What happens at 2 hours?

Gav888

Hi,

Silly question but ive been wondering about this for a while now.

Im currently doing rides on a weekend of around 2.5 hours at about 60 - 70% VO2max and consuming 1000ml of Gatorade during the ride - and before you say I know its under what is recommended but its working for me at present - i think...

I normally ride around 15mph on the flat and feel like I dont have much energy to push any harder, but around the 2 hour mark I feel like I have a lot more energy and my speeds pick up to around 20mph on the flat!!

What is going on as I see this every ride over 2 hours?

Pokerface

Maybe it's the anticipation of knowing you are almost done!? (2 hours into a 2.5 hour ride)


I certainly get a boost of energy on the last part of a ride.



real answer will probably depend on what you eat prior to your ride, how long before, etc. Will also depend on when you consume your energy drink (regularly throughout the ride from start to finish, or not until an hour in, etc). You may just be getting an energy rush from the Gatorade.

Gav888

It could be that im nearly home, but food / drink wise I have:

Breakfast on a weekend is 7 or 8am, which is a bowl of porridge and a pint of water, then 1 - 1.5 hours later im out on the bike.

Whilst riding I use Gatorade the whole time so its not like im using water then Gatorade in the last half of the ride to get a boost.. do you think its the porridge coming into effect, not sure what the digestion time of porridge is though?

sub55

Im currently doing rides on a weekend of around 2.5 hours at about 60-70% vo2max
how bo you no :?:

SBezza

Probably the effects of the Gatorade, this is designed to give energy fast, so probably by the time you have consumed enough of it, and digested it you have more energy.

I always have my breakfast about 30 mins before going on a club run, as by the time I have warmed up en route to the club run, it is being digested by the time I do hardish work. If I ate that far in advanced of a general ride, I would be eating again before the actual club run.

I think the 1 to 2 hours before doing anything is fine, if you are training very hard or racing, but for general endurance riding I don't think it is really that important.

Gav888

sub55 wrote:

Im currently doing rides on a weekend of around 2.5 hours at about 60-70% vo2max
how bo you no :?:

I read somewhere that 60 - 70% is when you can say a few words and are breathing fairly heavy. If you can hold a conversation its below 60%, and if you cannot talk and are breathing very heavy its 80 or 90%, so whilst riding I can say a few words and im breathing heavy and im always push when I can, so I am guessing its 60 - 70% but I could be totally wrong??

Anonymous

I dont think that is accurate for everyone, going up Mow Cop I could hold a convo , and to get up that I think most people are always above 70% :P

I admit yesterday I probs could not, felt like I was at 110%, was ready to cough my guts out and throw up.

Bhima

1) You're just warming up (possible in cold weather)
2) You've eaten pasta 1 hour before you go out (it takes 3 hours to digest it and some other similar foods)
3) On your way home, you're in a mild tailwind and on your way out, you're in a mild headwind (most likely explaination)
4) You're cycling near a gravity well and, therefore, experiencing a time dilation making you believe you're going slower for the first 2 hours. (least likely explaination)