Fuelling for a 100 miler

MartAstur

Having achieved all my goals for 2013 I thought I would have to create some new ones so have decided one of them will be my first 100 miler. I was wondering how much I should take to eat. If I fuel up every half an hour I'm not sure my back pockets will hold all I need to take. Any advise on how much and how often I should be refuelling would be really appreciated.

M

Gizmodo

MartAstur wrote:

Having achieved all my goals for 2013 I thought I would have to create some new ones so have decided one of them will be my first 100 miler. I was wondering how much I should take to eat. If I fuel up every half an hour I'm not sure my back pockets will hold all I need to take. Any advise on how much and how often I should be refuelling would be really appreciated.

You should prepare 2 days before you ride with carb-loading "you should eat about 10 grams of carbs per kg of body weight daily in the two days leading up to race day" http://cyclingtips.com.au/2009/05/how-to-carb-load/

The same with hydration - lay off any alcohol and drink plenty of water for 48 hours before.

Eat a good slow release carb breakfast (porridge or peanut butter sandwich) then a banana when you set off. Gels are convenient but jelly babies, jam sandwiches, peanuts and other carb loaded real foods are useful if you can fit them in. If it's an organised ride they will have feed stops for refills, if not then plan a food stop at a local shop.

Don't forget that your drinks can also contain energy supplements.

EDIT: My post was based on the (incorrect) assumption that the OP was out to achieve as fast a time as possible. If you just want to do a steady 100 then as others have said below, a good meal the night before, a good breakfast and a couple of bananas should do.

markos1963

Why would you want/need to fuel up every half hour? Is it a road race or TT? A normal balanced healthy diet should provide enough energy for your ride. Carb loading is pointless unless you want to put on weight, there is only so many calories you can carry for immediate use anyway. If it's a social ride you're doing then carry a few oat/muesili bars to keep you going, maybe a sandwich as well. Take some money and buy yourself something to eat as you go along.
I managed a 100mile TT on three bars and four gels if you want some perspective on what you need.

djfleming22

I did a 139 miler the other week had some porridge and some scrambled eggs in the morning .....took some flap jacks, jelly babies and gels plenty of carb drinks...... i like the high 5 ones i usually make them up in the small packs .... just take your time and drink plenty and eat something every 30 min to 45 ....depending on your pace.. and the most important thing .... enjoy it

izza

1) The last nutritionist I spoke said that lay off the alcohol two weeks before and not just two days.

2) In terms of hydration I start taking diuralyte powders for the two days before a long event. Helps wanting to pee behnd hedges every two miles when keeping myself hydrated.

3) How often you stop depends on you, the course, your target (in terms of time and therefore effort) and weather.

simon_e

No beer for a fortnight? Diuralyte? Extreme and unnecessary.

The people I know who do long time trials - 100s, 12 hours and Ironman - don't do anything special, just eat well the day before and then have real food, little and often. If you're not even riding at race intensity then there is even less need for dedicated sports nutrition but if there is an energy drink you find pleasant and palatable then have that as well as water. Flapjacks, cereal or fruit bars, peanut butter or jam sarnies cut into small squares, jelly babies, fig rolls, malt loaf... After a few hours you may have had enough of sweet stuff and start craving something savoury.

I've read on here of people eating sh*t like pork pies but IME pork is the least digestible food I could think of before or during exercise, the fat just makes it take longer to digest.

sbbefc

Some over the top suggestions here. Make sure you have a decent breakfast , keep hydrated, I like to have one bottle of water and one with high5 tabs, take a banana (or two) a chocolate bar and a bag of sweets. Depending on the weather topping up both bottles once should be enough. If you feel that's not enough, stop at a shop/cafe/pub.

I've given gels a chance but they just make me feel sick, fruit pastilles seem to do a better job for me.

MartAstur

Thanks for the suggestions. My ride certainly won't be a TT, I will just pick a day when the weather looks reasonable and head off. I guess we are all different but having now completed a few 100k rides it looks like I am someone that needs to top up regularly. My longest ride so far is 117km sportive that I completed the other week ( http://bikeasturias.wordpress.com/2013/ ... t-sportive ). There was a compulsory cake stop half way through but I was still suffering a bit at the end. For the 100 miler I have picked the flattest route I could find as it's the tough climbs that usually sap my energy so hopefully it will be OK. I think I will go with energy tabs in the water bottle, Bag of Jelly babies (my favourite suggestion), couple of small bananas, 2 gels and 2 cereal bars. That should just about fit in the pockets and I think I'd be sick if I eat more than that.
Not wild about the no alcohol suggestion, next you will be telling me no sex for two days prior to the ride. If that was the case the wife would want me to go on three 100 milers a week. :S
Thanks again
M

DavidJB

I had 2 bowels of cereal and took a banana and couple of oat bars with me for my 102 mile ride on Sunday was fine. Then again I don't need to eat till 60 miles in normally.

marcusjb

Agree with those saying that there are some rather wild, over the top suggestions for someone going out and riding a non-competitive century.

Eat a decent meal the night before - I tend not to do anything special as, I hope, I eat a decent balanced meal most evenings. But usually something with rice, lots of veg etc.

In the morning, cereal, toast, whatever really - just as long as it's reasonably substantial.

On the road, I keep things real, no gels etc., flapjacks, dates and so on. I am never in so much of a rush that I can't stop at a cafe for a proper stop each 100 miles or so.

Drinking - plenty of it. No energy drinks (other than things like full fat coke at cafe stops etc.), but I do use NUUN in one bottle.

When you first start riding centuries, you will be amazed at how much you can eat. When you're doing them regularly, you'll be amazed with how little you can eat.

Again, this is talking about non competitive cycling, so wouldn't apply if you're racing - then you might need to do things differently.

Very jealous of you living in Asturias though - some very beautiful cycling to be done there (toured the Picos on the tandem last year - one of the best tours ever, the food was amazing!).

MartAstur

Thanks @marcusjb

I do feel very privileged living in such a great area for cycling. Yeah the food is great, I'll have to resist the temptation to stop for a plate of fresh grilled giant prawns when I pass by Lastres.

Only problem with Asturias is finding a flattish route. My ride will take me along the coast to Ribadesella then up to near Covadonga then back home inland. Still over 2000m of climbing though but no major hills.

I use Zero sugar, zero cal tabs in my water bottle which seem to do the trick. Guess I will just stuff my pockets full of nibbles and see how it goes. As you say, if I have a good meal the night before and a good breakfast that should help me on my way.
M

keef66

For my longer rides I start with a big bowl of porridge, and take 2 bottles of drink. In one back pocket I have a bag of jelly babies and in the other a handful of fig rolls, and I snack little and often as I ride. Although my longest ride of late has been 86 miles I think I could keep going for 100+ using that strategy.

meursault

but I do use NUUN in one bottle.

+1 Stuff seems the real deal, and tastes good. Have no scientific evidence disclaimer though.

CiB

Love the 'lay off the alcohol for two weeks' idea.

Don't carry too much baggage, it weighs you down and there's no point carry something in a sweaty back pocket for 70 miles when there's a good chance there'll be a shop or a garage at about that distance that'll happily sell you a fresh version of what you carried for 4 hours. Cash weighs less than food & drink.

Stoke up with a good breakfast and that'll see you though the first 50-60 miles. Don't have empty stuff like Rice Crispies or Shredded Wheat as that's just air pockets. Weetabix, esp with raw porridge on top with a load of milk & sugar plus a coffee, then repeat 20 minutes later, that's a good start. No need to cook porridge if you don't like its texture; dry porridge is muesli without the dead insects & plants.

A bag of Asda mixed nuts is good to nibble on; those yoghurt-covered biscuits are ok too and take a couple of Nuun tabs or similar to refill the bottles when you stop. An emergency gel or two just in case, and you're good to go for the 6-8 hours it'll probably take.

The night before drink a bottle of red. It doesn't help your cycling, it's just nice. I've done that on most of my 100s and its effect is minimal in the first hour, and it's gone from your system after that so you don't need to worry about it.

MartAstur

Can't seem to find fig rolls here in Spain
Does anyone know if dried apricots would be any good on a ride instead? I eat them quite a bit off the bike but they would be ideal to just chuck in the back pocket and an ideal little and often food. The packet says per 100g, 283Kcal, 62.6g of carbohydrates, 7.3g fibre, is that good for a ride?

Between the advice of no alcohol and a bottle of red for some reason I might choose the bottle of red. I don't think the no alcohol rule applies if you are riding in Spain, I think it might even be against the law not to.

marcusjb

Enough of this bottle of red the night before, being in Asturias, they may well ride like many do in France, glass or two of red on the way around.

Or Asturian cider....

Ooh and that mention of the prawns grilled on the plancha - perfect mid-ride fuel!

I think what the more sensible answers are saying is don't worry too much about it - eat sensibly the night and morning before, eat little snacks as you ride, drink often, stop for a nice cafe stop when you feel like it.

100 miles, even for a long-distance nutter like myself, is still a long way - but unless it's being done competitively, you don't need to do anything special food and drink-wise, other than being sensible.

marcusjb

Apricots are okay, dates are a favourite of mine (but can be pretty sticky).

Flapjacks are good (you may need to make your own)

kwi

Nothing wrong with dried apricots, if you enjoy them, even better. I would mix with some nuts personally, still handy in a wee baggie in the back pocket.

And homemade flap jacks can have whatever you like in them.

47p2

I completed my first century at the weekend, 111.75 miles with an elevation gain of 9388 feet to be exact, my time was 6 hours 57 minutes

I had porridge 2.5 hours before the start, then 15 minutes before heading off I had a banana and half an oat bar, then a gel every 30 minutes or so with plenty water. I stopped at 54 miles and had a bacon & egg roll with a cup of tea then back on the saddle with a gel every 30 minutes and lots of water to the end. Once finished I had a milky protein drink, some jelly babies and another milky protein drink after about 30 minutes. This was the instructions from my son-in-law who is a professional athlete and I have to say that I never at any point felt fatigued or tired and could probably have went on to do another 100 miles.

MartAstur

marcusjb wrote:

Enough of this bottle of red the night before, being in Asturias, they may well ride like many do in France, glass or two of red on the way around.

Or Asturian cider....

Ooh and that mention of the prawns grilled on the plancha - perfect mid-ride fuel!

Yeah, it should be Cider as it's Asturias but pouring it might be a little tricky on the bike

MartAstur

47p2 wrote:

I completed my first century at the weekend, 111.75 miles with an elevation gain of 9388 feet to be exact, my time was 6 hours 57 minutes

Well done on the ride! and thanks for the info

47p2

MartAstur wrote:

Well done on the ride! and thanks for the info

Just pace yourself and enjoy it.

I hadn't cycled for over 20 years and in March this year I decided to 'get fit' again, sadly now though I fall into the category of 'senior veteran' and my legs are not as fast as they used to be, but I was happy with my first century effort.

20 plus years ago a ride would consist of hammering round a 20 or 25 mile route as fast as I could go and that was it. Now I tend to do roughly the same mileage but a little slower, but I do include a few longer routes and pace myself accordingly. I don't go out and cover silly mileages but in the run up to this event I did increase my training and miles to allow me to complete it without too much pain. I had over the past few weeks 3 x 30 miles with 1300 ft elevation gain, 2 x 35 miles with 2300ft elevation gain, 1 x 50 miles with 3500ft elevation gain, 1 x 56 miles with 3700ft elevation gain and 1 x 75 miles with 4100ft elevation gain.

Pross

DavidJB wrote:

I had 2 bowels of cereal........

:shock: does it taste like s**t?

meursault

Completed my first imperial century here

http://app.strava.com/activities/87576693

Got up late to meet my riding partner, so no real brekkie, wolfed down a muller rice. Nuun tab in the bidon. Homemade banana flapjacks on quick stops, and a Cafe Nero panini for lunch. All good, my legs knew they had been on a ride but no problems.

Beer recovery drink.

markos1963

meursault wrote:

Completed my first imperial century here

http://app.strava.com/activities/87576693

Got up late to meet my riding partner, so no real brekkie, wolfed down a muller rice. Nuun tab in the bidon. Homemade banana flapjacks on quick stops, and a Cafe Nero panini for lunch. All good, my legs knew they had been on a ride but no problems.

Beer recovery drink.

Well done and there you go, didn't need a massive amount of food or expensive, specialist sports food.

MartAstur

Well I did it! completed my first 100 miler on Thursday

In the end I took two gels (used both), two cereal bars (eat one), two small bananas (eat both), half a pack of dried apricots (eat half of what I took) and bidons with Nuun tabs. I eat about every 45 minutes and nibbled the apricots the last 30km or so.
To my surprise I lasted pretty well, only running out of energy in the last 10km.
Thanks everyone for their advice as it helped me get the balance just right.
There is a link to the ride stats and a couple of pics of the ride on http://bikeasturias.wordpress.com

diamonddog

Well done on the 100.

MartAstur

Thanks @diamonddog

diamonddog

If I lived where you are I would gladly do a 100 every day.

MartAstur

Must admit it's always a pleasure going out for a ride here. I'm very lucky as it's such a great place for cycling. More people should come here on cycling holidays but they all seem to head to Majorca.

M

47p2

Nice one, well done