and prep. A stop for an hour or so for lunch plus a couple of other short breaks to refresh drinks/snacks, meant we didn't arrive til 6,7 or even 8pm. An hour or two for shower and dinner then bed by say 9 or 10pm only leaves only 7 hrs for sleep. After 170 miles + in the saddle you feel like you could sleep for at least 12! then after 4 days of this you could sleep for a week.

Fuel is equally important, but was not a problem as it came naturally after trial and error through all the training. Energy and electrolyte replacement drinks for hydration. Regular small snacks on the bike. For these type of distances you cant get enough energy from on the bike drinks / snacking. Slow release energy. Porridge for breakfast. Whole meal pasta for lunch and dinner. I also found SIS Rego recovery drink exellent.

Don't eat lots of protien and meat products etc which will give little energy and tie up your digestive system , give you cramps and release little energy.

Protein is essential for the recovery process - repairing damaged muscles. A friend of mine on this ride started each day with a tin or sardines and a tin or rice pudding.

Good luck

Cajun

These sites should help:
http://www.cptips.com/recvry.htm
http://www.ultracycling.com/nutrition/nutrition.html
http://www.cptips.com/snacks.htm

oldwelshman

Rest is important as others stated.
With respect to protein both above posts are partially correct.
I would not eat protein as it does tie up your digestive system, but also protein is good for recovery.
For this reason I would take recovery drinks which contain whey protein and mix them in milk.
Carbohydtrate meals after rides are probably best and try to get some breakfast if possible
With the mileage you have done don't see any need for further training.
I wouild also look for some of these drinks that prevent cramp, I used some in Italy some mangnesium drink and it was great, I did not get cramp att all over 200km hilly route in 40 degree heat !!
Oh and for the record, although massage is very relaxing and generally make you feel better, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that it removes lactic acid from legs, you may as well lie down with legs in the air .

ut_och_cykla

Eat a really good meal in the early evening, plenty of carbs and a reasonable bit of protein. Don't eat breakfast before you start riding at 6.30, but start nibbling almost straight away if you can, sarnies, musli bars, milk drinks, fruit. You will feel awful teh first few miles but keep going - it will get better as long as you eat and drink and pace yourself.

Roubaix Rider

8)

ut_och_cykla

Your bleed diet sounds very much like carbohydrate loading scheme popular in 70/80s adn dreamt up by a couple of Swedes I think. Its beleived to maximise carb loading by creating an enormous demand. Nowadays I beleive careful tapering and eating plenty of carbs is a preferred equivalent as it is less potentially less stressful for teh body. Hence teh twice a year proviso perhaps. That or doing it mroe often loses the 'trick your body ' factor. Who knows - good luck anyway. And think about eating real food instead of or with your gels etc. You could get quite tired of teh packet stuff over a period of days.